Arva retain Division 1 league status

ACFL Division 1 relegation play-off

Arva 2-13

Ballinagh 1-15

In difficult conditions last Friday night Arva held on to Division 1 status for 2024 in a high scoring match that finished with a Ballinagh goal to leave just a point between the sides. The game had great battles, goals, long range points and cards to entertain during the showers of summer rain that fell in Cornafean.

In a game of two halves Arva controlled the first and rightly held a seven point lead at the break even if there was an element of good fortune about their first goal. Ballinagh took complete control of the game after the break with Arva’s second goal being their only score in the first 24 minutes after the break but four points in the final 12 minutes (including seven minutes injury time) was enough to see them over the line.

Arva opened the scoring inside the first minute from the usual source as Conal Sheridan got his account up and running. A beautifully hit ’45 by Arva keeper Cian O’Hara doubled the blues lead after five minutes of play. Ballinagh’s slow start was ended on the tenth minute with a point from Niall McDermott and a minute later the sides were level when Kevin Smith judged the wind perfectly to point from the 45 meter line.

Just as Ballinagh were getting into the game they were dealt a blow when center back Evan Finnegan was shown a black card. Arva immediately went about using their advantage with Conal Sheridan raising two white flags in the next three minutes. On the 19th minute a 50-metre free was drilled over the bar by Cian O’Hara to leave Arva ahead 0-5 to 0-2.

Just before Ballinagh were returned to their full compliment Shane Finnegan left two between the sides with a long range point from the wing. After a foul on Jonathan McCabe, Kevin Boucher converted the for his first of the day but Shane Finnegan matched it at the other end after David Finnegan won a free.

With half-time approaching Arva hit top gear, kick started by a point from the direct running Barry Donnelly. A difficult free for Arva was made easy after the ball was brought forward for Ballinagh remonstrating with referee Pat Clarke and Kevin Boucher tapped it over to extent their lead to four.

With the game seconds into first half injury-time, Thomas Partington skyed a shot towards the Ballinagh goal and somehow it evaded Eoghan McGrath in the Ballinagh goal and landed in the back of the net. Arva pushed up on the Ballinagh kick-out resulting in another driving run from Barry Donnelly who was fouled and Boucher made no mistake with the free.

With Ballinagh on the ropes they needed something to take them out of trouble and Thomas Smith’s point two minutes into injury-time was just the antidote. Before the short whistle sounded there was another shot in the arm for Ballinagh’s chances when Mikey Cully was shown a black card.

Mark Monaghan’s side wasted no time in using their numerical advantage after the restart with Kevin Smith sending over two points inside the first 90 seconds. Ballinagh corner back Aaron Reilly broke forward and was fouled on the fifth minute with Shane Finnegan sending the resulting free and another from distance over the bar to leave just three points between the sides as Arva returned to 15.

On the 11th minute of the second half Ronan Connolly looked to be dragged down but the referee decided a free was enough punishment after consulting with his umpire. Niall McDermott made no mistake with the dead ball leaving two between the sides.

Arva by now were playing second fiddle to a dominant Ballinagh but against the run of play, Dylan Maguire drove through the Ballinagh defence before laying off to Barry Donnolly who drilled the ball to the back of the net. The goal left Ballinagh with a five point hill to climb in the final quarter.

The 2020 intermediate champions bounced back with three points on the trot, two frees from Niall McDermott and a massive free by Kevin Smith from the left sideline to close the gap to two again. With five minutes ordinary time remaining Ballinagh had held the momentum for the second half but a Triston Noach Hoffman point served to swing things back in Arva’s favour.

The impressive Barry Donnelly fisted over a point for Finbar O’Reilly’s side on the 27th minute but Ballinagh continued to battle and two Shane Finnegan points (one a free) meant a Ballinagh goal in injury time could be a winner. When Arva’s need was strong captain Ciarán Brady burst forward and won a free which Boucher converted meaning Ballinagh needed two score to snatch the win.

Barry Donnelly turned provider three minutes into injury-time to set up Hoffmann for their final score of the game and most likely the win. Arva were once again reduced to 14 when Jonathan McCabe received the games third black card. In the seventh minute of injury-time Ballinagh went direct with a long high ball to the Arva goal mouth. Paddy O’Brien flicked up the breaking ball to set up Shane Finnegan for a well taken goal but the final whistle sounded on the restart much to Arva’s relief.

Arva: Cian O’Hara(0-2’45), Finbar McAvinue, James Morris, Thomas Brady, Shane Hamilton, Ciarán Brady, Stephen Sheridan, Tristan Noach Hoffmann(0-2), Jonathan McCabe, Thomas Partington(1-0), Barry Donnell y(1-2), Mickey Cully, Dylan Maguire, Kevin Boucher(0-4f), Conal Sheridan (0-3)

Subs: Danny Ellis for S Hamilton, Ciaran Cooney for T Partington.

Ballinagh: Eoghan McGrath, Niall Robinson, Patrick Carroll, Aaron Reilly, Ronan Connolly, Evan Finnegan, Killian Fay, Thomas Smith, David Finnegan, Patrick O’Brien, Niall McDermott(0-4,3f), Damien Reilly, Peter Donohoe, Shane Finnegan(1-6,4f), Kevin Smith(0-5,2f)

Subs: Philip Bogue for P Donohoe, Triston Graham for D Reilly.