Abbeylara bowed out of the Leinster senior club championship after a second-half Ardee onslaught.
The sides were level at half-time with the Longford champions finding the net on two occasions. However, black and red cards in the second-half spun the game towards the Louth champions.
Abbeylara were two points ahead after eight minutes through Jason Kelly and a Ciaran Scanlon free. Ardee eventually opened their account through Shane Matthews from play.
Robbie Smyth traded points with Carl Gillespie as the sides were level three points each after 15 minutes.
Kian Moran put Ardee ahead, before Liam Jackson found the Abbeylara net. Ardee led 1-4 to three points after 20 minutes. However, Abbeylara responded as goalkeeper Cathal Gilligan couldn’t stop a deflected Robbie Smyth shot find the net.
Kian Moran and Carl Gillespie (free) gave Ardee a three-point lead. However, the Longford men were far from done. Ciaran Scanlon goal making it a level game at half-time, 2-3 to 1-6.
Indeed, the game swung against Abbeylara early in the second-half as Cathal Gilligan saw a black card. Jason Kelly saw a straight red in the first 10 minutes of the second-half.
That turned to be the turning point of the game as Ardee pushed on. Tom Jackson and Karl Faulkner grabbing the goals, while Kian Moran and Carl Gillespie tagged on further scores.
Robbie Smyth kept Abbeylara alive, but it was Ardee’s day who won out 3-14 to 2-8.
