Ardee St Marys end 27 year wait for Joe Ward Cup following thrilling Senior Replay

Anchor Tours Senior Football Championship Final

Ardee St Marys 1-18 Newtown Blues 1-15

It is rare a sequel lives up the billing of the original, but for any neutral in the large crowd in Dowdallshill this Senior Final certainly lived up to expectations.

It was a cracking contest, one that you could not take your eyes off of and it will live long into the memories of the supporters of Ardee St Mary’s, who claimed the Joe Ward Cup for the first time since 1995. But boy did they have to earn it.

Despite a strong start backed by a Ciaran Keenan goal, Cathal Murray’s troops found themselves a point behind at the break, having run into a determined Newtown Blues.

But when it mattered, they were able to pile on the pressure, upping their intensity around the middle and dictating the pace of the game to quickly turn that deficit into a five-point lead.

But despite this cushion, they could never fully shake off the men from Drogheda, who hung on until the final whistle.

Emmet Carolan would bag a late goal to led to a nervy finish, while veteran Andy McDonnell almost grabbed a second deep into injury time, only to fist over and not under the posts.

Due to injuries and subs there was over 13 minutes of time added on, but it was Ardee that showed the greater guile, seeing off this late rally from their opponents before grabbing an insurance score to eke out a deserved three point victory. Que pandemonium from their large traveling support.

Just like a week earlier, St Marys started the tie off strongly, grabbing a goal as early as the third minute. A Cian Moran free was won in the corner by Daire McConnon, who turned his marker and found an unmarked Ciaran Keenan.

He duly soled at pace right through the heart of the Blues defence, his bullet leaving keeper Johnny McDonnell with no chance. This was quickly followed up by a score from Conor Gillespie to create an early four-point lead.

In another case of Déjà vu, Des Lane’s troops bounced back fast. His side favoured moving the ball quickly, going through the phases as they tried to stretch the Ardee defence. It led to fine scores from Jamie Kelly (2), Fergal Donohue and Ciaran Downey as the took the lead on 17 minutes.

During this period, Cathal Murray’s side were isolated in their own half, the Blues duo of Andy McDonnell and Chris Reid making sure it rarely past by the midfield sector. They had favoured a long ball, usually towards Shane Matthews, but this option was well negated.

They did finally get back into their groove, Matthews grabbing a superb point from range on 22 minutes. They sped up their play and fed a lot of ball down the centre channel. And with a little more killer instinct with their final pass they could have grabbed more goals.

Instead of goals, two white flags came via Cian Moran and Keenan, yet it was the Blues that finished the half the stronger. Ciaran Downey bagging a late brace to leave the Drogheda men 0-9 to 1-5 in front at half time.

Ardee had been in this scenario before, a week earlier in fact, and once more they didn’t look too worried about the deficit as they returned to the field.

While outplayed around the centre up to this point, Ardee lifted their game significantly from this point onwards. Throughout the half they would turn the Blues over five times from their own kickout.

This newfound dominance saw them chalk up three points in a little over 60 seconds, Carl Gillespie bagging a free before turnovers from kickouts saw Tom Jackson and Ronan Carroll fire it over the blackspot.

Gillespie tended to be the man coming up trumps with the turnovers, but credit too has to go the evergreen Carroll, who fresh off the bench became the lynchpin to nearly all of their attacks. He finished the final with an impressive four points to his name.

Up the other end, the defenders were making life tough for anyone in a light blue jersey. While bagging some nice scores from open play in the first half, space was now at a premium while Ardee’s tackling was a lot more ferocious, meaning they had little time on the ball.

Carroll continued to impact the contest with a rapid-fire brace, but it was eventually cancelled out by frees from Colm Judge and Daire Nally. The sides were going score for score at this stage, meaning even the Blues were rarely making a dent on the deficit.

But as they have done throughout the championship, Lane’s side showed their ability to peak when it mattered and were never completely out of the tie. They needed a goal and fast, as the seven minutes of added tie were ticking down.

Additional time was a scrappy period due to numerous players going down in need a treatment, meaning nobody in the ground was certain how much extra additional time referee Kevin Brady would play.

The Blues’ lifeline came close to the end of the original seven minutes he intended on playing. Jamie Kelly was taken down in the square by Donal McKenny and the referee pointed to the spot.

The penalty from Emmet Carolan was saved by James McGillick, however from the rebound the defender rattled the net, leaving just three points separating the sides.

Ardee needed to win the kickout, but it went the way of the Newfoundwell men. Kelly launched it long and high into the square and it was Andy McDonnell that managed to get his fist onto it. Unfortunately for Blues fans, he could only convince the ball over the bar, not under.

At this stage we had played over ten minutes of additional time. The next phase was always going to be key, and it was Carroll that stepped up to the plate by recording a vital mark in the centre of the field.

A lovely team move ensued, one involving Daire McConnon and Liam Jackson. And it was the fitting that the final score of the game went the way of Caroll, who blasted over his fourth of the day to create a three-point lead once more.

The Blues had one last chance in this action filled final, Daire Nally and McDonnell denied again by McGillick. Soon after and with 73 minutes now gone on the clock, Brady would finally blow his whistle one last time. A whistle greeted to loud cheers from the Ardee faithful. They had finally done it.       

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Ardee St Marys: James McGillick; Pauric McKenny, Karl Faulkner, Conor Keenan; Karl Gillespie (0-3) frees), Kian Moran (0-1), Donal McKenny; RJ Callaghan, Liam Jackson; Ciaran Keenan (1-1), Daire McConnon (0-3), Shane Mathews (0-3); Johathan Commins, Conor Gillespie, Tom Jackson (0-1). Subs: Ronan Carroll (0-4) for Commins (HT), Robert Leavy for Callaghan (48), Dean Matthews (0-1) for S Mathews (51). Ryan Rooney for Conor Gillespie (56), Darren Clarke for Rooney (blood,60), Rooney for Clarke (66).

Newtown Blues:  Johnny McDonnell; Conor Ayson, Alan Connor, Johnny Connolly; Ciaran Kelly Cluskey, Emmet Carolan, Fergal Donohue (0-1); Chris Reid, Andy McDonnell (0-1); Jamie Kelly (0-3), Colm Judge (0-3, 0-1 free) , Daire Nally (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 45); Robert Carr (0-1), John Kermode, Ciaran Downey (0-4, 0-1 free).  Subs: Conor Brannigan for Kermode (37), Conor Moore for Donohue (41), Ian Connor for Reid (56), Thomas Costelloe for Ayson (56).

Referee: Kevin Brady (Dundalk Gaels)