O’Sullivan’s goal the catalyst as The Downs reach Leinster semi-finals
AIB Leinster Club senior football championship quarter-final: The Downs 1-17, Ardee St Mary’s 0-12
Meath champions Ratoath await The Downs in the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster Club SFC, after a goal from Kevin O’Sullivan helped The Downs to a comfortable eight-point win over Louth kingpins Ardee St Mary’s in TEG Cusack Park today.
Luke Loughlin was on fine form for the winners, and the Westmeath star set out his stall after 90 seconds with a great opening point. From there, Lar Wall’s charges took control of the game, with O’Sullivan netting after a fine move.
The Westmeath champions led 1-8 to 0-5 at the break, with Andrew Kilmartin and Loughlin among the scorers as The Downs’ brand of more direct football yielded results. Daire McConnon, Ciaran Keenan and Darren Clarke all found their range for the visitors, with McConnon coming close to a goal.
Dual player Niall Mitchell extended The Downs’ lead just 15 seconds in the second half, and another score for O’Sullivan moments later put them into a seven-point lead, and the Black and Ambers never looked in the slightest danger of being overturned at this juncture.
Luke Loughlin ended the game with five points from play, with two of his teammates also hitting hat-tricks from open play, wing back Conor Coughlan and Kilmartin in attack.
Kilmartin, teed up by Mitchell, missed a 49th minute goal chance, but at the other end, Ardee St Mary’s had their own chances, with The Downs ‘keeper Trevor Martin saving smartly from McConnon on 54 minutes, before the Ardee full forward rattled the crossbar in the closing minutes.
By then, The Downs were well and truly home and hosed, and they will head to Croke Park for the Leinster semi-final on Saturday week as they seek to replicate their achievement of reaching a provincial senior final in 1972.
Scorers – The Downs: L Loughlin 0-5, K O’Sullivan 1-1, C Coughlan, A Kilmartin 0-3 each, I Martin, N Mitchell (1f) 0-2 each, J Lynam 0-1. St Mary’s, Ardee: Conor Keenan, Carl Gillespie (1f), R Carroll, D Clarke (1f) 0-2 each, K Moran, Ciaran Keenan, D McConnon, D Matthews 0-1 each.
The Downs: Trevor Martin; Darragh Egerton, Peter Murray, Éanna Burke; Conor Coughlan, Mark Kelly, Joe Moran; Charlie Drumm, Ciaran Nolan; Andrew Kilmartin, Niall Mitchell, Kevin O’Sullivan; Ian Martin, Luke Loughlin, Jonathan Lynam. Subs: Dean Egerton for O’Sullivan (46), Dean Clarke for Drumm (50), Brendan Murtagh for Kilmartin (57), Dylan Carroll for Lynam (60 + 1), Jack Carroll for I Martin (60 + 2).
St Mary’s, Ardee: James McGillick; Paraic McKenny, Robert Leavy, Conor Keenan; Kian Moran, Karl Faulkner, Carl Gillespie; RJ Callaghan, Darren Clarke; Conor Gillespie, Ciaran Keenan, Liam Jackson; Shane Matthews, Dáire McConnon, Tom Jackson. Subs: Ronan Carroll for Matthews (h-t), Evan Malone for Leavy (h-t), Dean Matthews for L Jackson (41), Ryan Rooney for Clarke (51), Tiernan Corrigan for Conor Gillespie (57).
Ref: John Hickey (Carlow).