Dundalk were at home on Friday night to Ardee in the local derby in the McGee Cup!
Dundalk had a strong team out considering that both the firsts and seconds were playing away in Coolmine on Friday also.
Dundalk kicked off the game and Ardee came at them strong testing their defence, a bit of miscommunication resulted in Ardee getting the first try of the game!
Dundalk kept their heads and put Ardee under pressure but a return kick saw Dundalk back under pressure and a Ardee drop goal saw them strengthen their lead to 8-0.
Dundalk kicked off which was caught by blindside Daniel McGovern, quick ball allowed the backs put Ardee on the back foot and they gave away a penalty on their 5, a quick tap and go from scrumhalf put tighthead prop Smyth into space to create an overlap for right wing Gerry Lawless to score in the corner!
Ardee never gave up and applied more pressure and scored two more tries and another drop goal to strengthen their lead even more!
Still Dundalk didn’t give up some strong running from back row Thomas Thornton saw Dundalk make yards every time he had the ball. Outhalf Ray McCabe’s passing and running game was top class and opened up space for centres Mike Doyle and Rory Mcardle.
McArdle went over the line for a try late in the first half, followed shortly by one from McCabe and second row McCabe!
Dundalk and Ardee were only a few scores apart going into the second half and it started off pretty much the same as the first half with Ardee attacking strong but Dundalk holding strong in a scrambling defence.
Early in the second half Dundalk were reduced to 14, when fullback Eamon Roe was shown a yellow card for an incident in the try area after Ardee scored a try.
Ardee increased their lead with another penalty after indiscipline from Dundalk.
The 3rds never gave up and with some great interlinking play between forwards and backs seen Dundalk march up the pitch! Dundalk’s lineout was strong and the resulting mauls saw tighthead Smyth go over for his first ever try!
Again Dundalk went up the pitch, with McCabes boot pining Ardee back on their line! Another good line out saw the ball come out to the backs and centre McArdle skip pass a few Ardee men, a pick and go from back row Thornton saw him hand off two Ardee men to score a try.
Ardee as tenacious as ever never gave up and from a 5 metre penalty scored a try to lead by 5 they didn’t convert and left the scores 42-37 to Ardee with 3 minutes on the clock.
Dundalk knew they had to score a try to level the score.
From the kickoff Dundalk put Ardee under pressure and sure enough Ardee gave away a penalty. McCabe kicked for touch and from the resulting line out Ardee gave away a penalty, a quick tap and go and Dundalk shifted the ball to the right wing where winger quigley was high tackled, a quick tap and go from number 8 Christopher Brady saw him go past four Ardee men to score under the posts to level the game! With the last kick of the game outhalf Ray McCabe kicked the conversion for Dundalk to win the local derby 44-42.
The 3rds have a free weekend and travel to Drogheda next on Sunday the 1st of December to face Boyne.
