FL Div 5: Cortown clipped by the minimum
April 20, 2026
Cortown's Luca Brady
Cortown 3-7
Duleek/Bellewstown 1-14
Cortown's winless run extended to four games, going down to the narrowest of margins to Duleek/Bellewstown on Sunday morning.
Cortown opened the scoring with a Kian Fitzsimons free after Jake Coyne was fouled. Duleek Bellewstown kicked the next seven points unanswered before Loman Lenehan fired to the net to hand his side a 1-7 to 0-1 half-time advantage.
The sides exchanged points at the beginning of the second half with Hugh Staunton pointing a free for the hosts. Cortown then struck their first goal of the day from the unlikely source of Kevin Muldoon following an excellent Fitzsimons assist.
A surging Staunton run yielded had a hard earned free which he duly converted to narrow the deficit to five. Sean Cadwell was then dismissed for the visitors following a reckless challenge on Muldoon.
Anthony Malone's team did muster the next three points to re-establish their eight-point lead. Quickfire scores from Fitzsimons (free) and Muldoon before the away opened back up a seven point lead with a breakaway score.
Jake Coyne picked off a superb score for the men in yellow. Duleek/Bellewstown responded before Coyne popped over a free to leave six between the sides with 10 to go.
A poor kickout from the team in black was intercepted by Fitzsimons who fed Coyne with the latter blasting to the net to leave just three between the teams.
The leaders looked to have sealed it with an insurance score but Staunton bundled in Cortown's third goal in stoppage time to leave the minimum between the sides. However time ran out with Duleek/Bellewstown hanging on to record their third victory in four games.
Cortown: Colm McGearty; Micky Costello, Decky Clarke, Barry Canning; Gavin Clarke, Stevie Clarke, Luca Brady; Daragh Smith, Ciaran Keating; John McGearty, Jake Coyne (1-2 one free), Kevin Muldoon (1-1); Tommy Smith, Kian Fitzsimons (0-2 frees), Hugh Staunton (1-2 frees)
Subs - Aaron Smith for J McGearty, Markuss Watters for D Smith, J McGearty for Canning, Smith for Brady, Brady for D Smith.
Referee: Peter O'Halloran (Drumconrath)
