Town's brave bid to regain the 2011 Mercer League title ended in bitter disappointment at the Lakeland Forum on Tuesday night. Despite recording an excellent 2-1 victory over a partly peroxide Beragh Swifts side, the Child of Prague failed to make an unlikely appearence in Ballinamallard and, therefore, James McGrath's Lisbellaw United were crowned worthy champions for a second successive season.

Manager Rory Judge made the now customary three changes to his side. Ryan Hanna, Ciaran Leonard and Matthew McAuley replacing Brendan Rogers, Daniel Keenan and Mark Beckett. Rogers suspended, Trotter studying for his G.C.E.s in Art and Maths and Beckett to save me the hassle of having to differentiate between Gary and Mark.  

The game itself got off to an explosive start. Malcolm Crawford saw his sixth minute header ruled out for off-side following a Gary Beckett cross and four minutes later the visitors took the lead. Kyle McKane's ball into the penalty area ricocheted off a Town defender and Michael Brown smashed home from close range. The Town faithful's misery was to be further compounded before the game had even restarted - word filtered through that Lisbellaw had gone one up in Ballinamallard. 

However, Town, displaying their now legendary indomitable spirit, rolled up their sleeves and went about their business undeterred. Beragh keeper Johnathan Crawford did well to save Beckett's twenty-second minute free-kick before the Town drew level in the twenty-sixth minute. Town were awarded another free on the edge of the Swifts' area and quick thinking Mark Connolly bent his effort round the Beragh wall and past a hapless Crawford while both sets of players, referee Kevin Taggart and the seventy-five supporters present in the ground were still thinking about what they had for their tea. 

The recovery appeared complete on thirty-one minutes. Connolly's pass sent Frank Wallace scurrying into the opposition box where he was upended by McKane and up stepped racing certainty Beckett to take the resultant penalty. However, Crawford got down well to his right to push the ex Derry City star's effort round the post. Chalk it down as a collector's item.  
A rejuvenated Beragh now took the game to their more illustrious hosts. David Fulton fired over, under pressure from David Callaghan and, Stepen Browne went close after a quick Beragh break, as an absorbing first half drew to a close. 

The visitors started the second period in similar vein. Brown and Browne again going close as this unlikely mix of farmhands and boy band wannabes started to show their footballing prowess. Connolly's free kick was headed clear with the predatory Beckett lurking, while Joe McGovern had to be at his best to deny McKane after an uncharacteristic slip by Anthony Fitzpatrick. 
Buoyed on by a passionate home support Town started to up the ante with Beckett and Connolly leading from the front. Crawford's downward header narrowly cleared the bar after a Beckett free-kick before the sustained Town pressure paid off after seventy-five minutes. Wallace's pass found Beckett who was fouled by Ryan Weir twenty-five yards from goal. The veteran striker dusted himself down, stepped up to the mark and cracked a thunderbolt past Crawford. 

Beragh replied immediately and McGovern had to be at his best to deny Fulton after Callaghan had lost his footing. It was to be a solitary riposte, however, as Town saw out the remainder of the game in comfortable fashion. It mattered little as the much anticipated text or phonecall detailing a late Ballinamallard equaliser never arrived. Lisbellaw retained their title and in the process denied Town the opportunity of a winner takes all showdown on the final day of the season.

Close. But no cigar. 

The Town: J McGovern, D Callaghan, A Fitzpatrick, M Crawford, C Beacom, R Hanna, C Leonard, M McAuley, G Beckett, M Connolly, F Wallace.

Referee: Kevin Taggart - Likes the dubious ones.

Attendance: 75 - will all be needed in Tummery. Hope to see you all there.

Top Townie: Mark Connolly - Every orchestra needs a good conductor. 

Nine Pints of Harp, Three Double Vodkas, a Mutton Vindaloo, Going Home and Having a Piss in the Wardrobe and The Wife Still Not Speaking to Me After Three Days Moment: Darren Rodger's tenth minute penalty at Ferney Park.

Comedy Moment: Add the name Kyle McKane to that illustrious band of Daniel Keenan and Matthew McAuley. I am now seriously thinking about renaming this category, " The Geoff Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award." Just for the record and, all you like-minded anoraks out there, McKane's 'effort' that eventually ended up in the grateful hands of David Callaghan, for a throw-in, occurred in the thirty-eighth minute.

Words from a Song: Roadhouse Blues.

Manager Watch: While he will be obviously devastated to have fallen just short, he cannot fault his players on this particular showing. They displayed great reserves of character, drive, resilience, passion, hunger and commitment in recovering from a number of early hammer blows and fashioning a thoroughly deserved victory against an impressive Beragh side. None more so than thirty-seven years, ten months, one week and three days old Gary Beckett. The old warhorse done more than anybody to drive Town forward in a relentless display of single-minded ambition.  

Judge now faces the galling task of preparing his team for Saturday's dead rubber with Lisbellaw United. However, as one door closes another opens. The powers that be at Windsor Avenue have rightfully overturned the scandalous and blinkered decision of the local "intelligentsia" to disgracefully eject Town from this season's Mulhern Cup.
A quarter-final tie away to cup specialists Tummery Athletic now awaits. They don't come much harder than this and now is the time for Judge to earn his corn. He needs to lift his players' chins off the floor and harness their obvious disappointment in a positive fashion. If this can be achieved then this season might yet have a sting in the tail. We await.