Jackson is hugely impressive as Mary's earn O'Donnell Cup shot through semi-final defeat of Geraldines

Cardinal O’Donnell Cup semi-final

Ardee St. Mary’s 2-19 Geraldines 1-15

The predictability of this, the second meeting of Ardee St. Mary’s and Geraldines in a matter of weeks, meant those who paid into Páirc Mhuire on Saturday night had little to get excited about.  

Whereas Mary’s had a spark whose blaze grew with their every addition off the line, Gers were anything but impressive in sinking to a morale-sapping defeat. Eamon Dunne’s wealth of managerial experience will now be put to the test as he bids to lift the Haggardstown side for their upcoming senior championship semi-final against Naomh Máirtín.

It was a role-reversal in many ways, Mary’s, in a similar fashion to how Gers negotiated their SFC last eight tie, having the look of winners from an early stage, with a sprightly trio in attack dovetailing beautifully with the more experienced Darren Clarke and Ronan Carroll on a perfect evening for football.

Tom Jackson, untypically placed at corner-forward, was a constant menace, while his brother, Liam, and Ciarán Keenan added weight behind their growing reputations. The half-time introduction of Mark Fay also proved a masterstroke as Gers never got a handle on his liveliness and ability to receive possession in space. 

Indeed, it was Fay’s goal that put the seal on a commanding victory once and for all, in spite of Matthew Corcoran raising a green flag for Geraldines in a subsequent venture forward.

As the teams left the fray, following exchanges of alternate proportions, the emotions were, of course, different. One wonders if it crossed Marys’ minds, ‘had we brought that performance to Dunleer a fortnight ago, would our fate have really been the same?’.

But, then again, a place in the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup final, their first of the decade, isn’t to be sniffed at. It possibly even trumps Gers’ berth in the championship’s final four given that, on this basis, they won’t be going beyond that stage.

There, Mary’s face three-in-a-row finalists, The Jocks, who are seeking to record just their second ever triumph. They’ll enter as underdogs, but if their offensive ruthlessness from seeing off Gers is transferred on to the decider’s platform the Deesiders have more than a chance of getting their hands on some silverware.

CONVINCING

The strength of their victory is best told through the game’s basic facts. Having conceded the opening point, to Gers midfielder Conor Rafferty, once back on level terms Mary’s never trailed again, with Tom Jackson’s neatly-taken, third minute goal a clinical score.

Jackson, a precocious talent with Louth U17 and U20 experience, made it a six-point game with his next register, a point, as the hosts passed the quarter-mark with a 1-5 to 0-2 advantage.

Twice Gers reduced the deficit to five as their forwards saw more involvement nearing the interval, but in the end they were quite fortunate not to be trailing by more than seven at the turn, 1-10 to 0-6, as all bar one of Marys’ attackers converted at least a point.

Of course, Gers were improved on play’s resumption, but were cut adrift by the time their upturn was measurable on the scoreboard following a series of Mary’s points, including the first of Ronan Carroll’s two sublime efforts.

Fay’s goal put 10 in the difference, 2-14 to 0-10, and while Gers recovered to half that, star man Jackson and Jamie Rooney concluded the scoring in favour of the winners.

Following weeks of reviewing Mary’s in high-profile affairs, this was the performance awaited. Can they do it again? One hopes so.

Ardee St. Mary’s: Alan McGauley; Conor Keenan, Donal McKenny, Kian Moran (0-1); Eimhin Keenan (0-1), Niall Eccles (0-1), Karl Faulkner; Robbie Leavy (0-1), RJ Matthews; Ciarán Keenan (0-2), Darren Clarke (0-5, two frees), Liam Jackson (0-1); Conor Gillespie, Ronan Carroll (0-2), Tom Jackson (1-3)

Subs: Paudy Clarke (0-1) for Matthews (24), Mark Fay (1-0) for Gillespie (HT), Barry McCoy for Eccles (49), Jamie Rooney (0-1) for D Clarke (56), Brendan Matthews for Moran (59), Evan Malone for C Keenan (60)

Geraldines: Seán McEneaney; Ryan Trainor, Daniel Corcoran, Paul Clarke; Gareth Neacy, James Craven, Fearghal McDonald; Matthew Corcoran (1-0), Conor Rafferty (0-2); Gerard Hoey, Shane O’Hanlon (0-2), Josh Arrowsmith; Dara Hamill (0-5, two frees), Jim McEneaney (0-5, two frees), Feidhelm Joyce (0-1)

Subs: Ben Mooney for Clarke (25), Shaun Callan for Arrowsmith (38), Michael Rogers for Hoey (47, BC)

Referee: Stephen Johnson (Glen Emmets)