Crosserlough and Arva in Newry double-header

GAA preview

Following the disappointment of Knockbride’s first-round elimination in the Junior competition, Crosserlough and Arva will carry the hopes of Cavan for the remainder of the Ulster Club campaign.

Both will make their first foray this Saturday at Páirc Esler, Newry as Crosserlough take on Down senior champions Kilcoo (6pm) and Arva meet Mourne intermediate reps Drumgath (4pm).

Cavan’s record in the senior competition is poor, with Cavan Gaels’ wins over the Antrim and Fermanagh champions in 2017 en route to the Ulster final the outlier; otherwise, no Cavan club has won a game in the competition since the Gaels beat St Gall’s away in 2008 and no club other than the Terry Coyle Park men has won a game since Gowna defeated Clontibret in 2002.

So, needless to say, it would be a sizseable boost for the local football scene if Crosserlough could come home from Newry with a win, although Gowna showed in the last two years (losing in a penalty shoot-out to Enniskillen Gaels and by a point to Naomh Conaill of Glenties) that Cavan clubs can be highly competitive at this level.

Based on this and Kilcoo’s superb record, the bookmakers have installed the Down kingpins as 1/5 favourites to win in 60 minutes. The Magpies defeated Burren by 1-10 to 0-4 in the county final to win their sixth crown in succession and a 12th in 13 years.

Kilcoo have reached five Ulster finals since 2012, winning it in 2019 and 2021 and adding the All-Ireland title in February 2022 with a one-point win over Kilmacud Crokes.

Crosserlough were untested for the most part in the early rounds of the county championship before coming through a real dogfight in the semi-final against Cavan Gaels and then getting the better of Ramor United in a low-scoring final in very wild conditions to land the Oliver Plunkett Cup for the second time in four years.

The ‘Lough have some pedigree in Ulster as a club, having lost the final by a point in 1969 against another Down side, Bryansford.

Conor Rehill was outstanding in the county final and was ably assisted by the likes of county men James Smith and Dara McVeety while John Cooke was outstanding at the back and Stephen Smith contributed 1-1 off the bench.

With a well-organised and seasoned defence and a sprinkling of young attacking talent – and the possibility that perhaps Paddy Lynch, the leading attacker in the county, could feature – Crosserlough are a formidable side, well-balanced and well-conditioned, but they will need to be at their very best against a highly-experienced Kilcoo who swept past Kingscourt in 2015 and Ramor United in 2021 in their previous recent meetings with Cavan sides.

Meanwhile, Arva have been installed as 4/11 favourites to win their clash. Mullahoran and Butlersbridge have both defeated Down opposition in this grade in the last six years, which bodes well if that is taken as an indicator of the relative standard.

Last year, Ballyhaise reached the Ulster final and lost by a point to eventual All-Ireland winners Cullyhanna so the feeling is that Cavan clubs can compete strongly at this level.

While Ciaran Brady, the inspirational captain of the team, went off injured in the county final three weeks ago, he will be expected to start. Arva’s experience in winning Ulster and All-Ireland titles at junior level last year will be priceless.

Manager Finbar O’Reilly referenced the importance of getting over the first round in Ulster – obvious as it sounds – last season and again after the county final and the canny Lacken clubman will have his side primed for this one.

While they have been on the road a long time at this stage and there may be some wear and tear, evidence of tiredness in the squad is scant and Arva, unbeaten in 21 championship matches, should surely be in with a huge chance of advancing to the Ulster semi-final.

Johnny McCabe was Man of the Match in the county final win over Butlersbridge while the likes of Tristan Noach Hofmann, the Morris brothers, Kevin Bouchier, Conal Sheridan and youngsters like Barry Donnelly, Stephen Sheridan and Dylan Maguire among others have all shown exceptional form at various times during the championship.