Arva march on with impressive second-half performance

Ulster Club IFC quarter-final

Arva 1-18

Drumgath (Down) 1-12

Paul Fitzpatrick at Páirc Esler

Cavan Intermediate champions Arva have been in a winning habit for two full seasons now and they continued in that vein here as their fitness and impeccable decision-making saw them home with six points to spare against decent opposition in Down champions Drumgath.

Arva came into this match as favourites with the bookmakers to come away with the win. Lines of form, for what they are worth, looked promising, with Cavan sides having beaten the Mourne representatives in this competition in the last two meetings (Mullahoran in 2018 and Butlersbridge in 2021), although of course there is huge flux in these competitions.

Arva had a month to prepare, having beaten the ‘Bridge in the county final on October 13, 27 days earlier. Finbar O’Reilly’s men came through eight matches without defeat in the county championship to extend their record to 21 games unbeaten in championship football, their last defeat coming in the 2022 Cavan Junior Championship final against Drumlane.

A goal from Peter Morris with the final kick of the half saw Arva go in four points in front, which must have been deflating for the home side, who registered some excellent points and, at times, routed the Arva kick-out.

However, Drumgath were wasteful, spurning two good goal chances and some scoreable point opportunities, and Arva, who recorded just a solitary wide in the first half, punished them with a succession of quality scores of their own.

Drumgath started on the front foot and were three points up in the first six minutes. Target man Patrick Downey, a late call-up whose battle with James Morris was a highlight, opened the scoring and they quickly added two more well-worked scores from Ryan Hillen and Shea Byrne.

Arva were unusually-loose at the back in the first 20 minutes, although at the other end, they looked sharp, with Johnny McCabe, Kevin Bouchier, Thomas Partington (lining out at midfield) and Barry Donnelly all winning their individual battles.

Ciaran Brady, not at full fitness but using his experience and physicality to great effect, opened Arva’s account with a trademark score off the left and Donnelly was next to register with another lovely effort, turned over the bar by the goalkeeper.

Drumgath created the first goal chance of the contest but Darcy Burns was unlucky to see his low shot strike the post; after a scramble, the Down side were awarded a free which Byrne converted.

Arva needed a response and they produced it. A huge Cian O’Hara kick-out was fielded by Partington and McCabe pointed off the left; Partington then landed a fine point of his own and when Kevin Bouchier knocked over a free from 40 metres, the Cavan champions were in front for the first time with 13 minutes played.

But back came Drumgath with a hat-trick of scores from Shea Byrne (a brilliant point from the wing), Ryan Byrne (40 metres, outside the boot) and Ryan Hillen – and they probably should have had a goal and a point in this spell too, spurning two glorious chances.

Arva were by now struggling but their finish to the half was superb as they reeled off 1-4 to Drumgath’s single point. Tristan Noack Hofmann found McCabe for another left-footed point, then turned scorer himself after excellent work from Bouchier.

Bouchier, on the frees in the absence of the injured Conal Sheridan, landed one from the 13-metre line on the left sideline and when Ciaran Brady spotted a gap and punished the dropping-off home defence, Arva were humming.

Shea Byrne momentarily stopped the bleeding with a neat point but then came the major. When Partington’s shot was half-blocked, Thomas Brady got something on it and Peter Morris made no mistake, rifling to the roof of the net to make it 1-9 to 0-8 at the break.

Arva drew first blood on the restart with a point from Bouchier after good work from Stephen Sheridan, with Drumgath’s joint-captain Pearse McPolin quickly replying.

Ciaran Brady released McCabe for his third point and Peter Morris landed a mark as Arva stretched their lead to six, 1-12 to 0-9, seven minutes into the second half but Drumgath dug in. McPolin and Ryan Byrne linked up well and big man Downey rose highest to palm home a goal – and when McPolin landed an excellent point from 35 metres, the gap was back to two.

It was at this point that Arva really excelled, with the likes of Hofmann and Donnelly dominating and sub Fergal McGlade impressing in a super final quarter showing.

Donnelly’s pace and ball-carrying ability caused Drumgath huge problems and from one such run, he found Partington for an important score.

A Bouchier free and a point for Sheridan, turned over with an excellent save, stretched the advantage back to five before Bouchier nailed a 40-metre free to make it 1-16 to 1-10.

Downey replied but Donnelly then conjured up the score of the match, showing basketball skills to bring the ball under control, beating a few defenders and lashing over.

Hofmann also landed an eye-catching individual score and although Ryan Hillen had the final say, it was cosmetic at that stage as Arva marched on with six to spare.

Arva: Cian O’Hara, Dylan Maguire, James Morris, Finbar McAvinue, Éanna Ward, Stephen Sheridan (0-1), Danny Ellis, Ciaran Brady (0-2), Tristan Noack Hofmann (0-2), Thomas Partington (0-2), Barry Donnelly (0-2), Jonathan McCabe (0-3), Peter Morris (1-1, 0-1m), Kevin Bouchier (0-5, 4f), Thomas Brady

Subs: Fergal McGlade for D Ellis (47), Charlie Madden for T Brady (54), Shane Hamilton for J McCabe (58), Bryan McEntee for C Brady (60), David Ellis for J Morris (60)

Drumgath: Ronan Burns, Aaron Monaghan, Tiarnan Burns, Patrick Downey (1-2), Ryan Byrne (0-1), Gary O’Reilly, Matthew McConville, Pearse McPolin (0-2), Colm Maginn, Cathal Tumulty, Darcy Burns, Keelan Toner, Ryan Hillen (0-3, 1f), Shea Byrne (0-4, 1f), Paul Hillen

Subs: Eoghan Travers for C Tumulty (ht), Cathal McGivern for A Monaghan (40), Johnny McGivern for G O’Reilly (47), Gary O’Reilly for M McConville (50)

Ref: Mark Loughran (Tyrone)