Ardee St. Mary’s set for Leinster semi-final against St. Loman's

The AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final promises to be a thrilling encounter this Saturday as Westmeath champions St. Loman's Mullingar take on Louth’s finest, Ardee St. Mary’s.

Both sides have powered through their respective campaigns and are now just one step away from a coveted place in the final.

Ardee St. Mary’s continued their impressive run with a comfortable 2-9 to 0-8 victory over Rathvilly in the last eight. Both sides will arrive at the last four fixtures full of confidence.

On the other side, St Loman's demonstrated their class with a heavy 3-11 to 0-7 win over Castletown in the quarter-finals and showed the kind of firepower that will make them a dangerous opponent.

St. Mary’s manager, Cathal Murray, reflected on their quarter-final performance, praising his side’s ability to adapt and take their opportunities.

He said: “We are an attacking team. We’ll attack whether it’s the first minute or the last minute.”
For St Loman’s, TJ Cox continues to be their sharpshooter. His ability to create and convert scoring opportunities will be crucial as he finished with 2-3 on the scoreboard in their quarter-final against Castletown.

Ardee will look to Donal McKenny and company to continue their impressive form. The All-Star nominee has put in a brilliant performance in the quarter-final as he scored a goal and assisted another.

Teammate Tom Jackson who also impressed in the Rathvilly game could also cause trouble for the St Loman’s defence.
Ardee will fancy their chances of breaking lines and exploiting gaps as they did so effectively in previous rounds.

This is a crucial clash for both clubs and St Loman’s, with their history of success in Westmeath, will see this as another step in their pursuit of provincial glory.

For Ardee, this is a golden opportunity to go deeper than they ever have in the competition and showcase the fruits of their underage success on the senior stage.

Murray is confident his players can rise to the occasion, he said: “These lads have won underage titles and back-to-back championships in Louth. 

“They know the challenge but also believe in their ability to mix it with the top teams in Leinster.”

The match is shaping up to be an interesting battle with both teams eager to play expansive, attacking football.

If Ardee can maintain their defensive solidity and unleash their creative capability from all areas of the pitch, they might edge a thrilling encounter.

St. Loman's Mullingar vs. Ardee St. Mary's will take place on Saturday, 23rd September at Lakepoint Park, Mullingar at 1.30pm.