AIB Ulster IFC quarter-finals
Drumgath (Down) 1-12 Arva (Cavan) 1-18
ARVA remain in the hunt for consecutive Ulster Club titles after putting in an impressive display for this six-point win over Drumgath.
‘The Gath’ possibly should have been out of sight early on, but the clinical finishing that put Clann na Banna to the sword in the first 15 minutes of the Down county final was out of sync only by inches.
It may even be somewhat harsh to call them wasteful as they only kicked five wides throughout and put in an impressive first half.
A goal from Peter Morris with virtually the last action of the half put Arva in a great position going into the second period and the Cavan side didn’t look back.
Overall, this was a thrilling encounter with 18 first-half scores and only three first-half wides between the teams.
The Down champions got off to a stunning start, with former county panellist Packie Downey steering his side ahead before Ryan Hillen and Shea Byrne extended the lead.
Last year’s All-Ireland junior champions hit back with three of the next four scores, with Cavan star Ciaran Brady, Stephen Sheridan and Barry Donnelly on target.
Amdist those scores, Drumgath missed a glorious chance for a goal. Darcy Burns had only keeper Cian O’Hare to beat but rattled his right post.
Jonathan McCabe, Thomas Partington and Kevin Boucher tagged on scores for Arva with Shea Byrne (free) replying for the Rathfriland men and the sides were tied on five points each after only 13 thrilling minutes.
A clever raid down the right flank from Ronan Byrne edged Drumgath back in front and Ryan Hillen doubled that lead, but they should have bagged a goal as Cathal Tumilty had only the keeper to beat after Shea Byrne found him unmarked, but the shot flashed across goal.
They paid the price as Arva finished the half strongly with points from McCabe, Boucher, midfielder Tristan Noack Hofman and Ciaran Brady to edge ahead before Morris thumped into the Drumgath net after he pounced on a loose ball after Partington’s delivery into the square.
Arva’s 1-9 to 0-8 half-time lead meant they were able to keep Drumgath at arms-length for much of the second half.
Packie Downey’s goal on 38 minutes reduced the gap and captain Pearse McPolin followed up with a great score to reduce the gap to two, but that was as good as it got for Drumgath. Indeed, their keeper Ronan Burns had to pull off two outstanding saves to deny Partington and Stephen Sheridan.
Partington, Boucher, Hofman and Barry Donnelly kept the scoreboard ticking over as Arva pulled away, with Downey and Shea Byrne on target at the other end as the Cavan men were in control.
It was, however, a fine performance from Drumgath and they finish their season with heads held high, whereas the Ulster adventure continues for Arva.
Drumgath R Burns, A Monaghan, T Burns, P Downey (1-2), R Byrne (0-1), G O’Reilly, M McConville, P McPolin (0-2), C Maginn, C Tumulty, D Burns, K Toner, R Hillen (0-3, 0-1 free), S Byrne (0-4, 1f), P Hillen
Subs E Travers for C Tumulty (ht’), C McGivern for A Monaghan (40′), J McGivern for G O’Reilly (47′), G O’Reilly for M McConville (50′)
Arva C O’Hara, D Maguire, J Morris, F McAvinue, É Ward, S Sheridan (0-1), D Ellis, C Brady (0-2), T Noack Hofmann (0-2), T Partington (0-2), B Donnelly (0-2), J McCabe (0-3), P Morris (1-1, 0-1m), K Bouchier (0-5, 4f), T Brady
Subs F McGlade for D Ellis (47′), C Madden for T Brady (54′), S Hamilton for J McCabe (58′), B McEntee for C Brady (60′), D Ellis for J Morris (60′)
Referee Mark Loughran (Tyrone)
Lisnaskea (Fermanagh) 1-9 Magheracloone (Monaghan) 3-20
MARVELLOUS Magheracloone blitzed an out-gunned Lisnaskea in a one-sided intermediate quarter-final in Brewster Park on Saturday.
The winners, who came down from senior grade in Monaghan last year, had ferocious pace to which the Fermanagh side had no answers.
And they were not flattered in the slightest by this big win as they were superior in all departments.
The game was effectively over after seven minutes as the Farney champions had raced into a 2-6 to 0-0 lead in a surging start that overwhelmed a ‘Skea side who looked seriously out of their depth.
For ‘Skea, team captain Tom Clarke and Justy McDade tried hard, but their team constantly struggled with Magheracloone’s lightning direct play and clinical finishing.
The visitors had early points from Killian Rudden and Allan Kieran and this lead was quickly doubled by the pacey Dylan Farrelly and marksman Michael Metzger.
Paudie McMahon arrowed over another snappy point before a great move involving Metzger and Ryan Farrelly ended with Dylan drilling low to the net.
This was followed by another goal inside 60 seconds when Farrelly netted after another mesmerising move.
Joe McDade opened ‘Skea’s account with a fine long-range point but Metzer, Packie Doogan/Burke and Ryan Farrelly made it 2-9 to 0-1 before keeper Ethan McCaffrey converted a 45 for the shell-shocked Fermanagh men.
Allan Kieran and Doogan/Burke tagged on two more points for the winners as Justy McDade and Hayden Lynch replied for ‘Skea, as Magheracloone led by 2-11 to 0-4 at the break.
Into the second half, and McDade landed a free for ‘Skea, only for Kian Duffy to score a point and a cracking goal to put the Monaghan men into a 3-12 to 0-5 four minutes into the second half.
The effervescent Paudie McMahon pointed for Magheracloone before ‘Skea found the net as Lynch palmed the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.
But it made no difference to the relentless march of Magheracloone as Adam McKeown, sub Paudie Kirk, McMahon, Duffy and another impressive sub, Alan McCahan, and McMahon made it 3-19 to 1-5 as the game drew to a close.
Dylan Tierney scored a fine solo point for ‘Skea, which was added to by an equally fine long-range point from Damien Óg Kelly.
Sub and ex-Monaghan star Gavin Doogan got his side’s final point as Niall Keenan and Justy McDade closed out the scoring for ‘Skea.
Paudie Kirk picked up a black card just before the final whistle, but this did not detract in the slightest from a most impressive display from a team that reached the Al-Ireland final in this grade back in 2019.
They now meet Arva in the last-four.
Lisnaskea E McCaffrey (0-1); R Gribben, L Mullarkey, C Clifford; K McGoldrick, J McDade (0-1) D Tierney (0-1); T Clarke, M Kelly; J McDade (0-,3f), C Clarke, D Óg Kelly (0-1); H Lynch (1-1,f) M Little, M Smith
Subs E McDermott for Conor Clifford (27), S Keenan for M Little and P Mohan for M Smyth (37), E McCabe for R Gribben (50), N Keenan (0-1) for D Tierney (58)
Magheracloone R McNulty; C McKeown, P Ward, D Byrne; A McKeown (0-1), K Rudden (0-1) P Doogan Burke (0-2); J Doogan, J Kieran; D Farrelly (1-1), A Kieran (0-2), K Duffy (1-2); P McMahon (0-3) R Farrelly (1-2), M Metzger (0-2 frees)
Subs D McCahey (0-2) for P Doogan/Burke (ht), G Doogan for A Kieran (35), J Kirk for J Doogan (38), P Kirk (0-1 mark) for R Farrelly (43) A McCahey (0-1) for P McMahon (48)
Referee Enda McFeely (Donegal)
