Ardee’s seventh heaven in Shield

ARDEE CELTIC 7 WOODVIEW CELTIC 2

ARDEE Celtic advanced to the knockout stages of the Kilmessan Shield in the most dramatic fashion on Sunday morning – as John Flanagan’s 90th-minute goal secured the five-goal win over Woodview Celtic they needed.

It took just three minutes for the home side to hit the front as James McMullen provided the cross for Darren Gaynor to head the Deesiders into the lead. He went close to doubling his lead 12 minutes later when he latched onto a John Flanagan ball over the top, but his volley was just wide of the target.

Dean Browne levelled for the Dundalk side when he found the top corner with a free kick on the edge of the area after a somewhat silly foul.

Colm Matthews then had to be alert to deny Woodview a chance to hit the front soon after, and it was the Ardee men who restored their advantage through Dean Gaynor after his brother Darren and Ciaran Clarke had shots blocked.

Moments later it was 3-1 when McMullen scored aa superb individual goal.

Darren Gaynor went close again, drawing a fine stop from Woodview stopper Padraig Gorman, and he then turned provider when he showed some good skill to create some space with a drop of the shoulder, and his cross across the six-yard box was turned in by Gareth Kane.

Just three minutes were on the clock in the second half when Dean Gaynor got his second of the game, cutting in from the lefta nd nutmegging two players before produced a confident finish high past Gorman.

The visitors were soon reduced to 10 men when Woodview’s centre-back Dean Mulligan was shown a second yellow by referee Charley Pierce after tugging McMullen’s shirt.

With 15 minutes remaining, Woodview made it 5-2 via midfielder Dean Hoey, meaning Ardee were left requiring two goals to progress further in the competition.

But they pressed on and achieved their target in dramatic fashion, with Dean Gaynor netting number six before Flanagan’s stoppage-time strike. ARDEE CELTIC: Declan Butler, Robbie Reynolds (Brian O’Connor), Colm Matthews (Shawni Dowdall), Fintan Clarke (Kenneth Thornton), Ciaran Clarke, John Flanaghan, Eddie Burke, Dean Gaynor, James McMullen, Darren Gaynor, Gareth Kane.

WOODVIEW CELTIC: Padraig Gorham, Dean Brown, Shea McArdle, Cian Myles, Daniel Mulligan, Dean Hoey ,Gavin Markey, Kyle Carroll, Dannan Killeen, Niall Macken (Dylan Thornton), Jason Myles.