Arva 0-11
Killinkere 0-10

by Shane Corrigan
at Kingspan Breffni Park

Arva are intermediate champions for the first time since 1983 after downing Killinkere at the second attempt in tonight's final replay at Kingspan Breffni Park.

In front of a crowd of 3,686, Conal Sheridan's 62nd minute point proved the ultimate difference between these sides as they played out another airtight finale with a nerve-wrecking finish.

Peter Reilly's side had trailed at half-time before marquee forwards Sheridan (0-5) and Kevin Bouchier stood up to the plate for them and it was that lethal partnership up front that fashioned the winning score in injury-time.

Killinkere's slow start to the game was done away with as marksman Emmet Fitzsimons (0-5) shot them into a two-point lead approaching the interval and after having fallen four behind in the second-half they rallied in the closing 10 minutes with four unanswered points.

Extra time looked destined until Sheridan's late intervention as Arva erased the pain of last year's final defeat to Ballyhaise in the best possible manner, while breaking Killinkere's hearts in the process.

Sheridan swung over the winners' opener after three minutes and county man Ciaran Brady steamed forward from centre-field for their second to help settle some early nerves.

Liam McCabe would be afforded the time and space to get Killinkere off the mark in the eighth minute and when his brother Kevin journeyed forward from full-back the sides would be level with 10 minutes on the clock.

Reilly's men had a penalty shout turned down four minutes later when Kevin Bouchier looked to be impeded in the square prior to Sheridan rifling them back in front.

The wides began to rack up for the Longford border men after that (they'd register six in the first-half), which suited their counterparts to move in front and then double their lead in the added minutes.

Two Fitzsimons frees - won by Peter McCabe and Noel McGovern, respectively - were backed up by the same player sending over a gem from the left flank ahead of Bouchier ending a scoring drought for Arva which spanned 15 minutes, leaving it at 0-5 to 0-4 for the half.

The town side were back in front within five minutes of the restart, 'Man of the Match' Sheridan (free) and the excellent Jonathan McCabe were the score-getters, as another Fitzsimons free ensured the teams were level for a fourth time with 20 minutes to go.

Killinkere boss Damien Donohoe introduced Darren Smith - goal-scorer from the last day - and veteran John B Smith in the ensuing minutes, with their counterparts having gone two clear via points from old reliables Brady and Sheridan.

Bouchier slipped Peter Conneely through to put the gap at a goal and when the former rounded his marker and split the posts Arva looked to be on their way with 11 minutes left on the clock

However, like in the last meeting, Donohoe's charges didn't know when to give up, as Jason McMahon's close range score sparked a run of four unanswered points to ensure another enthralling finish to this replay decider was in store.

A Fitzsimons free was backed up by McMahon's second following brave work from John B Smith and when a sweeping move was finished over by speedster McCabe the Killinkere contingent were on their feet and jumping for joy.

Through four minutes of injury-time both sets of supporters would be on the edge of their seats and Arva made sure that they weren't the first to blink, finding Bouchier in the corner and the ex-Cavan U21 star cut in to unselfishly set-up Sheridan for the winner.

Arva: Richard Keith; Cormac McCabe, James Morris, Danny Ellis; Stephen Ellis, Thomas Brady, Conor McEntee; Ciaran Brady (0-2), Peter Conneely (0-1); Peter Morris, Jonathan McCabe (0-1), Conal Sheridan (0-5, 1f); Ryan Magarahan, Kevin Bouchier (0-2), Fergal McGlade. Subs: Paul Bouchier for C McEntee (60), Brian Ellis for P Conneely (60).

Killinkere: Eugene Clarke; Ollie Sharkey, Kevin McCabe (0-1), Gerard Brady; Lewis Fay-Cooper, Liam McCabe (0-1), Breen Smith; Jason McMahon (0-2), Emmet Fitzsimons (0-5, 4f); Garry Denning, Paul Kerr, Ciaran Sexton; Damien Sexton, Noel McGovern, Peter McCabe (0-1). Subs: Martin Reilly for P Kerr (HT), Darren Smith for D Sexton (42mins), John B Smith for G Denning (45), Brian Clarke for C Sexton (53), Anthony Brady for O Sharkey (53).

Ref: Kieran McCarville (Cootehill Celtic)

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