Ballyclare Comrades' 12-year Championship stay over after 'Jekyll and Hyde' play-off - but Barry Baggley points to 'perfect example' as motivation

Having lost out 3-0 in Tuesday’s first leg, Ballyclare faced an uphill task as they looked to preserve second-tier status, but almost pulled off mission impossible, falling narrowly short despite winning 2-0 on Friday evening thanks to goals from Keevan Hawthorne and Brandon Doyle.

It was a season of significant change at Dixon Park with manager Stephen Small resigning in December while a number of senior players left during the January transfer window.

New boss Baggley made no fewer than 21 signings as he put together a new-look team, but Ballyclare were dragged into a relegation battle after Newington’s upswing in form and have now dropped into the Premier Intermediate League alongside Newry City.

"It was just too little, too late,” Baggley told the club’s media channel. “The boys are devastated.

"Congratulations to Queen’s, they are on a 10-game run and we wish them all the best for the Championship.

"From our perspective, the two games probably sums up our season since we came in, Jekyll and Hyde – brilliant tonight and everything we asked from the boys, work rate, intensity, tracking runners...we didn’t get any of that on Tuesday unfortunately.

"With that being said, that’s a great group of lads in there and they are a credit to the club. Unfortunately we came up short and that’s on me – that’s not on the players or coaching staff, I’m solely responsible.

"I’m gutted for the fans and the people behind the scenes because they deserve better and I just wish we could have got an extra couple of points to keep us in the division.”

Baggley ultimately won three of his 15 Championship matches in charge of Ballyclare after joining from Crewe United, alongside picking up four draws, and will now hope to help the County Antrim club bounce back in a competitive third-tier.

He has pointed to Bangor as the “perfect example” with the Seasiders dropping into the Ballymena & Provincial League in 2017 but have now booked a Premiership return after winning the Championship title.

"If we had have got that performance on Tuesday night we’d probably be having a different conversation now,” added Baggley. “As I said to the lads, it has been a privilege of mine working with them and a privilege being at the club, I really mean that.

"Results aside, I’ve no regrets, I’ve enjoyed it. We’ll lick our wounds here and get over the disappointment.

"The club will get back to where it belongs and we’ll use Bangor as the perfect example. Bangor were in the Ballymena League a few years ago and will be playing Linfield and Cliftonville next year.

"We have to be positive in that sense and use that as motivation to try and get this club back to where it belongs.

"Sometimes taking a step back to take a step forward happens. We’ll have to sit down, have a chat and go from there.”