St Paul's 3-12 Cortown 1-20

Cortown navigated their way through a storming St Paul's comeback to register their first victory in this year's Reserve League at Pace.

Cortown looked as if they were coasting to a facile victory only for a barnstorming finish from one of the mystical teams in Meath Gaa making the travelling North Meath side sweat on the outcome until the finish.

From the beginning, Odhran Henry won the throw-up with Kevin McGuinness slipping Jake Coyne in for the opener. Ryan Henry then doubled Cortown's advantage after some nice patient play.

St Paul's opened their account with a pointed free soon. However, Johnny McGearty restored Cortown's two point buffer with an expertly struck 45 and Micheal Reilly - Cortown's fourth ever man to play over 50 (after Barney O'Rourke Junior & Senior and John Henry) added his name to the scoresheet.

Conor Mulroe, operating on a shoot-on-sight policy, made it 0-5 to 0-1 with a close range effort 10 minutes in. The Paul's got within three after 15 with a well-taken score and followed that up with a pointed free as the men in blue grew in confidence.

A quickfire quadruple of white flags from Coyne, Mulroe and a brace from Henry opened up a six point lead for the visitors.

An in-form Henry added to his personal tally but the Old Flathouse men struck for a goal - thanks to a soccer-style finish from their corner forward who would rival any Premier League striker in terms of appearance or shapes.

Another sweet effort from the Saints had it back to four but Coyne restored some normality with his third of the evening. Indeed Coyne would shortly get his fourth, this time from a free from an acute angle. Conor Mulroe following good industrious play from Ciaran Keating eased into a 0-13 to 1-4 half time lead.

The home side started the second with the opening point but Mulroe cancelled that out almost immediately with a point of his own for Martin McGovern's men.

Coyne slotted over before Henry tucked home Cortown's opening major of the evening following some unselfish play from McGearty.

Paul's popped over a couple on the bounce but Henry punished Paul's indiscipline with a 13 metre free for descent. As the planes continued to fly past, so did the scores for Cortown with Elliot Reilly on target following a lung-bursting run and interception from Gavin Clarke in the early stages of the move.

The men in blue did orchestrate a second goal and a point to give themselves a glimmer at the three-quarter point of the contest. Henry notched another free and with the raging Bull Casserly unleashed in a pitch that is normally occupied by sheep, the veteran immediately turned provider for Mulroe to pop over.

The Paul's lashed in their third goal of the evening as belief grew they could pull off the Houdini act and reduce the margin down to two entering the closing stages.

The hosts did muster a late free and went for the goal to steal the win but the execution was off and the free miscued to the relied of the men in yellow who held on for a narrow victory.

Cortown: Jack Finnegan; Gavin Clarke, Theo Staunton, Davy Coyne; Ivor O'Halloran, Ciaran Keating, Elliot Reilly 0-1; Kevin McGuinness, Odhran Henry; Markuss Watters, John McGearty (0-1 one 45), Jake Coyne 0-5 one free; Conor Mulroe 0-6, Micheal Reilly 0-1, Ryan Henry (1-6 two frees).

Subs: John Reilly for D Coyne, Stephen Fitzmaurice for M Reilly, Declan Coyne for McGuinness, Declan Casserly for O'Halloran.

Referee: Sean Gahan (Ratoath)

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