Arva take on Kildare champions with Croker spot at stake

GAA preview

Arva’s odyssey continues this Saturday as they take on Milltown of Kildare in the All-Ireland Club Junior Championship semi-final at The Downs, Co Westmeath (throw-in, 1pm).

The Cavan side are rated as 1/4 favourites to advance to the All-Ireland final, with the bookmakers and pundits clearly impressed by Finbar O’Reilly’s side’s performances to date.

Arva opened their championship campaign with a 3-18 to 0-2 win over Munterconnaught in early August. They followed up by beating Mountnugent (3-15 to 0-11), Drung (1-11 to 0-10) and Shannon Gaels (0-17 to 1-9).

In the knock-out stages of the county championship, Arva defeated Kildallan by 1-17 to 0-1 and returned to the final by virtue of a 2-20 to 1-6 win over Drumalee.

On the big day, they were 2-11 to 0-9 victors over Knockbride and they carried that form into the Ulster campaign. A 2-17 to 0-8 away win over Derry champions Ballymaguigan was followed by a 1-11 to 0-4 victory over Lisnaskea.

In the Ulster final, Arva had seven points to spare over Monaghan’s Blackhill, running out 0-13 to 0-6 winners, and they followed this up with a 2-8 to 1-3 win over British champions Wandsworth Gaels in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Kingspan Breffni to set up a crack at Milltown this Saturday.

In their 11 championship matches this season, Arva have scored 17-158 and conceded just 3-69 for an average of 0-19 scored and 0-7 conceded. Their defensive record is particularly impressive, with just three goals conceded; Philip McGoldrick (Shannon Gaels), Cian Byrne (Drumalee) and Caolan Mulgrew (Wandsworth Gaels) are the trio who have managed to hit the net against the St Patrick’s.

Having lost the county final by a point to eventual Ulster runners-up Drumlane in 2022, Arva were always strongly fancied by most to go a long way in 2023 (and now, 2024). However, there is a big difference between expecting and actually delivering, as Cavan football followers will be know too well, and Arva’s performances have been most impressive all season.

What has made their form even more striking is that they have been carrying injuries into most games of late, with the likes of key men Conal Sheridan, Johnny McCabe and Kevin Bouchier all carrying knocks at various stages.

However, they have made light of any setbacks encountered along the way, with different players stepping up at different times when needed.

While the spine of the team – veterans like the Morris brothers, McCabe, the Brady brothers, Sheridan, Bouchier, Danny Ellis et al – have been excellent, the rookies and younger players in the side have also been outstanding.

Teenager Barry Donnelly was exceptional last time out and defenders Stephen Sheridan and Dylan Maguire have also shone (interestingly, Maguire’s father, Adrian, also has an Ulster club medal with Ballinagh from 2007, making them the only father and son in Cavan to boast this double honour).

At midfield, Tristan Noach Hofmann, an international underage soccer player, has also impressed.

In the full-back line, former county panellist Finbar McAvinue has been in fine form while goalkeeper Cian O’Hara has been rock solid and dealt particularly well with a bombardment of high deliveries in the Ulster final against a seasoned Blackhill outfit.

In attack, Thomas Partington, who was minor in 2022, has settled in very well and looks a real star in the making. Arva’s strength in depth has also been shown to good effect, with Ciaran Stanley in particular making a splash when introduced.

Under manager Finbar O’Reilly, Stephen Smith (trainer) and Richard Keith (selector), Arva have worked extremely hard all year and while there was room for socialising over the festive period – especially considering popular full-back James Morris was married on New Year’s Eve – talk from the camp is very positive ahead of Saturday’s test.

Kildare champions Milltown are not unfamiliar with this competition, having won the county Junior title in 2018 and 2008. This year, they saw off a strong Grangenolvin in the county semi-final before defeating Robertstown in the final by 1-17 to 1-6, with Man of the Match Kevin Byrne top-scoring with 1-2.

In the Leinster decider, Milltown, captained by Cian Buckley, beat Louth’s Glyde Rangers by 1-9 to 1-4 but were slightly flattered by the scoreline, with Declan McKenna running in a late goal in injury time.

The green and red were reduced to 14 men in that game after the dismissal of Aaron Jacob and led by just a point with 60 minutes played before Patrick Donohoe scored a brilliant point and then set Donohoe up for that all-important clinching goal.

Like Lahardane MacHales who are in the other semi-final against a highly-rated Listowel Emmets, Milltown were only relegated from Intermediate ranks last year and they will hope to complete their revival by earning the right to take their place at Croke Park for the decider.

The other semi-final, between Lahardane MacHales from Mayo and a fancied Listowel Emmets from Kerry, takes place at O’Connor Park, Tullamore simultaneously to Arva’s match.

The village club, who are situated in mid-Kildare and share a parish with Leinster intermediate champions Allenwood, won their Leinster final on Sunday, December 3 so will have been out of action for five weeks by the time of throw-in on Saturday.