Arva 1-11
Lavey 0-14

There was no separating Arva and Lavey in the senior championship tonight as they played out an entertaining draw at Kingspan Breffni.

Thomas Brady's 57th minute point rescued Peter Reilly's side from a third defeat on the bounce while denying Lavey their first win in this year's competition, having drawn their first two games against Castlerahan and Cootehill respectively.

Last year's intermediate champions led by three going into the last quarter of an hour, greatly helped by Jonathan McCabe's coolly taken penalty on 41 minutes, but even after being reduced to 14 the New Inns outfit managed to boss matters in the closing 10 minutes, kicking four unanswered scores to turn things around.

It was Darren Jordan's effort with four minutes to go which looked to have gained them their first pair of points in this race for the Oliver Plunkett Cup, but Brady stepped up to the mark to ensure defeat was avoided for his team.

The first of six accurate Conal Sheridan frees had Arva - hunting for their first SFC win since 1988 - up and running two minutes in. However, Lavey would soon be in front, sailing over points via Chris Conroy (free), Shane Tierney and Gerard Smith to outweigh Brian Ellis's effort into the town end goal.

Sheridan (free) had things level again on 11 minutes ahead of Dermot McGlade nudging the Longford/Leitrim border outfit in front once more with a fine effort from 40 metres of distance.

A scorching run forward from county man Smith afforded Tierney the time and space to boot over his second for the New Inns men.

It was end to end stuff in the opening quarter and although Sheridan nailed two more frees - the latter one was bravely won by McCabe's burst past the 40 - Lavey provided a far stronger finish to the half.

Conroy (free) and Tierney levelled matters for the fifth time before Karl Duke smashed over with a goal chance on and Conroy closed the half at 0-8 to 0-6 with a sweetly struck 40-metre free.

Duke had Lavey in front within three minutes of the restart but their opponents ate into that lead with fine scores from Kevin Bouchier and Sheridan (free) in the 35th and 40th minutes.

A minute later Reilly's men were back in the ascendency after boring through Lavey's centre and offloading possession to Ciaran Brady, who got pulled down in the square and referee Martin Sexton was left with no other option.

Former Cavan U21 McCabe stroked home the penalty past 'keeper Conor Martin with expertise and another free from the deadly accurate Sheridan looked to have Arva humming headed for the final quarter.

Paul Gilcreest got his point at the other end cancelled out by Bouchier, who took an excellent feed from Thomas Brady, and it looked to be all falling apart for the men in black and white hoops when utility man Stephen Jordan got his marching orders after seeing a second yellow card from Sexton.

On cue, Gilcreest pointed off a individual brilliant drive forward from centre-field and a pair of singles from Duke in the space of a minute had Lavey level and looking the more likely outfit for closing five minutes of regulation.

Some patient build-up play afforded Darren Jordan space along the right flank to give Kevin McDonnell's charges back the lead momentarily, but Arva worked a quick '45' a minute later at the other end, releasing Thomas Brady in some space and he made no mistake in squaring the sides for an eighth and final time.

Lavey strung together once last drawn out move in injury-time which saw possession finally land to the man they wanted but Smith dropped his 40-metre effort agonisingly wide and they'd have to settle for their third draw in as many games in the end.

Arva: Cian O'Hara; Ryan Magarahan, James Morris, Danny Ellis; Thomas Brady (0-1), Dermot McGlade (0-1), Shane Hamilton; Fergal McGlade, Ciaran Brady; Ciaran Cooney, Jonathan McCabe (1-0, 1 pen), Kevin Bouchier (0-2); Cormac McCabe, Conal Sheridan (0-6, 6f), Brian Ellis (0-1). Subs: Peter Conneely for F McGlade (48mins), Peter Morris for C Cooney (57).

Lavey:  Conor Martin; David Conroy, Fergal Smith, Joey Jordan; Chris Conroy (0-3, 3f), Finbar Jordan, Gerard Smith (0-1); Stephen Jordan, Dean Rutherford; Darren Jordan (0-1), Paul Gilcreest (0-2), Darragh Conaty; Shane Tierney (0-3), Karl Duke (0-4), Oliver Smith. Sub: Senan Gilcreest for O Smith (45mins).

Ref: Martin Sexton (Cavan Gaels)

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