Cuala vs St Mary's Ardee LIVE score updates from Leinster club ...

Cuala have become the first club to win Leinster senior titles in both codes after a nervy victory over St Mary’s Ardee.

The Dublin champions appeared to be coasting when leading by 1-6 to 0-0 after 20 minutes, with Con O’Callaghan wreaking havoc up front, slotting three of their points while laying on the goal for Conor O’Brien in the 15th minute.

They pulled the lead out to eight points again in the second half but a black card for Eoin Kennedy as Cuala cynicism was punished this time, after they had rode their luck in that regard in their semi-final win over Tullamore, turned the game on its head.

Kennedy was sent to cool off for 10 minutes by referee Seamus Mulhare in the 46th minute, with Cuala leading 1-10 to 0-8, and though Niall O’Callaghan soon extended their lead to six, it was wiped out by two quick-fire Ardee goals.

Sub Ryan Rooney pounced for the first after Ryan Scollard fumbled Tadgh McDonnell’s point effort that dropped just under his crossbar, allowing Rooney to slap the ball to the net.

A minute later, Ardee were in again and Peter Callaghan finished coolly past Scollard to level it up.

Cal Doran and Luke Keating twice restored Cuala’s lead but Rooney levelled both times as he wreaked havoc off the bench.

In the thick of all that in a breathless finish, O’Callaghan had a goal effort blocked and Rooney missed a shot from a mark, his effort coming off the post, as he attempted to put Ardee in front for the first time.

O’Callaghan also missed an easy free by his standards but when Mick Fitzsimons earned another in injury time, in front of the posts on the edge of the D, Keating stepped forward to kick the winner, with Ardee sub Rónán Carroll then sending a late speculative effort wide.

It was heartache for Ardee, who looked to have all the momentum in the final quarter to make them the first Louth club to go all the way in Leinster, but Cuala did well to keep their composure at the finish to claim their first Leinster football crown to sit alongside the titles won by the club’s hurlers in 2016 and ‘17.

They’ll wonder how they got themselves into such a position, even allowing for the black card, having built such a commanding advantage early on.

Ardee were all at sea for much of the first half but finally got off the mark in the 23rd minute through a Ciaran Keenan free, their fifth shot at the posts. They quickly followed it up with a Jonathan Commins free and a third from goalkeeper Tiernan Markey and though Kennedy finished the half with a fisted point for Cuala to lead 1-7 to 0-3, at least St Mary’s had some sort of foothold.

They hung in during the third quarter but only really took off after Kennedy’s temporary dismissal. Ultimately, they came up just short in the end.

Cuala will go on to play the Connacht champions, either Coolera-Strandhill (Sligo) or Pearses (Roscommon) in the All-Ireland semi-final on the weekend of January 4/5.

CUALA: R Scollard; D Conroy, M Fitzsimons (0-1), E O’Callaghan; E Kennedy (0-1), C McMorrow (0-1), D O’Dowd; P O Cofaigh Byrne, P Duffy; C Dunne, C O’Brien (1-1), C Doran (0-1); L Keating (0-3, 0-2f), N O’Callaghan (0-2), C O’Callaghan (0-4, 0-2f).

Subs: C O Giollain for Dunne (37), M Conroy for Conroy (43), C Groarke for O’Brien (43), S Mangan for O’Dowd (57).

ST MARY’S ARDEE: T Markey (0-1f); T McDonnell (0-1), K Faulkner, E Keenan; J Commins (0-2, 0-1f), D McKenny, P McKenny; RJ Callaghan, S Callaghan (1-0); C Keenan (0-3f), L Jackson, K Moran; S Matthews, D McConnon (0-1), T Jackson.

Subs: R Carroll for Matthews (43), R Rooney (1-2) for Moran (43), C Gillespie for Commins (53), R Leavy for Callaghan (57).

REFEREE: S Mulhare (Laois).