Leinster Preview: Ardee fearful of nobody ahead of tough clash in Mullingar

It has been a great couple of weeks for everyone associated with Ardee St Marys. Firstly, there was the jubilation as the Joe Ward Cup returned to the town for the first time since in 27 years. This was followed a by a provincial victory on home soil against a stubborn Colmcille from Longford.

While the party amongst the supporters may have barely stopped since that county triumph a couple of weeks ago, the players and management have been all business. Just a few days after their win over the Newtown Blues, they had already switched back into game mode.

Having already accounted for the Longford champions, it is a trip to the Midlands that is now on the horizon, with St Marys set to lock horns with the Na Dúnta from Westmeath this Sunday in Cusack Park Mullingar (Throw 2PM).

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Speaking to the Democrat in the lead up to game, Daire McConnon, who grabbed two vital goals in their victory over Colmcille, stressed that while they are expecting their toughest test to date against a side with plenty of inter county experience, they are not too worried by the challenge they pose.

“We don’t fear anyone, we are not really built that way in Ardee” he stressed. “Years ago, we might have just tried and stopped teams, but these days we just play our game. And if you can beat us, then fair play. That is the mentality we have.

“We won’t do too much research. We will look at the Downs a bit, but we are not going to get fascinated by them. We haven’t done that all year against great opposition like the Jocks or the Blues.

“We never really concentrate too much on other teams, as if you do that you are not working on your own game. We will just try and make our hands a bit slicker, as we made plenty of mistakes against Colmcille. That is really the key for us, working on our forward play.”

The Louth Champions were expected to blow the men from Longford out of the water, but instead found themselves having to battle hard at the finish to get over the line. A late rally seeing them eventually run out 3-7 to 1-7 winners. A score that somewhat flattered Ardee.

On the day, the men in Blue and white missed plenty of chances to put the tie beyond the Midlanders. This rustiness in front of goal was possibly down to the hectic schedule they endured in the Louth Championship, according to their manager Cathal Murray.

“That was three weeks in a row of football, the boys were tired and Colmcille had the two week break going into it” he noted.

“They were always going to be that bit fresher. So I’d put a lot those misses down to a wee bit of tiredness in the legs. The two week before the Downs match will really stand by us now.”

While it can sometimes be tough to get a team fired up for provincial competition, especially after the highs of ending such a long wait for local success, this clash in Westmeath offers a prize that would motivate any player in the country. A chance to line out for your club in Croke Park.

This carrot being dangled over the Ardee player’s heads is one that will have them eager for success on Sunday and in the Down native’s mind it would be a welcome reward for their hard work in 2022.

“The county players have been there last year. But for the ordinary wee lad, the club player, he doesn’t get to go into the dressing rooms or the warmup area. They don’t get a chance to run down that tunnel. That is something you think and dream about when you start playing football.

“But to play in Croke Park with your club, it would be just amazing, not just for the players but the supporters too. It would really build on the experiences and the progression the club has made this year. Fingers crossed we get there.”

The significance of a possible day out at HQ is not lost on McConnon either, despite he and his fellow Louth GAA teammates being hopeful of making plenty of appearances there in the next couple of years.

However, he wasn’t dreaming about the joys of running out onto the hallowed turf wearing his beloved blue jersey. He was more thinking of what it would mean to all the supporters and committee members who have worked so tirelessly to get the team where they are today.

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The scenes following the county final win still blows him away anytime he thinks back on that memorable evening. He knows how much it would mean to the town, to see their side in Croker, and McConnon is desperate to win on Sunday to make this dream a reality.

“It would be a massive lift for the town. People should’ve seen Ardee after the county final. We had a parade through the town, and I just couldn’t believe the amount of people at it. If we could bring all of them people to Croker that would be amazing.

"It would be something so special for the club but also the committee as well, those that put in all the work behind the scenes. Anything we have asked for we have gotten, so to repay that loyalty with a day out in Croke Park would just be unbelievable.”