Ardee hold on to claim first Louth title since 1995

St Mary's 1-18 Newtown Blues 1-15

Ardee, St Mary's ended their 27-year wait to lift the Joe Ward Cup after another absorbing contest with Newtown Blues in the Louth Senior Championship final replay in Dowdallshill.

Four points from veteran forward Ronan Carroll got them over the line at the fourth time of asking after final losses in 2003, 2016 and 2020.

Nerves were aplenty in the helter-skelter finale that saw Ardee net-minder James McGillick called in action with a last-gasp save after Emmet Carolan rebounded home a penalty seconds earlier to make it a two-point game.

Carroll would be the totem pole of calm with a relieving catch in the middle of the pitch before finishing off the move with the last score of the game to ensure that there would be no extra-time and thus ending the famine.

The replay etched a familiar picture to the first day with Ardee opening the game with a goal. Last week’s goal-scorer Dáire McConnon this time turned creator. His run along the end line was cleverly spotted by Ciarán Keenan who took the ball at pace off the shoulder and finished a low shot to the net.

Conor Gillespie was Ardee’s only change from the last day out and he pointed quickly after the early goal. Again, similarities a plenty when the Drogheda side came back into to not only lead but take control of the final with five points in a row.

Even four times in the first half, the two sides were inclined to be drawn back alongside each other. With county man Ciarán Downey just nudging Des Lane’s side ahead at the interval, 0-09 to 1-05.

Despite trailing, Ardee kept up their noteworthy trend of starting halves at a rapid pace and that was the case again with four points in quick succession.

That key ability to score at an easier rate would be