Second-quarter surge sees 13-man Arva home in eventful clash

SFC round 1

Arva 2-19

Killygarry 0-20

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

Thirteen-man Arva withstood a late surge from Killygarry to pick up a win in this eventful Senior Championship opener at HQ.

At half-time, Arva were well on their way to a first victory in the Senior Championship since the late 1980s as they held an eight-point lead but they idled a little in the second half as Killygarry, having been passive in the lead-in to half-time, upped their game.

Arva played the final eight minutes including injury time without captain Ciaran Brady, who was shown a straight red card following a collision during play with former county teammate Martin Reilly, who picked up a suspected broken nose. Johnny McCabe was also dismissed on a black card late in the game.

Last year’s county champions and Ulster finalists in the Intermediate grade trailed by 0-5 to 0-4 after 16 minutes but dominated the second quarter, out-scoring Killygarry by 1-8 to 0-3 before a Cian Keaney free in injury time rounded off the first-half scoring.

Championship debutant Jack Dobson got off to a great start when he fired over with his first touch but Killygarry hit the front with a sweetly-struck two-pointer from 44 metres from play by Cian Keaney.

On six minutes, Stephen Sheridan dinked over to level matters. The game was very open at this stage but both sides squandered numerous scoreable opportunities.

Sheridan laid off for the marauding Tristan Noach Hofmann to slot over his first score on nine minutes before Kevin Bouchier kicked a typically classy point to make it 0-4 to 0-2 on 10 minutes.

By now, veteran Martin Reilly was drifting into the full-forward line and causing Arva problems. The former county star laid off the ball for the first of Daragh Noonan's four points, then for Daniel Talbot who blasted over from close range; moments later, Reilly found Conor Smith with a cross-field pass and Smith finished well to make it 0-5 to 0-4.

But that was as good as it got for the Crubany men as Arva took control around the middle and quickly surged clear on the scoreboard.

A clever point from Bouchier tied the game on 17 minutes and after a turnover from the hard-working Dylan Maguire, Bouchier scored again from just inside the arc; Arva were in front and there they would stay for the remainder of the contest, despite some sticky moments in the second half.

Twice in the run-in to half-time, ref Maggie Farrelly signalled advantage and, with a free shot, the excellent Hofmann made it count, scoring a two-pointer off each foot.

In between, the outstanding Dobson converted a free and Keaney registered for Killygarry as Arva stretched their lead to five, 0-11 to 0-6.

Keaney, with another stylish effort, cut the gap but Conal Sheridan swung in a point and when Arva won the resulting kick-out, the experienced inside forward hit the net with a composed finish to make it an eight-point game.

Peter Morris, on the loop, and Keaney (free) traded points as Arva went in ahead by double scores.

Killygarry took their time re-emerging for the second half and made three changes, including the introduction of county man Cian Reilly, and they were noticeably more fired up on the resumption.

Brian Sheanon pointed from two-point range but Cian O’Hara got a hand on it to halve its value. Hofmann and Oisin Brady, with an excellent individual effort, both registered; Martin Reilly set Noonan up for another and a Cian Reilly turnover led to a score for Talbot as Killygarry tried to eat into the deficit.

But Arva, with Dobson proving a useful outlet on kick-outs, were able to keep them at arm’s length.

Hofmann and Peter Morris scored either side of a Noonan score after a big fetch from sub Thomas Gilsenan.

Conor Smith knocked over a free but the key score of the second half arrived on the three-quarter mark when Dobson flicked on a kick-out, Hofmann galloped into acres of space and squared for Conal Sheridan to palm in one of the easiest goals of the many he has scored in his career.

Noonan and Oisin Brady tacked on points for Killygarry before the incident with Brady and Reilly which saw tempers fraying before the red card was issued.

McCabe also was shown a black in the closing stages but Arva weathered the storm, Brady and Stephen Sheridan exchanging points in the closing stages and Cian Reilly lashing over a well-taken double which cut the gap to three.

But frees from Bouchier and Dobson saw Arva win with five to spare after a performance that was impressive in parts but sloppy at other times.

Killygarry: Darragh Gilsenan, Jamie McDonald, Conor Connolly, Anselm Lovett, Kevin Lovett, Brian Sheanon (0-1), Darragh Kennedy, Daniel Walsh, Oisin Brady (0-3), Conor Smith (0-2, 1f), Ben Mooney, David Talbot (0-2), Cian Keaney (0-6, 2pt, 1f), Martin Reilly, Daragh Noonan (0-4)

Subs: Cian Reilly (0-2, 2pt) for K Lovett, Mark McDermott for B Mooney, Thomas Gilsenan for D Walsh (all ht), Jack Murphy for B Sheanon (53), Jack Mooney for M Reilly (temp, 57),

Arva: Cian O’Hara, Éanna Ward, James Morris, Danny Ellis, Dylan Maguire, Stephen Sheridan (0-2), Paul Finnegan, Ciarán Brady, Tristan Noack Hofmann (0-7, 2 2pt), Jonathan McCabe, Kevin Bouchier (0-4, 1f), Conal Sheridan (2-1), Jack Dobson (0-3, 2f), Peter Morris (0-1), Shane Hamilton

Subs: Jamie Gray for D Ellis (22), Fergal McGlade for S Hamilton (53), Bryan McEntee for P Morris (65), Peter Conneely for C Sheridan (65)

Ref: Maggie Farrelly