Arva march on to All Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final

Arva had the advantage of Kingspan Breffni on Saturday last when they played Wandsworth Gaels from London in the Twinning Final of the Junior Club Championship and following a 2-8 to 1-3 victory they now go forward to the All Ireland semi final on the weekend of 6 / 7 January.

This game was a potential banana skin for Arva as they knew very little about their opponents except that one of their former St Joseph’s colleagues Damien McCaul was in goals for them and a former Granard player Declan Murphy was also in the panel.

Arva opened brightly and in the fourth minute Barry Donnelly dodged a few tackles to plant the ball in the net. Ciaran Stanley followed up with a sweet strike for a point a minute later.

We waited 10 minutes for the next score when Charlie Madden stole in and dispatched to the net to put Arva 7 points clear (15 min). Donnelly was on a lot of ball and pointed (18 min) while the last scores of the half fell to Conal Sheridan with 2 pointed frees (19 / 28 min) to leave Arva ahead by 2-4 to no score.

To be fair to both teams the wind was howling and at one stage the Goal Posts were swaying so much that supporters were afraid they would fall. Just after the restart Arva tacked on 2 further points from Tristan Noach Hoffman (32 min) and a second from Stanley (33 min).

Wandsworth Gaels hit their best patch when they scored a goal and a point in quick succession (37 / 38 min). Donnelly pointed for Arva (43 min) but Wandsworth replied 2 minutes later.

Sheridan closed the Arva scoring 50 minutes while the visitors had a consolation point (53 min) to send Arva into the All Ireland Semi Final.

Arva team: Cian O’Hara, Dylan Maguire, James Morris, Finbar McAvinue, Thomas Brady, Stephen Sheridan, Danny Ellis, Ciarán Brady, Tristan Noach Hoffman (0-1), Thomas Partington, Barry Donnelly (1-2), Jonathan McCabe, Ciaran Stanley (0-2), Charlie Madden (1-0), Conal Sheridan (0-3). Subs – Stephen Ellis, Paul Cassidy, Bryan McEntee, Paul Finnegan, Charlie Conneely.

In what was a lovely touch the Arva players went back into Cavan that night to meet up with the Wandsworth Gaels players for a bit of craic and banter. The spirit of the GAA.