Orrin Jones the main sharpshooter as Arravale Rovers take home the O’Donoghue Cup

John O’Shea at Golden

Arravale Rovers are the Michael Devlin Solicitors O’Donoghue Cup Champions for the eleventh time since 1972, following their seven point victory over Aherlow at Golden on Wednesday evening.

Played in good conditions the small crowd were treated to a good honest game of football, with both sides committed to attack, especially during the opening half when Aherlow took the game to their opponents, with the sides level on three occasions.

Aherlow led by the minimum, 0.5 to 0.4 by the twentieth minute, with Ben and Stephen Carey to the fore early on. Arravale came more into the game in the ten minutes before the break with points from Paddy Dalton and Eoin Doocey to go in at half time on level terms, 0.6 each.

Arravale were a different side for the second half as they upped the tempo and with Orrin Jones in sharp form, they raced into a four point advantage by the three quarter mark. The only goal of the game came on fifty two minutes when Jones split the defence before crashing a low shot past Jack Whelton.

Aherlow just managed three points during this second period, all from the boot of Ben Carey as the town side ran out winners, for their first silverware of the season. Aherlow started the game the sharpest and Ben Carey kicked over a huge point from all of fifty meters at the far end.

Arravale equalised two minutes later from a David Kelly mark. Ben Carey, again from distance, eased Aherlow back in front, before Orrin Jones opened his account from a placed ball after drawing the free himself. Ben Carey split the Arravale defence with a piercing run, before unloading to Michael Elligott who split the posts to ease back in front. 

Aherlow’s best goal chance came at the quarter mark, when a long ball over the top from Tadhg Carew was latched onto by Stephen Carey, but his shot was high and over. This was a major let off for Arravale as the men from the Glen were dictating the pace of the game.

Arravale came back into the game, with Shane Maher putting Orrin Jones through with a good ball. Jones drew the foul and converted the resulting free.

A Stephen Carey converted free eased Aherlow into a two point advantage as the game swung from end to end. The ten minutes before the break saw Arravale up their game considerably.

Sean O’Mahoney put over from out near the corner and Paddy Dalton equalised when he got on the end of a six man move to split the posts.

Cian Ryan set up Eoin Doocey for a minor as half time loomed but Michael Elligott had the final say of the half when he fielded a long ball from Sean Landers, turned and fired over the equaliser on the stroke of half time, on the score 0.6 each.

Arravale introduced Alex Webster and Brian Roche to the attack for the second half and this quickly paid dividends. Orrin Jones kicked two points in the opening six minutes, the first from a free and the second from a mark. Brendan Delaney added a third before Alex Webster set up Darren Lowry for a point from his first touch, having been also introduced to the attack.

Ben Carey cut the deficit to three from a placed ball but again Webster and Lowry combined to set Cian Ryan up for a good score. Eight minutes from time the game was over as a contest when Orrin Jones split the Aherlow defence with a piercing run, before planting a low shot past Jack Whelton.

Jones added a minor before Ben Carey hit two for Aherlow. Jones had the final say in this entertaining game when he kicked his sixth point of the evening from a placed ball as Arravale ran out seven point winners.

After the game West Board Chairman, Tommy Hayes, presented the O’Donoghue Cup to Arravale captain, Tommy Lowry, in the presence of sponsor Michael Devlin.

Scorers & Teams;
Arravale Rovers.: Orrin Jones (1.6, 5 frees), Cian Ryan (0.1), Darren Lowry (0.1), Brendan Delaney, Eoin Doocey (0.1), Paddy Dalton (0.1), Sean O’Mahoney (0.1), David Kelly (0.1)

Aherlow: Ben Carey (0.5, 2 frees), Michael Elligott (0.2), Stephen Carey (0.2, 1 free)

Arravale Rovers: Darren Houston, Raymond Kelly, Jack Lowry, Tommy Lowry (Captain), Cian Ryan, Shane Leahy, Eoin Doocey, Evan Carrie, Shane Maher, Brendan Delaney, Matthew Moroney, David Kelly, Sean O’Mahoney, Paddy Dalton, Orrin Jones
Subs used; Alex Webster for Paddy Dalton (HT), Brian Roche for Sean O’Mahoney (HT), Darren Lowry for David Kelly (44), Gavin O’Meara for Brendan Delaney (57)

Aherlow: Jack Whelton, Darragh O’Brien, Sean Mullins, Tom O’Donoghue (Captain), Tadhg Carew, Laurence Coskeran, Michael Russell, Ben Carey, Graham Bourke, Stephen Carey, Michael Elligott, Sean Landers, Paddy Chapman, Shane Russell, Tomás O’Shea
Subs used; Patrick O’Donoghue for Graham Bourke (HT), Mark Hanley for Tomás O’Shea (44), Anthony Leahy for Michael Russell (55), Niall O’Shea for Paddy Chapman (55), Eoin O’Connell for Shane Russell (57)

Referee: Donie Horan (Eire Og Annacarty Donohill)