Arva make it back-to-back county titles with win over the 'Bridge

Intermediate Championship final

Arva 3-11

Butlersbridge 0-11

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

Arva secured back-to-back Junior and Intermediate Championship triumphs as they comfortably got the better of Butlersbridge in this afternoon’s county final.

Arva got off to a dream start as they caught their opponents cold with two goals in the opening three minutes. By half-time, they led by eight; by full-time, it was 10 as Arva, drawing on their vast experience of finals, closed it out with the minimum of fuss to claim the club’s fourth Intermediate Championship.

The first major came just 20 seconds into match as Arva poured forward from the throw-in, the ball broke, Butlersbridge couldn’t clear and teenager Barry Donnelly capitalised, wheeling away from trouble to smash the ball to the roof of the net left-footed.

The ‘Bridge, playing with the wind, opened their account with a well-worked move finished by Killian Leddy but they were rocked just moments later by a superb individual goal from Arva captain Ciaran Brady, who lost three defenders with a dummy, tore in along the end-line and tucked away low to the net.

It was a stunning start and, needless to say, would have thrown Butlersbridge’s best-laid plans awry – and while they added three more points before half-time, in truth they didn’t recover from that early double hammer-blow – and they were slightly fortunate not to be further behind.

A sixth-minute Caoimhin O’Reilly free kept the scoreboard ticking and the former county man added another from 45 metres but the scores then dried up for Keelan Melaniff’s men, with Arva dropping Ciaran Brady and at times Dylan Maguire or Finbar McAvinue back as cover in front of Caoimhin O’Reilly.

Both teams would suffer injury setbacks; Butlersbridge goalkeeper Michael Sheridan got injured in attempting to stop the second goal and was withdrawn after 15 minutes while Arva’s inspirational captain Ciaran Brady also went off at half-time.

Man of the Match Johnny McCabe, who was outstanding throughout, kicked a nice point off the left foot and Tristan Noack Hofmann added another, after taking a pass from Brady, to make it 2-2 to 0-3 on 13 minutes.

Arva goalkeeper Cian O’Hara then came forward to nail a 48-metre free after a foul on livewrire Barry Donnelly and when Kevin Bouchier curled in from a tight angle with the left, Arva were seven up and moving ominously well.

Feargal Flanagan showed his usual leadership as he kicked a super point for but Arva’s own leader, Ciaran Brady, stepped up to play a one-two and drive over a trademark point in response.

The final say of the first half went to O’Hara, who thumped over a 45 to send his side in at half-time 2-6 to 0-4 in front.

Butlersbridge needed a fast start to the second half and although they missed a couple of chances, they did register the first two points, a 44-metre Paddy McPhilips free off the ground and a Fionntán O’Reilly free which was brought forward.

However, by then, 11 priceless second-half minutes had elapsed and when James Morris drove upfield from full-back and sent over an inspirational left-footed point from the wing, it was still a seven-point game entering the final quarter and Butlersbridge’s hopes of a comeback were fading.

The Bridge did create a goal chance but Arva scrambled and cleared off the line; a Fionntán O’Reilly free and a point from play by his brother Caoimhin, after Luke Allison’s effort fell short, cut the gap to five but there were no signs of panic in Arva’s play.

Good work from Kevin Bouchier saw McCabe break a tackle and point with the left; Feargal Flanagan replied with his second for Butlersbridge but Arva, crucially, hit back quickly, good work from McCabe and Donnelly, whose direct running caused the ‘Bridge a lot of problems, creating a half goal chance which Peter Morris blasted over.

And, with six minutes on the clock, the game was put to bed. Hofmann linked up with sub Fergal McGlade and laid off for McCabe, whose finish to the bottom right corner was coolness personified as he put nine between the teams for the first time.

Caoimhin O’Reilly (free) and Conal Sheridan exchanged points, the latter coming after a perfectly-placed O’Hara restart, and when Sheridan took a pass from Thomas Brady and added another, it was all over bar the shouting.

Sub Shane O’Rourke raised the final white flag of the match but by then, Arva’s name was on the cup as they ran out deserving victors. A tilt at the Ulster Intermediate Championship awaits for Arva as one of the most remarkable journeys in Cavan club football history continues…

Arva: Cian O’Hara (0-2, 1f, 45), Dylan Maguire, James Morris (0-1), Finbar McAvinue, Éanna Ward, Stephen Sheridan, Danny Ellis, Ciaran Brady (1-1), Tristan Noack Hofmann (0-1), Thomas Partington, Barry Donnelly (1-0), Jonathan McCabe (1-2), Peter Morris (0-1), Kevin Bouchier (0-1), Conal Sheridan (0-2)

Subs: Thomas Brady for Ciaran Brady (ht, inj), Fergal McGlade for K Bouchier (53), Shane Hamilton for E Ward (58), Paul Cassidy for C Sheridan, Stephen Ellis for D Ellis (both 60)

Butlersbridge: Michael Sheridan, Andrew McConnell, Colin Dugdale, Philip Shannon, Luke Allison, Shane Leddy, Feargal Flanagan (0-2), Cathal Leddy, Ciaran O’Reilly, Joe Dugdale, Fionntán O’Reilly (0-2f), Davin Graham, Killian Leddy (0-1), Caoimhin O’Reilly (0-3, 2f), Patrick McPhilips (0-1)

Subs: Cian Sorohan for M Sheridan (15, inj), Kevin McPhilips for P Shannon, Joshua Mee for K Leddy (both 52), Shane O’Rourke (0-1) for J Dugdale (57), Finbar Conaty for C Dugdale (58)

Ref: Brendan Sweeney