Cortown 2-19
St Paul's 2-07

Cortown's win over St Paul's and Drumconrath's inability to beat Kilmainham on Thursday night ensured the former will join Dunsany in the decider of Division 11 in a couple of weeks.

And although they laboured for large periods, Cortown eventually extended in the second half to run out comfortable winners against a determined and typically robust Paul's outfit.

There was nothing to choose between the sides in the opening period with Paul's player/manager Jason Ruane twice rattling the back of the Cortown net courtesy of some excellent route one football.

The wind-assisted hosts were indebted to a hattrick of two-pointers to stay on terms thanks to a brace from two-point Tommy Smith and Kian Fitzsimons who is enjoying a fine debut season in the yellow and white.

The dogged visitors clipped over a couple of sweet efforts themselves with scores from Charlie Smith and a couple of Davy Rispin efforts ensuring parity at the interval 0-10 to 2-4.

Fresh from receiving the hairdryer treatment from selector Ivor O'Halloran at the break, Cortown upped the ante upon the resumption.

After conceding the opening score of the second half, the home side playing towards the scoring end of the ground gradually found their groove with quickfire points from Elliot Reilly and Rispin pushing Cortown in front, a lead they would never relinquish thereafter.

Smith and Reilly fired two goals opportunities over to extend the lead with Fitzsimons finally rattling the net for Cortown's opening green flag. It was Reilly who made a ferocious run through the heart of the defence before laying off to the centre forward who calmly slotted home to give his side a cushion.

Further scores from Rispin, Fitzsimons, Smith and substitute Cian Loughran had Cortown coasting entering the closing stages. Man of the people Stephen Fitzmaurice, sprung from the bench capped off the win with a close range finish following a terrific assist from Cormac 'Woolly' Farrell.

Later in the evening, news filtered through of Kilmainham's stunning upset win over Drumconrath by a solitary point, enough for Cortown to join Dunsany at the summit of the Division and set up an intriguing final date.

Cortown: Jack Finnegan; John McGearty, Daragh O'Halloran, John Reilly; Mickey Costello, Daragh Smith, Charlie Smith (0-1); Markuss Watters, Elliot Reilly (0-2); Conor Smith, Kian Fitzsimons (1-4 one free), Tommy Smith (0-7 two two-pointers); Davy Rispin (0-4 one free), Anthony Boyle, Conor Mulroe.

Subs: Aaron Smith for McGearty, Declan Coyne for Watters, Cian Loughran (0-1) for Mulroe, Stephen Fitzmaurice (1-0) for Boyle, McGearty for O'Halloran, Cormac Farrell for Rispin, Mark Watters for D Smith.

Referee: Peter Skelly (St Brigid's)

Tweet

Most Read Stories