Killinkere 1-17 Arva 1-11

Killinkere produced a five-star performance yesterday evening at Kingspan Breffni Park to coast past favourites Arva in the first round of the intermediate football championship.

Emmet Fitzsimons (0-8) and Jason McMahon (1-3) led the way for Damien Donohoe's men as they shot 0-12 in the opening half while reducing their Division One opponents to just two scores to take in what proved to be an unassailable 10-point lead at the interval.

Arva packed more of a punch in the second-half as Peter Morris sent over four quick points for them, but there would be no denying their fired-up counterparts here and midfielder McMahon was the man to make sure of that once he tucked home their goal with 11 minutes to go.

That strike left Peter Reilly's side a massive 12 points behind, which there was simply no coming back from, as Killinkere saw out the unlikely (and completely deserved) win.

It was Arva that had opened their account first through midfielder Fergal McGlade tearing through the centre and crashing the ball over Eugene Clarke's crossbar but, in truth, he should really have kept it under.

McMahon and Damien Sexton sent over the next two scores at the far end and from there Killinkere proceeded to take over, as Peter McCabe and McMahon extended their lead to three before a stop on Arva's goal line from 'keeper Richard Keith denied Noel McGovern the net.

Jonathan McCabe sped through the centre for the Longford border men's second score but they were done for the half at that, with Ciaran Brady hitting the crossbar from close range soon afterwards and Donohoe's men clearing the danger.

Instead of conceding that goal, Killikere hit the next eight scores to all but close out their counterparts as overs from Emmet Fitzsimons (2 frees), McCabe and Darren Smith saw them assume control of this championship opener.

The excellent McMahon lofted over his third to put last year's beaten finalists seven adrift and it could have been more had Keith not produced a fine save to deny McCabe in the 24th minute.

Lewis Fay-Cooper (45), McCabe and Fitzsimons moved the lead into double figures via points instead, giving Killinkere an unlikely 0-12 to 0-2 lead to work with for the second-half.

With a mountain to climb, Arva opened the scoring in the second-half through a Kevin Bouchier free prior to Fitzsimons sending over a brace of placed balls - the second expertly curled over from 40 metres.

That forced immediate changes from Arva boss Reilly, who sent on Shane Hamilton and Peter Conneely to try and shore things up for the junior champions of two years ago but there was simply no getting Killinkere out of their groove here.

Fitzsimmons' second of the evening from play was met by four Peter Morris points (three of them frees), which gave the trailers some life approaching the final quarter.

However, that life was well and truly extinguished once McMahon snuck in to roll a low finish past Keith for the victors' second goal  and despite the dismissal of Ciaran Sexton with eight minutes to go Killinkere were very much comfortable until John Emo's last whistle.

Hamilton, Thomas Brady and Ciaran Cooney grabbed late points for the men from Michael Cully Park prior to the latter registering them a late goal, but Fitzsimons' eighth and final point ensured a six-point win for Killinkere whom now look forward to meeting Drumlane in the next round, while Arva must face last year's semi-final opponents Belturbet.

Killinkere: Eugene Clarke; Martin Reilly, Kevin McCabe, Gerard Brady; Breen Smith, Liam McCabe, Lewis Fay-Cooper (0-1, 1 45); Jason McMahon (1-3), Emmet Fitzsimons (0-8, 6f); Garry Denning, Paul Kerr, Darren Smith (0-1); Damien Sexton (0-1), Noel McGovern, Peter McCabe (0-3). Subs: Ollie Sharkey for M Reilly (26mins, inj), Ciaran Sexton for P Kerry (39), Anthony Brady for G Denning (50), Brian Clarke for D Smith (57).

Arva: Richard Keith; Cormac McCabe, Thomas Brady (0-1), Danny Ellis; Stephen Ellis, James Morris, Shane Finnegan; Fergal McGlade (0-1), Ciaran Brady; Peter Morris (0-4, 3f), Jonathan McCabe (0-2), Paul Bouchier; Ciaran Cooney (1-1), Brian Ellis, Kevin Bouchier (0-1, 1f). Subs: Shane Hamilton (0-1) for B Ellis (40mins), Peter Conneely for P Bouchier (40), Brian McEntee for F McGlade (50).

Ref: John Emo (Butlersbridge)

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