Cortown 1-11
Dunsany 0-12

Cortown collected their first silverware since the 2014 Junior A Championship triumph by overcoming Dunsany in a nailbiting encounter on Friday night in Martry.

It was backs to the wall in typical Cortown fashion but a third quarter purple patch proved decisive for Davy Wright's side who found a way despite incessant late pressure from the men in red.

It was a cagey opening half with both sides evenly matched with little to separate them throughout the first 30 minutes. Dunsany with a slight breeze at their backs opened the scoring before Elliot Reilly responded for the team in yellow.

Jake Coyne then landed an impressive two-point free to put Cortown in front for the first time. Scores were hard to come by but Dunsany notched a couple of good scores in quick succession before Kian Fitzsimons slotted over. Tommy Smith slipped in Davy Rispin to give Cortown a narrow 0-5 to 0-4 half time advantage.

Playing in to the scoring goals in the second period, Cortown upped the ante quite considerably after the restart and blitzed Dunsany with 1-5 on the bounce.

Coyne notched a brace along with a second from Fitzsimons but it was Brían Smith's goal that proved crucial. A speculative two-point attempt from two-point Tommy Smith dropped short but his namesake managed to manoeuvre some space to squeeze home.

Rispin and a Coyne free completed the scoring sequence but the tide turned quite considerably thereafter with Dunsany rallying. A monster two-point free and several other scores clawed the dogged chasers ever closer.

Had it not been for some vital interceptions from Gavin Clarke, Barry Canning, Cian Madden and Daragh Smith along with a couple of terrific saves from Jack Finnegan it may have been different.

However Cortown just about weathered the storm with Coyne lofting over the insurance score following great play by substitute Cian Loughran just before Dunsany grazed the crossbar with the final kick.

A welcome boost to the Club with first silverware for some 13 years on the eve of the Championship. A proud Cortown Clubman Liam Keane representing the County Board had the pleasure of presenting the cup to Captain Jake Coyne.

Cortown: Jack Finnegan; John Reilly, Barry Canning, Gavin Clarke, Daragh Smith, John McGearty; Declan Coyne, Elliot Reilly (0-1); Tommy Smith, Jake Coyne (0-6 one two-point free, one free), Paudie Rennicks; Davy Rispin (0-2), Brían Smith (1-0), Kian Fitzsimons (0-2).

Subs - Cian Madden for McGearty, Markuss Watters for Canning, Conor Mulroe for B Smith, Conor Smith for T Smith, Micky Costello for Reilly, Cian Loughran for Rennicks.

Referee: Seamus O'Connor (Carnaross)

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