AIB Leinster Club SFC Quarter-Final

Ardee St Mary's 3-9 Blessington 2-5

By Brendan Lawrence at Echelon Park

Louth champions Ardee St. Mary’s have set up a Leinster semi-final clash with Kilmacud Crokes after dispatching Blessington by 3-9 to 2-5 in a wet Echelon Park, Aughrim.

Cathal Murray’s side were deserved winners over the course of the hour against a gallant Blues side who will look back on errors of their own making that led to big scores in the second half as part of the reason for their provincial exit.  

The key moment in that second 30 minutes was when the outstanding Ciarán Keenan gathered a short Blessington kick-out and fed full-forward Dáire McConnon, who finished home past Rob Gilligan to turn a two-point deficit into a one-point lead with five gone in the second half.

Blessington had popped over the first score of the second half through Mikey O’Connor, but they would fail to trouble to scoreboard again in this game.

Ardee St. Mary’s were probably wondering how they were a point behind at the break given the unrelenting pressure they had brought to bear on the Blessington goal in the last few moments of the opening half.  

An outstanding save from Rob Gilligan from a Liam Jackson after 26 was followed by another after 32, this time from Dáire McConnon before Steven Bohan put his body on the line to block Ciarán Keenan moments later with the ball coming off the Blessington post twice.

But trail the Louth champions did, and the main reason was the superb recovery of Blessington to what was nothing short of a nightmare start.  

Kevin Quinn opened the scoring from a free won by Dan Silke Fetherston but in the space of 60 seconds Ardee St. Mary’s had carved open the Blues’ rearguard with sublime passing and movement leading to a pair of sweet goals from Tom Jackson, the first arriving from a pass by Liam Jackson, the second after good work from Conor Gillespie and Dáire McConnon.  

The Blessington recovery began immediately. With the wind at their backs, they started to gather some momentum, making fine use of the mark over the course of the opening half.  

Mikey O’Connor fired over a free won by Kevin Quinn and when midfielder Dan Cooney fired home past James McGillick after 11 following a sweet move up the field, the game was in the melting pot with Ardee St. Mary’s ahead by 2-1 to 1-2.  

A sweet score from Dáire McConnon pushed the visitors further ahead, the final pass from that man Keenan who was involved in everything positive for the Ardee side. 

The loss of Blessington full-back Conall Gallagher to injury after 11 and Jordan McGarr to a black card after 25 did very little to help the Wicklow side’s cause but Jack Gilligan’s shot that somehow got in past McGillick left the Blues leading by one at the break.  

Brian Cardiff sprang Anto McLoughlin and Martin Shannon from the bench and while they enjoyed that bright start, McConnon’s goal and superb points from Keenan (two) and Liam Jackson (two) left Blessington with too much of a hill to climb.  

Onwards march the Louth champions. They had the finishers to get them over the line on a demanding day for football in the Garden County.  

Ardee St. Mary’s: James McGillick; Éimhín Keenan, Donal McKenny, Tiernan Corrigan; Kian Moran, Páraic McKenny, Carl Gillespie; Seán Callaghan, Robert Leavy; Ciarán Keenan (0-3), Liam Jackson (0-2), Jonathan Commins (0-2); Conor Gillespie, Dáire McConnon (1-1), Tom Jackson (2-0).

Subs: Shane Matthews for C Gillespie (H/T), Tadhg McDonnell for T Jackson (59), Darren Clarke (0-1, f) for D McConnon (60+2), Jay Cawley for P McKenny (60+3).

Blessington: Rob Gilligan; Steven Bohan, Conal Gallagher, Aaron Curran; Kevin Hanlon, Jack Gilligan (1-0), Paul McLoughlin; Craig Maguire, Dan Cooney (1-0); Eoin Keogh, Curtis Geraghty, Jordan McGarr; Dan Silke Fetherston, Kevin Quinn (0-3, 2f, 1m), Mikey O’Connor (0-1, f).

Subs: Jack Cotter for C Gallagher (15, inj), Anto McLoughlin for E Keogh (H/T), Martin Shannon for C Geraghty (H/T), Stephen Carroll for K Hanlon (50), Adam Boland for D Cooney (59).

Referee: Patrick Maguire.