JACFC Div 7: Cortown seal semi-final spot

Cortown's Stephen Fitzmaurice

Cortown 4-15 St Mary’s 2-07

Cortown qualified for a second Championship semi-final, this time with their reserve team producing an at times scintillating performance on Saturday evening to swat aside the challenge of St Mary’s.    

The hosts rattled in three first half goals to leave their stunned opponents out of contention by half time. In what was an even opening, scores from Cortown’s Jake Coyne, Elliot Reilly and Davy Rispin cancelled out early efforts from Robbie Callaghan, Joey Greene and Liam O’Neill Sheridan for the visitors.

Davy Wright’s team made their move halfway through the opening half with some direct football proving just the tonic. The evergreen Gary Coyne and the returning Trim Celtic star Brian Faulkner proving the beneficiaries registering three green flags between them in the space of five minutes.

Big bad Stevie Clarke on his return to competitive action booted over a two-pointer followed by further efforts from Coyne, Rispin and the ageless Stephen Fitzmaurice to give the home side a seemingly unassailable 3-9 to 0-5 half time advantage.

With Daragh O’Halloran rolling back the years with a vintage midfield display, Cortown scored their fourth goal of the second half. Faulkner was denied a hattrick but Rispin was on hand to stab home from close range.

Although no way back for the Donore/Rossnaree men, they did battle gamely throughout the second half to put some respectability on the scoreboard. Only some brilliant last ditch defending and a brace of excellent saves from Jack Finnegan, one from a penalty, denied Mary’s what would have been a couple of goals. They did however finally breach Finnegan’s goal with a couple of quickfire strikes with the home side laying off.

Cortown did eventually regain control in the latter stages with Clarke, Reilly, Rispin and a late brace of frees from Cian Loughran sealing the deal. The win sees Cortown advance to the penultimate stages of the competition and a home tie against Duleek/Bellewstown on Saturday week.           

Cortown: Jack Finnegan; Josh Keating, Barry Canning, John Reilly; Gavin Clarke, Stevie Clarke (0-3 one two-pointer), Micky Costello; Elliot Reilly (0-2), Daragh O’Halloran; Jake Coyne (0-3 two frees), Markuss Watters, Brian Faulkner (2-0); Davy Rispin (1-3), Stephen Fitzmaurice (0-1), Gary Coyne (1-1).

Subs – David Coyne for Coyne, Cian Loughran (0-2 frees) for Reilly, Mark Watters for Faulkner.