Arva breathe a sigh of relief as Shamrocks push them all the way

IFC quarter-final

Arva 1-12

Bailieborough 1-10

In a little over a month's time, the Tommy Gilroy Cup will be presented by Kieran Callaghan to the winners of the Intermediate Football Championship for 2024. Before Saturday's quarter-final, many neutrals expected Arva to be on the steps off the stand in Kingspan Breffni lifting that cup and if that turns out to be the case, they will look back on their game with Bailieborough as a huge test of their credentials.

The Shamrocks came into Saturday's game as underdogs having finished eighth in the group stages of the championship. Having a good league and gaining promotion from Division 3 stood Bryan Bates's (below) side in good stead but coming up against the might of Arva, who had comfortably stayed in Division 1, was going to be a step up in levels - and there's no doubting now that Bailieborough can compete with the very best in the grade on their day.

It was clear from the very first whistle that Arva meant business as Tristan Noach Hofmann went on the attack and opened the scoring with a point on his left foot after just 30 seconds of play. The in-form Conal Sheridan added a second point for Finbar O'Reilly's side, cutting in from the left wing.

Bailieborough, playing with the aid of the wind in the first half, opened their scoring in the eighth minute thanks to a long-range effort off the left boot of Jack McGuinness. A foul on Ciaran Stanley allowed Sheridan send over a free to restore Arva's two-point lead a minute later.

A long-range effort from the 45-metre line off the outside of Rhys Clarke's right boot demonstrated Bailieborough’s attacking capability. A minute later, Arva showed their attacking capacity as Barry Donnelly carved his way through the Bailieborough defence to set up Jonathan McCabe for a right-footed finish to the back of the net.

Bailieborough nearly hit a goal in reply when Cian O’Hara spilled a high ball challenge in the air, but Rory Farrell's effort deflected off an Arva defender and out for a 45 which he converted to reduce the gap to three points. Bailieborough centre half-back Aaron Reel’s made a diagonal run inside the Arva 20-metre line to receive the ball and set up Oran McIntyre for a point on his right foot. A free by Conal Sheridan with five minutes remaining in the half kept Arva three points ahead.

Bailieborough, determined to use the wind, worked the ball to Oran McIntyre 40 metres from goal. His shot dropped into the square and Peter Clerkin judged the flight of the ball better than the rest to punch to the back of the Arva net.

The Blues responded five minutes later with another Conal Sheridan free after a foul by Aiden Reilly. With the game in injury time, Arva set up with 15 players behind the ball but a beautiful long-range strike from Aaron Reel levelled the sides for the second time. The reigning All-Ireland junior champions, determined to enter the break in the lead, won the resulting kick out and Hofmann pointed to leave the score 1-6 to 1-5 at the break.

Now playing with the wind in the second half, Arva opened the scoring when Dylan Maguire came up from the full-back line to blast over the Bailieborough bar. Three minutes later, the Reds worked the ball up the left wing and Oran McIntyre cut in from the sideline to split the posts and leave just one between the sides.

Referee Conor Lyons showed Arva defender Charlie Madden a black card with 10 minutes played in the second half and Rory Farrell sent over the free off the ground from 40 metres to level the sides for the fourth time.

Arva responded like champions as a super run by Barry Donnelly saw him pulled down and Sheridan convert the free. Donnelly played the same trick two minutes later to set up Sheridan for a point ‘in the pocket’.

With Arva down to 14, they once again dropped all players behind the ball but Brendan Argue found a gap to send over his first point of the game. With one point between the sides, Sheridan won and converted a free three minutes into the final quarter.

After Arva returned to their full complement, substitute Fergal McGlade fisted over a point to extend the Arva lead to three. With five minutes remaining in the game, Hofmann pierced through three Bailieborough defenders before raising his third white flag of the day as an insurance point for the would-be winners.

Bailieborough continued to battle to the bitter end as full-back Aiden Reilly popped over a point from 20 metres. A minute into injury time, Bailieborough wing forward Jack McGuinness saw the slightest chance of a goal and blasted for the net but his shot rose over the bar and was followed two minutes later by the final whistle, seeing Arva run out with two points to spare.

Arva: Cian O' Hara; Dylan Maguire(0-1), James Morris, Finbar McAvinue; Charlie Madden, Stephen Sheridan, Éanna Ward; Ciarán Brady, Tristan Noack Hofmann (0-3); Thomas Partington, Barry Donnelly, Jonathan McCabe(1-0); Peter Conneely, Ciaran Stanley, Conal Sheridan(0-7,5f)

Subs: Danny Ellis for E Ward, Fergal McGlade(0-1) for P Conneely, Shane Hamilton for C Stanley, Thomas Brady for F McAvinue

Bailieborough: Rian Kellett; Colin Gargan, Aidan Reilly(0-1), Conor Monaghan; Noah O’Sullivan, Aaron Reel(0-1), Philip Clarke; Peter Clerkin(1-0), Ryan Gilmer; Oran McIntyre(0-2), Luke Gilsenan, Jack McGuinness(0-2); Brendan Argue(0-1), Rhys Clarke(0-1), Rory Farrell(0-2,1f,1’45)

Subs: Cathal Keegan for O McIntyre, Darragh Keegan for P Clerkin, Oisin Fitzsimons for N O’Sullivan, Sean Cooney for R Gilmer, Ryan Coleman for R Farrell.