St. Mary’s Ardee 3-7 Colmcille 1-7

By Dan Bannon at Pairc Mhuire, Ardee

After a six point victory on home soil at Pairc Mhuire, Louth champions Ardee St. Mary’s are through to the AIB Leinster club quarter final at the expense of their Longford counterparts Colmcille.

With five minutes left to play, the contest was right down to the wire with inspirational Colmcille captain Jack Macken scoring his fourth free of the topsy turvy game to make it a one point game.

With the minimum between the sides, half time substitute Ronán Carroll once again seized his moment.

With Colmcille pushing desperately up the field in search of the equaliser, Carl Gillespie intercepted the ball and found Carroll. The former county man burst through the cover to find himself in wide open space and laid the ball off to Shane Matthews for the easiest of tap ins.

That goal clinched the game, Matthews fired over seconds later and Carroll brought the game to a close with the final score of the game.

Ironically the last time Ardee played in Leinster 27 years ago, they faced Longford opposition.

Ardee advanced back then thanks to a replay against Killoe and it looked like it could be just as a long an afternoon when Michael Harkin’s side started much the brighter.

Macken opened the scoring with the first of all his frees taken from the hand and topped up by Philip McKeon.

Ardee however soon got going with a brace of goals from red hot county star Dáire McConnon. Both engineered in similar fashion, McConnon finished to the net thanks to a high press on Colmcille’s kick outs.

Cathal Reilly found the net in between to make it double scores 2-4 to 1-2 at half time. Ardee after a slow start would replicate that in the second half.

Outscoring the home side five points to one in the third quarter Colmcille roared back into the contest but the cavalry arrived just in time for Ardee.

Carroll, Darren Clarke and Tom Jackson came off the bench to edge the hosts over the line to face The Downs in two weeks time in Mullingar.

Scorers for Ardee St. Mary’s: Daire McConnon 2-1, Shane Matthews 1-1, Jonathan Commins 0-3 (1f) Carl Gillespie and Ronan Carroll 0-1 each.

Scorers for Colmcille: Jack Macken 0-4 (4f), Cathal Reilly 1-0, Philip McKeon, Fergal Sheridan and Eoin Hawkins 0-1 each

Ardee St Mary’s: James McGillick; Paraic McKenny, Karl Faulkner, Conor Keenan; Kian Moran, Evan Malone, Carl Gillespie; RJ Callaghan, Robbie Leavy; Jonathan Commins, Shane Matthews, Liam Jackson; Conor Gillespie, Daire McConnon, Ciarán Keenan.

Subs: Ronan Carroll for Ciarán Keenan (ht), Dean Matthews for Conor Gillespie (41), Darren Clarke for Commins (52), Tom Jackson for Malone (58).

Colmcille: Noel Farrell; Conor Grant, Enda Macken, Gerard Mulligan; Martin Mulligan, Ruairí Harkin, Declan Reilly; Jack Macken, Fergal Sheridan; Rory Hawkins, Vinny Hourican, Philip McKeon; Cathal McCabe, Cathal Reilly, Barry McKeon. Subs: Eoin Hawkins for P McKeon (37), Ciaran McKeon for R Hawkins (42), Darren Mulligan for C Reilly (53).

Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)