Cortown remain on course

Cortown.....1-16

St Mary'....2-4

Davy Rispin

Cortown made it back to back wins in the Premier Championship exacting some revenge on St Mary's from Sunday's Junior B encounter with a facile win on Tuesday evening in Cortown.

The hosts dominated the early exchanges with Elliot Reilly firing over collecting from Anthony Boyle following a fine delivery off Tornado Tommy Smith. The returning Jack Henry doubled Cortown's advantage with a superb left footed effort after 8 minutes.

Oisin Smith and Henry added quickfire points to continue Cortown's early momentum. Then the ultimate opportunist Conor Mulroe scooped and looped over a fine improvised point.

Raiding Jockey and make-shift corner back Luck Carberry was caught extremely high by Marys corner back and resident referee Paul Scanlon with Henry dispatching the free to make it 0-6 to 0-0 at the end of the opening quarter.

The games opening goal came af5er Tommy Smith's point attempt deceived the Marys netminder with the shot dropping underneath the crossbar and into the net. Marys did eventually get on the board inside 20 minutes with Kilcormac Killoughey native John Spain lashing over from close range.

The game entered a lull with no score for 10 minutes but Donegal's Anthony Boyle stopped the rot with a sweet point to leave Cortown coasting at the interval 1-8 to 0-1.

Marys got the perfect start to the second half with a beautifully innovative goal 2 minutes into the second half from Donal Fanning, brother of St Brigid's player Hugh. They quickly added a free to reduce the arrears to six.

However the Bomber Henry hit back with a superb strike off his cultured left boot. Oisin Smith just about notched another free for Cortown who had weathered the early second half onslaught.

Credit to the Donore side who continued to plug away, their first team manager Nicky Gogan the latest to add his name to their list of scorers.

A straight red card to Elliot Reilly was immediately punished with another from the visitors. Boyle responded in kind down the other riffling over from close range.

Shane Mooney rather bizarrely dished out a pair of black cards, one to Cortown's Conor Mulroe and the other to Marys Gogan. It was a strange decision to give Mulroe a black considered Gogan was attached to the Cortown man's leg like a mini Jack Russell Terrier.

The industrious Tommy Smith weaved his way across the field before unleashing a huge drive raising another white flag for Martin McGovern's side.

The travellers stole in for a second goal but Cortown's own Offaly representative Kevin McGuinness curled over in fine style at the other end.

Oisin Smith notched his fourth from an acute angle with a fired up Mulroe angling over a superb point shortly after his reintroduction from the black card to close out the scoring.

A controlled and measured performance for the most part for Cortown who made it two from two with victory. The returning Josh Keating was superb at corner back alongside Luck Carberry. Jack Henry marked his return to Cortown colours with four fine efforts whilst the evergreen Boyle bravely overcame a hamstring strain to roll back the years.

Cortown travel to Nobber on Saturday evening for a top of the table clash with the Deesiders knowing a win will almost guarantee a Final place.

Cortown - Butch Casserly; Luke Carberry, Daragh O'Halloran, Josh Keating; Ivor O'Halloran, John McGearty, Elliot Reilly (0-1); Kevin McGuinness (0-1), Decky Coyne; Tommy Smith (1-1), Oisin Smith (0-4 one free), Conor Mulroe (0-2); Conor Whelan, Jack Henry (0-4 one free) Anthony Boyle (0-3). Subs - Jack Finnegan for Casserly, James Costello for O Smith, Skipper Coyne for Whelan.

Referee - Shane Mooney (Dunderry)