Louth GAA: Ardee fend off Cooley challenge to progress

Ardee St Marys 2-8 

Cooley Kickhams 0-10

While far from convincing, Ardee St Marys managed to fend off the tricky challenge of Cooley Kickhams and advance to the knockout stages of the SFC as group winners, keeping their bid for back-to-back Joe Wards intact.

However, Cathal Murray’s much fancied charges were made to work for this victory, as a determined and physical Cooley Kickhams proved a formidable opponent, who were firmly in contention to cause what would have been the upset of the championship.

In fact, with ten minutes remaining, last year’s Intermediate winners were just the solitary point in arrears of their opponents, thanks mainly to some magnificent shooting by Michael Rafferty and Cian Connor, with the score reading 1-6 to 0-8 in, and in the melting pot.

However, Ardee’s bacon was saved thanks to a goal late on from county defender Donal McKenny, along with the introduction of second half subs Ciaran & Eimhin Keenan, with Tadhg McDonnell steadying the ship. Ciaran Keenan’s two second half points were particularly crucial for the Ardee cause.

Defending in that low block and trying to make life difficult for their opponents, Cooley were intent on hitting that early ball into their forwards, whenever the broke up an Ardee foray, with Enda O’Neill profiting from such deliveries to take an early mark for the opening score of proceedings. Cian Connor soon followed that up with a delightful effort from long range, following a foot pass from Michael Carron, who ran himself ragged over the hour.

Ardee needed to put the squeeze on this deep Cooley defence, and they did so, especially on their opponent’s kickouts. This press saw them win 4 out of 7 on Cooley’s kickout in the first half, which played an important part in them grabbing 1-5 without reply, with the goal coming from Ryan Rooney who fired the loose ball home, after Neil Gallagher had denied Tom Jackson in the same move. Jackson had collected a precise Dáire McConnon through ball in the build up to that major.

That period saw Kian Moran and Ronán Carroll pick up loose ball from Cooley kickouts, with Rooney (1-2), McConnon (0-1), Tom Jackson (0-1), and Sean Callaghan (0-1) putting Ardee in a commanding position at 1-5 to 0-2 after 17 minutes. 

However, Cooley continued to battle and fight for their cause, with Peter Thorntan, Darren Marks, Michael Carron, along with Gerry and Fergal Malone scrapping for kickouts, in order to regain possession throughout, with Richard Brennan in the sweeper role. While it is important to note that Patrick Hanlon acquitted himself most impressively in the face of some dangerous Ardee forwards, whom he managed to nullify courageously. 

A trademark long range blockbuster from Fergal Malone, was sandwiched in between scores from Michael Rafferty (free), and Enda O’Neill to remind Ardee that Cooley were not going quietly, with just a kick of the ball separating the 2022 senior and intermediate winners, at the break, at 1-5 to 0-5. 

Second Half: 

Coupled with losing Ryan Rooney, and some long periods of complacency in their play, Ardee lost their way in that second half, with Cathal Murray’s side losing possession 29 times over the hour, with most of that emanating from sloppy use of possession. 

Such poor use of possession saw Cooley outscore their opponents by 0-3 to 0-1, with a hattrick of Rafferty points, including a stunning effort with the outside of his boot, leaving just a point between the sides after 47 minutes, with a seismic Cooley support smelling an upset.

With the Mary’s score coming from a Carl Gillespie free, the blues had not scored from play for the first 20 minutes of the second period.

That’s when you learn about the character of your players and leaders, and up stepped Donal McKenny, who got on the end of a passing move involving sub Ciarán Keenan to fire passed Neil Gallagher for Ardee’s second major, opening up a four-point gap and much needed daylight between the sides from a relieved Ardee perspective. 

From there, Ciaran Keenan took centre stage, with two superb white flags from play, one of which moments earlier, saw Michael Rafferty almost intercept a short Ardee kickout, before Donal McKenny emerged with the ball. A feeling of what might have been for Cooley.

Despite another free from Cian Connor, Ardee closed it out to secure top spot and get the job done, as they bid to make it back-to-back Joe Ward successes, leaving Cooley to battle it out with St Brides to see who will join them. 

Ardee St Marys: James McGillick; Páraic McKenny, Donal McKenny (1-0), Tiernan Corrigan; Carl Gillespie (0-1) (1f), Tom Jackson (0-1), Jonothan Commins; Sean Callaghan (0-1), Robert Leavy; Shane Mathews, Liam Jackson, Kian Moran; Rónán Carroll, Dáire McConnon (0-1), Ryan Rooney (1-2).

Subs: Darren Clarke for Rooney (HT), Ciáran Keenan (0-2) for Carroll (44), Eimhin Keenan for Matthews (44), Tadgh McDonnell for Moran (47), Evan Malone for Gillespie (57). 

Cooley Kickhams: Neil Gallagher; Dean McGreehan, Ronan McBride, Patrick Hanlon; James O’Reilly, Fergal Malone (0-1), Gerry Malone; Darren Marks, Peter Thorntan; Cian Connor (0-3) (2f) (1’45), Enda O’Neill (0-2) (1 advanced mark), Michael Carron; Richard Brennan, Michael Rafferty (0-4) (2f), Callum O’Hanlon.

Subs: Eoin McDaid for O’Hanlon (HT), Gerard Hanlon for Carron (58). 

Referee: Stephen Johnson