Ardee St. Mary's 0-15 Naomh Mairtin 1-11 Ardee St. Mary’s made it back-to-back Louth senior titles with a one-point win over Naomh Mairtin at St.
Brigid’s Park Dowdallshill.Having trailed by as much as seven in the opening quarter, the holders held their nerve to retain the Joe Ward cup by the slenderest of margins.The showpiece ended in a wonderful layer of tension only county finals possess.
With the game going scoreless in the final eight minutes of nerves.Former champions Naomh Mairtin failed to equalise on two occasions down the stretch and proved to be the difference.Immense on the day, Sam Mulroy pulled a free and Ardee goalkeeper James McGillick took a ball off the line with the game final play.If the second half was hanging by a thread the opening stanza was entirely different.
Despite playing in their fifth final in six seasons, the Monasterboice outfit went into the final as underdogs.However they got the perfect start when Mulroy created a goal for Evan Whelan after 11 minutes of action.