Cortown 2-15
St Mary's 2-12

In what was a dress rehearsal ahead of the Junior B Semi-Final on Friday week, Cortown struck first blood over St Mary's on Tuesday evening in the Junior All-County Football Championship Division 7.

Both sides produced a very entertaining contest, contributing 31 scores without a single two-pointer kicked.

St Mary's opened the scoring with an early brace but a free from Jake Coyne and Conor Mulroe restored parity. Mulroe fresh home from his honeymoon, spent most of the excursion in the gym preparing for this Reserve Championship.

The visitors struck the games first goal, veteran Robbie Callaghan on the mark for the Donore outfit. Oisin Smith responded for the home team with a well-taken point from following nice interplay by Mulroe.

Cortown then weighed in with a couple of excellent quickfire points from Coyne and Mulroe thanks to some superb work from Charlie Smith and Anthony Boyle in the build-up.

Moments later Jake Finnegan had to be alert to pull off an outstanding stop to deny Mary's a second goal. Peter Gogan did put the away team back in front before some industrious play from Elliot Reilly and Smith resulted in Mulroe equalising at sixs points apiece.

A pointed free and a fine long range effort play gave the side in green and red gave them a slender two point half time lead, 0-6 to 1-5.

Cortown made a blistering start to the second period with a goal and a point in double-quick time. The unlikely source of Micky Costello started and ended the move with Reilly making a darting run through the centre to engineer the chance for the corner back to palm home at the back post.

Boyle followed up with a fisted point to put Martin McGovern's men up by two. However Mary's hit back with 1-1 of their own, a superbly executed finish from James Lynch who was otherwise held brilliantly by the ageless Cortown Chairman David Coyne throughout.

It seemed to knock the hosts but crucial ppints Coyne (free) and Oisin Smith kept the home team just about interested. Another fine Coyne score seemed to spark a revival and substitute Ivor O'Halloran was dragged down inside the square for a penalty seconds later. Oisin Smith expertly dispatched to level the teams on the three quarter mark.

Stephen Fitzmaurice improvised in popping over the lead point with Smith cushioning over shortly after to make it 2-12 to 2-10.

Coyne landed a pressure free to make it a three point game before he and Costello with a point this time looked to have sealed the deal.

Mary's to their credit chipped over the next two to leave three between the sides deep into injury-time. Cortown had to throw bodies on the line later on to preserve the lead - Finnegan, Aaron Smith, Costello, Coyne and substitute Colm Tully all heroic in the closing stages to see it out. Charlie Smith and Reilly worked tirelessly in the middle whilst Mulroe, Smith and Coyne contributed 1-12 between them.

The win knocks Mary's out having been beaten by St Vincent's in the opening round. Cortown take on the Ardcath side this Saturday, already assured of another Semi-Final.

Cortown: Jack Finnegan; Gavin Clarke, David Coyne, Micky Costello (1-1); Markuss Watters, John McGearty, Aaron Smith; Elliot Reilly, Charlie Smith; Ryan Henry, Oisin Smith (1-3 one penalty), Anthony Boyle (0-1); Conor Mulroe (0-3), Stephen Fitzmaurice (0-1), Jake Coyne (0-6 four frees)

Subs: Colm Tully for Boyle, Ivor O'Halloran for Henry, Kevin McGuiness for Fitzmaurice, Odhran Henry for Mulroe, Conor Smith for O Smith.

Referee: Seamus O'Connor (Carnaross)

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