Ballyclare Comrades chairman James Kirk has vowed the club will look to “regroup and rebuild” after suffering Championship relegation in a campaign he admits was “the toughest season in my many years in football”.

After losing out in a promotion/relegation play-off to Queen’s University last week, Ballyclare’s 12-year stay in Northern Ireland’s second-tier came to an end and they’ll be plying their trade in the Premier Intermediate League next term.

It was a turbulent season for the Dixon Park outfit with manager Stephen Small resigning in December while a host of players departed during the January transfer window.

New boss Barry Baggley made no fewer than 21 signings after arriving from Crewe United, but he couldn’t stop them avoiding the drop as Ballyclare finished 11th following a final day defeat to nearest rivals Newington before losing 3-2 on aggregate across two legs to Queen’s.

placeholder image — Ballyclare Comrades chairman James Kirk (right) with manager Barry Baggley. (Photo by Ballyclare Comrades FC)

Kirk issued an apology to the club’s supporters following their relegation and says talks will now be held over best next steps as Ballyclare look to bounce back.

"After a very disappointing season, we find ourselves relegated to the 3rd tier of Irish league football,” Kirk said on the club’s website. “As Chairman of the club I take full responsibility for this and can only apologise to all our loyal supporters who have travelled far and wide this season to cheer on our team throughout the campaign.

“The Championship was the strongest it’s been in years, and even though we finished on 40 points, a total that would in any other year have seen us safe, we ended up in the promotion/relegation play-offs.

"Our season wasn’t good enough from Match Day 1, and with the well documented upheaval at the turn of the year, we were left with a total mess with five senior players remaining in early January.

“Our new management team, to their credit, worked hard to get a squad put together in a notoriously difficult time to even sign a few players, the winter transfer window.

“Hand on heart, it’s been the toughest season in my many years in football and it has certainly taken its toll on me and many others involved in the club.

"We weren’t good enough over the season, and have to regroup and rebuild for next season in the PIL.

“We will sit down with the management and discuss how we move forward and stabilise.

“On a positive note, I’d like to thank the many fans who attended the last couple of home games.

"The support was great, and hopefully many of you will become regular fans next season.”

Reacting to their play-off defeat, Baggley told the club’s media channel: "It was just too little, too late. 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.”