Cortown 2-11
Meath Hill 0-16

Cortown opened their Junior C campaign with a nail-biting one point win over a gutsy Meath Hill side on a sunny Saturday evening in Martry. The game scheduled for a 6.00pm throw-in didn't start until 6.15pm.

The sides traded points in the opening exchanges with the veteran Butch Casserly raising the white flag with what's become a trademark turn and kick over his shoulder after good work from Brian Faulkner. The injury-strickened Faulkner who has had a long road back is a welcome return and he kicked a wonderful point with his weaker left boot after terrific work from the corner back, Micky Costello.

Cortown were finding Meath Hill a tough nut to crack but they got in for a welcome goal when the tank Mervyn O'Brien put the head down and went with the ball, he eventually dished off to Declan Clarke who in turn found the Butch who played an exquisite ball into Conor Whelan who took it in and finished beautifully. It had the big Cortown crowd purring in appreciation of a wonderful team goal.

Cortown didn't push on and Meath Hill just wouldn't go away. They kicked three points on the spin that left the 'Special One' dizzy. Cortown stopped the rot eventually as Davy Wright who was quietly having an affective afternoon got a free which the free kick king Stephen Fitzmaurice stuck away with minimum fuss. Cortown seemed to be hitting their stride as the icon Casserly hit a peach from distance. Then the hard working Conor Mulroe who is being shipped off to England today was fouled and Fitzmaurice got his second pointed free in quick succession.

Meath Hill replied briefly but there was no stopping the Cortown juggernaut as the inspired wing back Tomas Brien came storming in and he was taken out of it inside the area and up stepped Fitzmaurice who dispatched the penalty kick emphatically into the top corner. Cortown tails were firmly up and after a patchy start the midfield duo of Declan Coyne and Martin Henry began winning plenty of ball and feeding the forwards who looked deadly. Wright fed Faulkner who found the sufficient curl to raise another white flag. Mulroe got another assist as he found Whelan who thundered over another point.

Meath Hill got it back to six point deficit just before the break but the Cortown defenders spearheaded by the experienced duo of Skipper Coyne and man mountain Mervyn O'Brien were dominant. T

At the break Cortown lead by 6, 2-7 to 0-7.

Shooting down the infamous Martry hill in the second period it looked like it was going to be cakewalk for the men in green after a magnificent passage of play eventually saw Fitzmaurice get his first from play with a fine effort. Meath Hill got a well needed point before one of the youngsters Whelan got his second point after some great foraging from the Cortown forwards.

Incredibly this was as good as it got and Meath Hill hit a quite extraordinary purple patch kicking six points in a row which had Cortown clinging onto a one point lead for dear life as the initiative was firmly with the men from the mountains who looked fit and sharp under the experienced Tony Kearney.

Despite six points in a row you'd have to give great credit to the Cortown backline who were hurling themselves at absolutely everything and they got a much needed point when Wright was fouled and Fitzmaurice tapped over from 14 yards. Meath Hill just wouldn't give in and another point from the men in blue got it back to one. The insurance score came from the fantastic Fitzmaurice who turns 33 today but he rolled back the clock with some textbook points and a monster free from 45 metres was enough to ensure victory despite a late Meath Hill rally.

Just like the Intermediate team last weekend, it was a morale boosting win for a team who hadn't won a league game going into this game. Many of the players have surely played their way into the thoughts of the management team ahead of next Friday's game against Nobber in the Intermediate championship. Jose Rennicks gave a cool fist pump at the end and his troops can look forward to a second round date with Ballivor in two weeks. O'Brien and Brien were excellent in defence whilst Fitzmaurice, Whelan and Cassserly contributed 2-9 of Cortown's 2-11 tally.

Cortown: James Costello, Michael Costello, Mervyn O'Brien, Cormac Lindsay, Declan Clarke, David Coyne, Tomas Brien, Declan Coyne, Martin Henry, Brian Faulkner (0-2), Stephen Fitzmaurice (1-5, 1 pen,4fs), Conor Mulroe, Conor Whelan (1-2), Brian Casserly (0-2), David Wright.
Subs: Daragh Smith for Whelan, Ryan Henry for Henry.

Tweet

Most Read Stories