Cortown 2-16 Clonard 2-8

Not without a scare or two along the way, Cortown sealed their safe passage through to the last four of the Junior B Championship with a game to spare thanks to victory over Clonard in a sunny Bective on Saturday afternoon.

Playing into the road end in the first half, the North Meath started well with the returning Oisin Smith posting a couple of quickfire points in the early exchanges. The impressive Keelan Scott and Daniel Johns responded for the underdogs, but Cortown quickly struck for a couple of goals in quick succession. Hugh Staunton riffled in the first with Daragh O’Halloran bundling in from close range.

Clonard with the Scott’s and Justin Coyne to the fore responded well with a couple of two-point efforts on the trot. However further efforts from Charlie Smith and a brace from Jake Coyne on his Championship debut handed Cortown a 2-6 to 0-7 half-time lead.

The men in yellow started the second half well with scores from Coyne and Staunton extending the lead but a minute of madness brought Clonard back into contention. A sloppy turnover whilst on the attack eventually lead to the pacy Aaron Scott stealing in before finishing under Colm McGearty. From the resulting kickout, Clonard won possession and unleashed Eoghan Connolly who fired home to reduce the margin to just two points in the blink of an eye.

Cortown needed something to settle the nerves and Hugh Staunton provided it by plucking a kickout, driving forward and lashing over a terrific point. It was just the settler as Cortown went on to dominant the final quarter and seen it out well with further scores from Coyne, Oisin and Tommy Smith and substitute Kevin Muldoon.

A somewhat underwhelming performance overall for Martin McGovern’s side but a win nonetheless which ensures qualification with a game to spare. Cortown take on Kilmainhamwood in the final group game to decide who will go forth to the Semi-Finals as group winner.    

Cortown: Colm McGearty; Barry Canning, Decky Clarke, Gavin Clarke; Josh Keating, Ciaran Keating, Micky Costello; Luca Brady, Theo Staunton; Charlie Smith (0-1), Hugh Staunton (1-4), Elliot Reilly; Jake Coyne (0-4 one free), Daragh O’Halloran (1-0), Oisin Smith (0-5).

Subs: Kevin Muldoon (0-1) for G Clarke, Tommy Smith (0-1) for Costello, Markuss Watters for O’Halloran.

Referee: Gus Martyn (Dunderry)

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