Arva 3-10
Killinkere 1-16

by Shane Corrigan
at Kingspan Breffni Park

Arva and Killinkere must meet again next weekend after both teams played out a splendid intermediate championship finale at Kingspan Breffni Park this evening.

In game which neither side deserved to lose, it was Conal Sheridan's 64th minute free which ensured a replay date after Emmet Fitzimons' free two minutes beforehand looked to have sealed the upset for Killinkere.

Arva - playing in their fourth championship final in as many years - led for the first 53 minutes of this decider with goals from ace attackers Jonathan McCabe and Kevin Bouchier not enough to kill off Damien Donohoe's gritty charges.

Darren Smith came off the bench to strike a 48th minute goal to erase all the Longford border men's good work and with seven minutes to go Fitzsimons (0-8) had his team in the driving seat.

However, a minute later the ball would be in the Killinkere net via Ciaran Brady, which required Fitzsimons and Smith to step up to the mark late on before Sheridan cancelled out the game's top scorer in injury-time.

Ciaran Brady had Arva up and running inside three of this decider and the Cavan defender fired over his second a minute later to cancel out Peter McCabe's opener for Killinkere.

Two Sheridan frees ushered his side three in front and when Bouchier cut in from the right corner and sent over with his left Peter Reilly's men looked to be well in charge.

Killinkere made a fine recovery though, with their talisman Fitzsimons landing his 32nd and 33rd points of this year's championship via a pair of frees.

Jason McMahon made it a one-point game but disaster would hit the underdogs in the same minute. A perfectly placed pass by Brian Ellis went through the eye of a needle and into the chest of McCabe, who made sure of the finish low beyond Eugene Clarke in the Killinkere goal.

Again, Donohoe's men responded well with points from corner-forward McCabe and former county minor Lewis Fay-Cooper to narrow the margin down to two.

A Sheridan free was erased by Fitzsimons and the two cancelled each other out again prior to Thomas Brady breaching the opposing rear guard and rifling over in injury-time, which saw Arva bring in a 1-8 to 0-8 advantage at the break.

A '45' from Fay-Cooper and a Fitzsimons free gave the trailers an ideal restart but what came afterwards looked to be disastrous.

After Sheridan pointed his third free of the evening, Bouchier was found inside and conjured a goal from nothing, ending his mazy run only when he had the ball in the back of Clarke's net.

The next four scores would be finished at the other end though, as McMahon sailed over a brilliant point prior to veteran Noel McGovern outdoing the midfielder with a gem of his own.

The next trip to the town end goals would reap maximum profit for Killinkere, with McCabe darting in from his right corner-forward position and setting up sub Darren Smith for the Arva net, levelling the sides.

Fitzsimons (free) notched his side into their first lead of the evening with seven minutes of regulation left and that stage Killinkere looked the more likely outfit to end their 33-year wait for the Tommy Gilroy Cup.

Arva had other ideas however, getting Bouchier back on the ball and his sublimely weighed pass set Ciaran Brady free and his finish had the umpire reaching for the green flag, as well as sending Killinkere back behind.

McMahon earned a free for Fitzsimons to convert with five minutes left and after running up against an Arva wall for the same amount of time, McGovern eventually found Smith in some space and the profitable substitute drew the sides level again.

A Fitzsimons free earned by sub Brian Clarke looked to have won it for Killinkere but Peter Reilly's men kept their composure when it mattered most, finding Sheridan at the left corner-forward position and he won the levelling free prior to Fitzsimons sending one wide from 50 metres, which means these two sides will have to do it all over again next weekend.

Arva: Richard Keith; Shane Finnegan, James Morris, Danny Ellis; Stephen Ellis, Thomas Brady (0-1), Conor McEntee; Ciaran Brady (1-2), Peter Conneely; Peter Morris, Jonathan McCabe (1-0), Conal Sheridan (0-6, 5f); Brian Ellis, Kevin Bouchier (1-1), Ryan Magarahan. Subs: Paul Bouchier for B Ellis (39mins), Fergal McGlade for P Conneely (52), Cormac McCabe for S Finnegan (53).

Killinkere: Eugene Clarke; Ollie Sharkey, Kevin McCabe, Gerard Brady; Lewis Fay-Cooper (0-2, 1 '45'), Liam McCabe, Breen Smith; Jason McMahon (0-2), Emmet Fitzsimons (0-8, 7f); Garry Denning, Paul Kerr, Ciaran Sexton; Damien Sexton, Noel McGovern (0-1), Peter McCabe (0-2). Subs: Martin Reilly for P Kerr (38mins), Darren Smith (1-1) for C Sexton (45), Anthony Brady for G Brady (52), Brian Clarke for D Sexton (57).

Ref: John Emo (Butlersbridge)

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