Donaghmore/Ashbourne 0-9 Cortown 3-10

Cortown kept their hopes of a Semi-Final spot in this year's Premier Championship very much alive with a superb 10 point win in a balmy Ashbourne on Thursday evening. 

Travelling without a plethora of regulars, the visitors produced clinical second and fourth quarters to sweep aside their hosts along with three first half goals. 

The teams traded blows in the opening exchanges with a brace of scores from Davy Rispin and a right footed effort from Conor Mulroe nudging Cortown into a marginal lead. 

Then came a goal-blitz as the men in PURPLE put together an emphatic 15 minute salvo which yielded 3 really worked goals. The first arrived with a cross/shot from Colm Kerrigan found King of the Frogs Butch Casserly close to goal. The frog spawned and the ageless Casserly blasted to the net at the second time of asking. 

The second came when a sweeping Cortown move resulted in the Frog being bundled over in the square and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Mulroe stepped up and with the help of the inside post he placed his kick to perfection. 

The third was a thing of beauty with the tireless Tommy Smith raking a ball inside to Rispin who dished off to the onrushing Kevin McGuiness who briefly left pedestrian pace to riffle the ball to the roof of the net for a terrific finish. The Moore's, rattled as they were, rallied towards the end of the half and rattled off 3 consecutive scores to keep them in touch at the break, 0-6 to 3-3. 

Donaghmore Ashbourne kept their momentum going early in the second half as they rattled off another 3 in a row to narrow the deficit to just a one score with Cortown masters of their own downfall to a large extent. 

Thankfully the tide turned though and Cortown assumed control again with McGuiness nailing a couple of crucial frees. It was just the tonic for the absent management duo with Interim manager Kenny Henry taking the reigns for the night. 

Rispin claimed a mark from an acute angle before the Faithful McGuiness sailed over another to reassert Cortown's control on the contest. Cortown were dominant now and with the youth of Ciaran Keating pitting with the experience of the Timeless 46 year old John Casserly entering the fray, Cortown were cruising. 

Rispin added a free before McGuiness struck another. Substitute Keating announced his arrival in style with a fisted effort to close the game out in comfortable fashion. Netminder Jack Finnegan managed to maintain his clean sheet following a tremendous last minute stop to deny the home side a late consolation. 

Cortown move into the Top 4 following the win with a Semi-Final spot within reach knowing that one win from their final two games against Curraha and Trim ought to be enough. Another really strong team performance with the youngsters Josh Keating, Charlie Smith, Theo Staunton and Butch Casserly continuing to excel. 

Cortown: Jack Finnegan, Declan Clarke, Mickey Costello, Josh Keating, Charlie Smith, Stevie Clarke, Theo Staunton, Decky Clarke, Tommy Smith, Conor Mulroe (1-1,1P), Kevin McGuiness (1-4, 2fs), Kevin Muldoon, Davy Rispin (0-4, 1m,1f), Butch Casserly (1-0), Colm Kerrigan. 

Subs: Ciaran Keating (0-1) for Mulroe, John Casserly for Muldoon, Jammie Costello for Casserly. 

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