West Tipperary senior football title is some consolation for relegated Arravale Rovers

Arravale Rovers 3-9 Aherlow 0-14

Arravale Rovers claimed the Shane Hennessy Ltd. Agri & Business Consultancy West Tipperary Senior Football Championship title in tough conditions against a dogged Aherlow side at Canon Hayes Park, Bansha on Saturday afternoon.

Three first half goals from Adam Ryan, Matthew Moroney and Ciaran Kelly gave Arravale a solid lead that Aherlow could never claw back, despite a gallant second half effort.

Both sides had gone into this delayed final with contrasting county championship campaigns behind them.

Aherlow, the Intermediate champions in 2024, held their Senior status for 2026 before bowing out at the quarter-final stage, while two weeks previously Arravale Rovers, who had failed to win a championship game in 2025, had fallen through the relegation trapdoor when well beaten by Grangemockler/Ballyneale.

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The opening quarter of this game looked as if the season’s form would be reflected on this final.

Aherlow were four points to the good by the sixth minute, Sean Bourke getting on a lot of early ball.

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The game was only a few seconds old when Mark Russell opened his account and he doubled that tally in the sixth minute.

In between Bernard O’Brien kicked two points in less than a minute and the Aherlow faithful were now in full voice.
Tadhg Carew and Laurence Coskeran were controlling matters in defence.

In tough conditions, with the rain falling for the duration of the game, Arravale struggled in those opening few minutes but sometimes you need that bit of luck.

Gary Quirke had made a great save in the second minute to deny Ciaran Kelly and was probably unlucky to be beaten four minutes later.

Arravale made a sweeping move down the field with quick transition of the ball and when Adam Ryan shot for goal it appeared his shot was trailing wide, but it took a deflection off a defender and went into the net. It was Arravale’s only score in the first quarter.

The Aherlow supporters were in full voice by the end when Mark Russell kicked one of his trade mark two- pointers to put his side 0-6 to 1-0 ahead.

The second quarter took a dramatic turn, with Arravale taking over.

Orrin Jones came far more into the game, kicking three points in three minutes to tie the game for the one and only time.
John Paul Lohan and Johnny Ryan were now running a lot of ball out of defence, while the two Leahys showed their experience.

In the space of a minute between the 25th and 26th minutes Arravale underlined their dominance. Niall Sharpe cut through the defence before laying off to Matthew Moroney for goal number two, before John Paul Lohan set up Ciaran Kelly for goal number three.

Kelly went on to add two more points, one tipped over the bar by Aherlow goalie Gary Quirke, before Liam Carew kicked a free for Aherlow’s only score of the second quarter. Arravale were ahead at the break by 3-5 to 0-7.

In the second half Aherlow tried to force their way back into the game, and Arravale tried to consolidate their position. Scores weren’t as plentiful on the resumption.

Liam Carew pointed a free after the break, with John Paul Lohan opening his account in the sixth minute. Carew who was the scorer-in-chief for Aherlow, added two more points in the seventh and ninth minutes to briefly reduce the gap to five.

However, entering the final quarter points from Ciaran Kelly and Sean O’Mahoney had the difference at six points.

To their credit, Aherlow refused to give in and threw everything at the task in hand in the final quarter. A two-pointer free from Liam Carew left just four in it, before the game went twelve minutes before the next score.

In the meantime, Arravale played with fourteen men for a ten-minute period following the black card received by Raymond Kelly, while Carew had another chance of a two-pointer from a similar position but his effort tailed wide.

However he brought the difference back to three points with just under three remaining, but it was as close as they got.
Arravale’s game management was huge in this period, as they continued to hold and recycle possession before Eoghan Lonergan kicked the insurance point as the game entered injury time.

After the game West Secretary Conor English presented the O’Carroll Cup to Arravale Rovers captain Donagh Leahy, who thanked his teammates for the effort they put in despite a very hard year.

Scorers: Arravale Rovers: Ciaran Kelly (1-3), Adam Ryan (1-0), Matthew Moroney (1-0), Orrin Jones (0-3 (0-1f), Eoghan Lonergan (0-1), Johan Paul Lohan (0-1), Sean O’Mahoney (0-1).

Aherlow: Liam Carew (0-8, 0-4f including 1 2pt), Mark Russell (0-4, (1 2pt), Bernard O’Brien (0-2).

Arravale Rovers: Evan Ryan, Tommy Lowry, Darren Lowry, Raymond Kelly, Niall Sharpe,Johnny Ryan, David Ryan, Adam Ryan, Matthew Moroney, John Paul Lohan, Shane Leahy, Sean O’Mahoney, Ciaran Kelly, Orrin Jones, Donagh Leahy.
Subs: Eoin Doocey for Orrin Jones, Eoghan Lonergan for David Ryan, Cormac Maher for Ciaran Kelly.

Aherlow: Gary Quirke, Moss O’Brien, Darragh O’Brien, Tom O’ Donoghue, Laurence Coskeran, Tadhg Carew, Jack O’Halloran, Diarmuid Looby, Mark Russell, Stephen Carey, Liam Carew, Cathal Dillon, Sean Bourke, Michael Elligott, Bernard O’Brien.
Subs: Ben Carey for Tom O’Donoghue, Paddy Chapman for Jack O’Halloran.

Referee: Donie Horan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill).