Ballymachugh 1-11
Arva 1-8

Ballymachugh made a winning start to their Junior Championship campaign with a victory over Arva in Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday last. Despite playing the entire second half with 14 men, the Ballyheelan based outfit kept their noses in front from the 13th minute, after Mark Kiernan's opportunist goal.

It was the Hugh's who got the scoreboard up and running in the 3rd minute when Liam Goldrick-Buchanan fisted over after James Kiernan's free dropped short. However, the lead was short lived on this occasion when Arva's Jonathan McCabe clinically converted a penalty three minutes later. Richie Fitzsimons then converted a free to put narrowest of gaps between the sides in the 12th minute, before Mark Kiernan took advantage of a mistake by the Arva goalkeeper Richard Keith and finished to the net to restore his sides lead.

Ryan Magarahan and Goldrick-Buchannan then went on to exchange scores before Kiernan put over from 30 metres for the Hugh's in the 24th minute to make it a three point game. The major talking point of the half arrived in the 28th minute when Ballymachugh's Aodhain Kiernan was shown a red card for an incident with Fergal McGlade. Despite the setback, Ballymachugh took a three point lead into the interval and were fastest out of the trap's in the second half as well.

Killian Smith and Finbar Sheridan added their names to the score sheet before Fergal McGlade got the first score of the half for last year's Junior finalists. Smith and Sheridan would then go on to point again in the 36th and 38th minute to put their side six points to the good. Arva then hit three unanswered points between the 39th and 45th minute, with scores from Conal Sheridan (2) and wing back Cormac McCabe. However, despite reducing the Hugh's lead to three points, Arva's hopes were dealt a blow when Tomas Brady was shown a black card with 48 minutes gone.

This seemed to rejuvenate Ballymachugh again with Darragh Kiernan, Christopher Rooney and Killian Smith all hitting a point each in a five minute period to give their side a six point cushion. To their credit Arva kept battling away and managed to get the gap back to three approaching injury time, but excellent defending by Anthony Baxter and Brendan McLarney ensured Ballymachugh held on for a well deserved victory.

Ballymachugh Team:
Padraig Sheridan, Vincent Ellis, Michéal Halton, Aodhain Kiernan, Brendan McLarney, Anthony Baxter, Christopher Rooney (0-1), Liam Goldrick-Buchannan (0-2), Darragh Kiernan (0-1), Alan Donohoe, Richard Fitzsimons (0-1f), Finbar Sheridan (0-2), James Kiernan, Killian Smith (0-3), Mark Kiernan (1-1). Subs used: Stephen Harten for Richard Fitzsimons and John Fox for Finbar Sheridan.

Arva Team
Richard Keith, Shane Finnegan, Darren Gray, Stephen Ellis, Thomas Brady, Ciaran Brady, Cormac McCabe (0-1), Brian Fitzpatrick, Fergal McGlade (0-1), Peter Morris, Alan Barry, Jonathan McCabe (1-1), Ryan Magarahan (0-1), Conal Sheridan (0-3f), James Morris (0-1). Subs used: Cian Sheridan for Brian Fitzpatrick, Conor McEntee for Alan Barry and Paul Bouchier for Brian Fitzpatrick. Tweet

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