DERRY GAA: Cavan champions Arva too strong for Ballymaguigan in Ulster Junior club tie

Arva (Cavan) 2-17 Ballymaguigan 0-8

Unfortunately this game will not be remembered for some fine football that was played but for an unsavoury incident which saw Ballymaguigan sub Johnny Cassidy red carded for an incident involving the referee and a linesman in the 55th minute.

At that stage the Cavan champions had the game won, being 13 points to the good. Given the background of the two teams Ballymaguigan were always going to be up against it. Arva actually play in the Cavan first division and recently confirmed their status for another year. With most counties basing relegation on their championships it can lead to genuine junior teams like Ballymaguigan being in the realm of no hopers.

That was underlined when the visitors to sunny Owenbeg on Sunday afternoon started the game with their two top forwards, Jonathan McCabe and Conal Sheridan, on the bench. McCabe, a Cavan senior player, showed his quality when introduced at half time along with Sheridan.

At that stage Arva were minus their full back James Morris. An Arva player was being attended to five minutes from the interval with ‘Guigan’s Tomas Brady in close proximity. The Arva full back seemed to take exception to something and was promptly got sent off for his reaction.

While the Cavan champions had players on the subs’ bench who made an impact, Ballymaguigan had no such luxuries with Cassidy getting a red and Sean Brady a yellow. It was something of a surprise to see Sean Brady, who has been managing Drumsurn for the last three years, making an appearance after being out for a number of years with a hand injury.

A spate of first half wides and a missed goal chance did not help the underdogs. Tomas Brady missed a free before after a flowing attack, shots from Ciaran McIver and Pearce O’Neill came off the posts but Michael Spiers was on hand to pop the rebound over the bar in the second minute.

Peter Morris quickly levelled the game with the first of his three points but the ‘Guigan were going well and regained the lead with a Barry McGlone free. In the eighth minute Arva midfielder Hoffman cut though for the levelling score. Hoffman then set up his midfield partner and captain, Ciaran Brady, for a lead they were never to lose.

Midway through the half Peter Morris made the score 0-4 to 0-2 and Ballymaguigan had a lot of defending to do. On 20 minutes Morris completed his hat trick of points and four minutes later Barry Donnelly set up his full forward Kevin Bouchier for an excellent finish to the net.

Ciaran Brady, who was dominating the middle third, made the score 1-6 to 0-2 and then came the James Morris red card. Pearce O’Neill posted a free followed by a fine Toms Brady point to leave a manageable five points between the teams and it could have been a tad closer had Padraig Martin not missed a clear chance.

With Jonathan McCabe and Conal Sheridan restored to the Arva attack upon the restart it looked ominous for the St. Treas but they opened the scoring with a Pearce O’Neill point only 19 seconds into the second half.

However, the Derry club’s hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed when the subs, Sheridan and McCabe, combined to register the next three scorers all in a three minute spell. As the Arva lead continued to increase a couple of Ballymaguigan players began to give away frees as they attempted to ruffle the Arva feathers with no avail.

In the 37th minute Pearce O’Neill converted a free but the gap was six points and soon nine as Ciaran Brady and Kevin Boucher (twice) made the score 1-12 to 0-6 going into the final quarter after Ballymaguigan keeper Brian Cassidy had made a smart save Hoffman returned the ball over the bar. As Ballymaguigan ran out of steam and ideas Arva sub Paul Finnegan latched on to a high ball from Ciaran Brady to make the score 2-13 to 0-6.

Then came the scene that has no place in sport and from the resultant free Conal Sheridan pointed. Eight added minutes flashed up on the board and in the first of these Pearce O’Neill tapped over a Ballymaguigan free from the right wing. Arva dominated the remainder of the game and added points from Danny Ellis, Stephen Sheridan and Ciaran Brady for an emphatic victory.

Arva scorers: Kevin Bouchier 1-2,2f, Ciaran Brady 0-4, Conall Sheridan 0-3,1f, Paul Finnegan 1-0, Peter Morris 0-3,, Stephen Sheridan and Tristan Naoch Hoffman 0-2 each, Danny Ellis 0-1.

Ballymaguigan scorers: Peearce O’Neill 0-5,4f, Barry McGlone 0-1f Michael Spiers, and Tomas Brady 0-1 each.

Arva: Cian O’Hara, Dylan Maguire, James Morris, Finbar McAvinue, Charlie Madden, Stephen Sheridan, Danny Ellis, Ciaran Brady, Tristan Naoch Hoffman, Thomas Patrington, Barry Donnelly, Ciaran Stanley, Peter Morris, Kevin Bouchier, Jamie Gray. (Subs) Jonathan McCabe for C Stanley and Conall Sheridan for J Gray, Paul Finnegan for P Morris (45), Stephen Ellis for D Maguire (55).

Ballymaguigan: Brian Cassidy, Owen Doyle, Liam Cassidy, Michael McIvor, Ruairi O’Neill, Padraig Martin, TP McVey, Tom Crozier, Tomas Kealey, Odhran Letters, Tomas Brady, Barry McGlone, Pearce O’Neill, Ciaran McIvor, Michel Spiers. (Subs) Johnny Cassidy for TP McVey (40), Sean Brady for B McGlone (45), Patrick Cuskeran for O Letters and Tony Walls for C McIvor both (55).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Donegal)