AIB All-Ireland club junior football championship final

ARVA (CAVAN) 0-13 LISTOWEL EMMETS (KERRY) 0-10

By Paul Keane at Croke Park

Ciaran Brady has had big days out at Croke Park before, winning a Division 3 league title just last season with Cavan, but it’s likely that nothing will top this afternoon for him.

Sensing the urgent need for inspiration at half-time, the Arva captain turned in a powerful second-half display to help the Cavan and Ulster champions turn a three-point deficit at that stage into a three-point lead at full-time.

It was a performance for the ages from the all action midfielder who finished with four points from play, dovetailing superbly with middle third partner Tristan Noack Hofmann.

Former Irish underage international soccer player Noack Hofmann was part of the Cavan panel last year and on the basis of this game is certainly one to watch again in 2024.

It was Noack Hofmann who was on the receiving end of a 46th minute challenge that led to Listowel’s Ger McCarthy receiving a black card.

That was a significant moment in a game that Listowel will feel they let slip through their fingers having led by that three-point margin at half-time.

They will also be disappointed that midfielder Joe Joe Grimes had a stoppage time goal ruled out for a foul in the build up though they may have struggled to rescue a result even if the score had stood.

Arva were helped beforehand by the availability of Conal Sheridan and Thomas Partington, both of whom were doubtful following injuries in last weekend’s semi-final defeat of Kildare and Leinster champions Milltown.

Finbarr O’Reilly’s side kicked the first two points too, from skipper Brady, who was played in by midfield colleague Noack Hofmann, and then Peter Morris.

But the Ulster side, a senior outfit as recently as 2017, paid a high price for a series of poor wides after that with Morris, Sheridan and free-taker Kevin Bouchier all missing from reasonably straightforward positions.

Eddie Healy did something similar at the other end after a terrific solo run up the field for Listowel who didn’t score themselves until the 14th minute when Cormac Mulvihill finally split the posts.

That score seemed to ignite the Kerry men who enjoyed a strong second quarter, outscoring Arva by 0-7 to 0-2 from the 14th minute until half-time.

Mulvihill and free-taker David Keane accounted for a brace of points apiece.

Arva were under pressure and it was only momentarily relieved when Hofmann, a former League of Ireland player with a number of clubs, clipped over a tidy 19th minute point.

The Ulster champions, who defeated Ballymaguigan, Lisnaskea and Blackhill to claim their provincial title, must have known that scores were going to be hard to come by.

Listowel had only conceded 2-2, 1-2 and 0-3 tallies in their three games since collecting the Kerry junior title by beating Ballymacelligott after extra-time.

With former Cork senior footballer Grimes at midfield, and captain Niall Collins spinning over a beauty on the run from the left wing, Listowel were full value for their 0-7 to 0-4 half-time lead.

There was an intriguing few minutes immediately after the restart as Arva returned reinvigorated and piled on the pressure but, true to the pattern of the first-half, their wasteful play cost them.

They carved out five scoring changes in the first five minutes of the second-half but only Brady and Bouchier converted with Partington striking a couple of poor wides and Noack Hofmann hitting the post with a free.

Listowel weren’t in a position to capitalise on those misses and when they did launch a heart-raising breakaway at the other end, Arva full-back James Morris came flying from nowhere to block Bryan Sweeney’s shot.

A real barnburner was in full flow now and after fighting back to level terms at 0-8 and 0-9 apiece, Arva took the lead for the first time through Bouchier in the 47th minute.

They were a man up at that stage as Listowel lost McCarthy to a black card sin-binning for a lunge at Noack Hofmann.

Arva continued to be wasteful and spurned a couple more decent chances but still stretched the gap to two and then three points with scores from Bouchier and Peter Morris.

When Brady put them four ahead in stoppage time they were in dreamland with the finishing line close at hand.

Grimes struck to the net for Listowel in the 63rd minute and while there was controversy as it was ruled out for a free in the build up, it would have been only consolation anyway.

Arva scorers: Kevin Bouchier 0-4 (0-4f), Ciaran Brady 0-4, Peter Morris 0-3, Tristan Noack Hofmann 0-2.

Listowel Emmets scorers: David Keane 0-3 (0-3f), Cormac Mulvihill 0-2, Sean Keane 0-2 (0-1f), Niall Collins 0-1, Eddie Healy 0-1, Sam Tarrant 0-1 (0-1f).

ARVA: Cian O’Hara; Charlie Madden, James Morris, Dylan Maguire; Thomas Partington, Stephen Sheridan, Finbar McAvinue; Ciaran Brady, Tristan Noack Hofmann; Jonathan McCabe, Barry Donnelly, Danny Ellis; Peter Morris, Conal Sheridan, Kevin Bouchier.

Subs: Ciaran Stanley for Ellis 41, Thomas Brady for C Sheridan 56, Paul Cassidy for P Morris 61.

LISTOWEL EMMETS: Cathal Keane; Niall Collins, Jack McElligott, Ciaran Pierse; Eddie Browne, Eddie Healy, Micheal Kennedy; Joe Joe Grimes, Darragh Leahy; Sean Keane, Ger McCarthy, Jamie McVeigh; Cormac Mulvihill, Bryan Sweeney, David Keane.

Subs: Darragh Lynch for Leahy h/t, Sam Tarrant for D Keane 49, Adam O’Rourke for Sweeney 56, Jake Moriarty for McCarthy 56, Cillian Holly for McVeigh 58.

Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).