JACFC Div 7 semi final: Cortown confirm final destination

Cortown's Cian Loughran

Cortown 4-20

Duleek/Bellewstown 1-15

Cortown secured a second reserve team final of the season, this time in Championship following an emphatic home victory over Duleek/Bellewstown on Saturday evening.

It was far from a straightforward assignment for the hosts despite the final score as Duleek/Bellewstown dominated large periods of the opening half and lead by six points midway through the opening period. With a stiff breeze at their backs, the visitors demonstrated their two-point pedigree kicking a half dozen in the opening 30 minutes.

Cortown’s slow start was no doubt of huge concern to both the management and large home crowd who congregated to watch their side on their home patch for the final time this year. However, with time ebbing away in the first half, a late flurry of scores from Elliot Reilly, Cian Loughran, nephew Jake and uncle Gary Coyne did help to reduce the half time deficit to a more manageable three points, 0-9 to 0-12.  

With the sound of Davy Wright and in particular the distinct Ivor O’Halloran still ringing in their ears, the men in yellow aided by a couple of half-time substitutes came out a side rejuvenated in the early stages of the second half.    

Early second half scores from Reilly, Jake Coyne and Loughran had Cortown back on terms minutes after the resumption. The veteran Coyne then found the net for Cortown following neat link-up play with half time sub-Brian Faulkner. It was the same combination shortly after with the Trim Celtic star dispatching a second goal from close range.

All the momentum and good fortune had turned firmly in Cortown’s favour as Jake Coyne adjudged to have notched a dubious two-pointer and Faulkner got his second goal following a wicked deflection off a Duleek/Bellewstown defender.

With Daragh O’Halloran solidifying the defence and Josh Keating and Barry Canning excelling, Cortown continued to dominate with a brace of two-point frees from Cian Loughran and Theo Staunton, the latter from 50+ metres out.

Duleek/Bellewstown did continue to plug away and ruined Stephen Fiztmaurice’s clean sheet with a bullet shot which ended up in the net. It was inconsequential for a rampant Cortown though who got their fourth goal on the counter thanks to Davy Rispin who collected and finished from Gary Coyne’s centre.

Wright emptied the Cortown bench with unlimited substitutes permitted to give everyone a taste of the action ahead of next Friday’s decider against Nobber as his signed off in style with late scores from Loughran, Rispin and a Conor Mulroe brace.

Cortown: Stephen Fitzmaurice; John Reilly, Barry Canning, Stevie Clarke; Josh Keating, Theo Staunton (0-2 two-point free), Gavin Clarke; Elliot Reilly (0-3), Declan Coyne; Jake Coyne (0-3 one two-pointer), Markuss Watters, Conor Mulroe (0-2); Davy Rispin (1-1), Cian Loughran (0-7 one two-point free, three frees), Gary Coyne (1-2).

Subs – Daragh Smith, Daragh O’Halloran, Brian Faulkner (2-0), Micky Costello, Aaron Smith, Brian Casserly, Mark Watters, Micheal Reilly, Cormac Farrell, David Coyne.  

Gabriel Patterson (Kingscourt)