All-Ireland Club Football: Cullyhanna and Arva intermediate and junior titles
- Published
Aidan Nugent fired in Cullyhanna's crucial goal in the first half against Cork side Cill na Martra
Armagh's St Patrick's Cullyhanna and Cavan's Arva both clinched All-Ireland Club Football titles as they triumphed in the Intermediate and Junior deciders on Sunday at Croke Park.
Orchard County star Aidan Nugent hit 1-3 as Cullyhanna defeated Cork side Cill na Martra 1-8 to 0-7.
Nugent's goal came 20 minutes into the intermediate contest as Cullyhanna led 1-5 to 0-4 at half-time.
In the earlier junior final, Arva overcome Listowel Emmets 0-13 to 0-10.
In front of 8,000 spectators, the intermediate decider was tight and tense at first, before a thunderous Pearse Casey point and a superb Nugent score from just inside the 45-metre line put St Patrick's 0-3 to 0-2 ahead.
Then came the three-pointer, when Mickey Murray's short dropped short but was gathered by Neil McCreesh, and he supplied Nugent who finished emphatically into the roof of the net, which helped his side to their four-point interval advantage.
Cill na Martra miss 18 scoring chances
In the second half, Cullyhanna were starved of possession for long spells, but their opponents couldn't exploit that on the scoreboard.
Cill na Martra kicked the All-Ireland title away, as they missed an astonishing 18 scoring chances, with 16 wides and two shots dropped short.
Cullyhanna were more clinical, and Shea Hoey and Jason Duffy punished the Cork side for their profligacy, as they rounded out the scoring with Cullyhanna four ahead.
Cill na Martra needed a goal if they were to make a late comeback, but St Pat's goalkeeper James Carragher denied Daniel Ó Duinnín from raising a green flag on two separate occasions.
It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but Cullyhanna held on to become Armagh's first ever All-Ireland Intermediate club football champions.
Cavan star and Arva captain Ciaran Brady lifted the All-Ireland Junior Club Football trophy at Croke Park
In the opener at Croke Park, it took Arva a while to get going, but once they did, they were unstoppable against Listowel, as they blew the Kerry men away in the second half.
Listowel were the better side in the first half and after top displays from Cormac Mulvihill and David Keane they deservedly led 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.
But Arva came out of the changing rooms a different team, and shifted the momentum of the game, before they thoroughly dominated the action in the second half.
Led by the powerful duo of Ciarán Brady and Tristan Noack Hofmann in midfield, the accuracy of Peter Morris and Kevin Bouchier in attack and James Morris - who pulled off an inspirational block - in defence, the Cavan side scored eight of the next ten points to lead 0-12 to 0-9 heading into the closing stages.
Then came the moment Arva's captain Brady would have dreamed about, as he put the icing on the cake with their final point of the game in additional time to seal the victory and the All-Ireland crown.
Derry side Watty Graham's Glen will be hoping to complete an all-Ulster treble when they face St Brigid's in the Senior final next week.
No province has ever won the All-Ireland club titles at all three grades in the same season before.