'We knew things had to get better... we stuck it out'

JFC final preview

For Gabriel Keogan and Arva, 2021 was a footballing year to forget. The Lacken clubman took over the managerial reins at the start of the season and was dealt a number of cruel blows, ultimately resulting in relegation.

There was no other option then but to get back on the horse and go at it again.

“It was a bit freakish really the way it went last year,” Keogan stated last week.

“We started out the year with a number of niggly injuries, plus Jonny McCabe was still in Australia and Ciaran then picked up the injury with the county. Danny Ellis and Conal Sheridan picked up fairly significant injuries, they were career-threatening injuries really.

“We actually couldn’t field a team one day, we couldn’t fulfil a league fixture against Denn, which was the toughest of all. But we kept going and kept going and we gave ourselves a fighting chance.

“We ended up in a relegation battle but we battled hard to stay in intermediate and ended up just coming up short against Belturbet. But there was a good bit of heart here, they never really gave up on it.

“We knew things would have to get better. We stuck it out.”

This season, Arva started early. As far back as last November, they were doing strength and conditioning work with Ryan Francis in Gortlettragh. The panel was deeper, with young players graduating from the minors, and slowly, the more experienced players began to return.

Keogan knew from the outset that it would take a massive effort, however, to contend at Junior Championship level. He identified early on that this year’s field was stacked with quality.

“There’s always one team generally that stands out from the start of the year but this year there were three or four really good teams. Three of the teams were up there in Division 2 of the league, alright Knockbride finished a bit lower but they were very competitive and picked up big wins along the way so I knew well coming into the Junior Championship that it was going to be tough going. There is one leg to go now and it’s going to be a tough one too.

“I managed Arva about 14 years ago and I have a good knowledge of the club to be fair. I had seen them playing in the Intermediate against Ballinagh the year Ballinagh won it and they gave a real good account of themselves in the first round that year.

“I thought Arva played well in that championship. The executive here came to me and they asked me would I be interested in managing them and I didn’t think too long about it, I said ‘sure, look I’ll get back into it'. I had been out of management for a little while and I said I’d give it a go.

Last year was tough going, there’s no doubt about it. We bedded down though and we gave it another shot and thank God stuff started to fall in place. Hopefully it gets us over the line but it’s not going to be simple.”

Keogan has vast experience managing underage teams in Lacken as well as the seniors and he also took charge of Ballymachugh. It’s a role he enjoys.

“It’s hard to keep away from it, there’s no cure for it, you know,” he observed wryly.

After three early defeats, Arva played some brilliant football in the league and secured promotion to Division 1, losing the final only in a penalty shoot-out against Mullahoran.

“It was huge for us. We had a tough start but we were short a few fairly key men. We were very good in the first three games against Cuchulainns, Drumlane and Belturbet but came out with narrow defeats. I felt if we got a result at all we’d turn it.

“We started to win games and get a run going. We beat a fairly strong Shercock team and I knew that evening leaving Shercock that if we kept going we had a real good chance of making the top four.

“It was so tight, everybody was beating everybody. Our last two games were Denn and Ballymachugh and if we could get those two wins, we’d get to the semi-final but the way the results went, we actually finished top. We were a little disappointed to lose the league final but again, we gave a good account of ourselves and Mullahoran ended up only a kick of a ball away from a senior semi-final.

“I was very pleased with it, it was great preparation for the championship. Championship was what it was all about for us but it was a great bonus to get to Division 1.”

Coming into this county final, he feels both Arva and Drumlane are battle-hardened.

“I think both teams in the final have been well tested and we’ve had fierce similar runs. Drumlane played Shannon Gaels and Knockbride as well and we played each other.

“They were all tight battles, I know we won the first round game with Drumlane but they got a black card and kind of fell away towards the end, it was a real tight game with 10 or 15 minutes to go.

“The Shannon Gaels game was a tough match and they really put it up to us but I was happy with us, we responded well when they came within a point of us. We got out of it, we probably were maybe fortunate enough but it was a test we needed.

“And Knockbride tested us as well, we couldn’t pull away from them at all. They were strong and physical and have good forwards. We are certainly going into the game well prepped and I didn’t expect it any other way.”

Drumlane are formidable, he feels, but Arva have to go in with confidence.

“Ryan Connolly is a top forward, one of the best in any competition he’d play in. He’s a top class freetaker as well and if you foul anywhere inside the 45, he’s kicking them.

“Daryl McGurren is a very good forward and Daryl Dolan’s been lighting it up. They have good players everywhere… Michael Owens has been a very good target man and they can bring him out the field as well. They are not coming up just to take part in the parade - Martin Dunne will have them ready, no better man.

“But you have to be confident going into it. I feel we’re ready, we have been tested, our injuries are clearing up and we’ll put our best foot forward and take the result that goes with that.”