Cortown 1-09
Kilmainhamwood 2-11

A profligate Cortown went down to a 5 point defeat to Kilmainhamwood on Wednesday evening in a balmy Cortown. It was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests and had Cortown taken one of their many opportunities, they ought to have even won this game.

The open exchanges were tight and hard fought with scores hard to come back. The sides traded points early on with Davy Rispin curling over following good work from Luke Carberry who was coming off a decent spin in Navan racecourse an hour earlier.
Cortown edged in front when the returning Sergeant Brían Smith scooped over the bar when goal was on his mind. Kilmainhamwood would respond in kind with the impressive Niall Conlon floating over.

Conlon would continue his scoring exploits in the second quarter hitting a further two in quick succession. Cortown lost Goalkeeper Ryan O'Rourke to an accidental collision with Johnny McGearty dropping back to between the posts and the exuberant Kevin Muldoon filling in at corner back. Despite the protests of Davy Dalton, Muldoon wandered forward and dished off to Rispin who clipped over.

A couple of fatal defensive lapses in as many minutes would prove costly as the visitors would crash in for two quickfire goals with the veteran full forward Russell scrambling home the latter.

The hosts showed their steel though and Leaving Cert student Ciaran Keating sent over a beauty  before Cortown got in for a much needed goal approaching the break. The Smith's linked up with Brían finding Tommy who's goal bound effort was stopped by Damien Russell but the former was on on hand to palm home as Brendan O'Brien called a halt to the proceedings after an inconsistent half from the man in the middle.

Cortown started the second half well and quickly reduced the deficit to 2 courtesy of a Rispin free a nice effort from Captain Smith.

The Wood would in turn reply with Conlon, Bennett and Big Gillespie in the middle to the fore along with the stylish Harry Corbally attempting to pull the strings from half back.

Despite carving out a series of decent opportunities, Cortown could never really reel the typically dogged hosts in although McGearty pinged a classy 45 to reignite hopes.

The big moment came some 10 minutes from time when a lung-bursting run from Luca Brady was unceremoniously stopped in its tracks by the raw Kilmainhamwood defenders. Despite it being a stonewall penalty, there was a degree of surprise when O'Brien did point to the stop. Tommy Smith stepped up and his well struck spot kick was expertly stopped by the evergreen Russell.

In many ways that summed up Cortown's evening even with Cormac Lindsay blasting over moments later, it wasn't to be for the frustrated hosts.

Cortown will look to get back to winning ways when they welcome Clonard next Wednesday evening.

Cortown: Ryan O'Rourke, John McGearty (0-1,45), Barry Canning, Mikey Rennicks, Stevie Clarke, Cormac Lindsay (0-1), Luca Brady, Hugh Staunton, Decky Clarke, Luke Carberry, Ciaran Keating (0-1), Ivor O'Halloran, Davy Rispin (0-4,2fs), Tommy Smith, Brían Smith (1-2).
Subs: Kevin Muldoon for O'Rourke, Odhran Henry for D Clarke, Daragh O'Halloran for I O'Halloran, Daragh Smith for S Clarke.

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