Cortown 2-10 Clann na nGael 1-11

There are three things guaranteed in life; death, taxes and Cortown comebacks and the Cortown men produced their latest instalment into the scrapbook after a classic with Clann na nGael men in a showery Ballinlough on Friday evening. 

This was an enthralling local derby played at a tremendous pace throughout as it ebbed and flowed dramatically from start to finish. A massive crowd descended on the newly refurbished, fabulous Ballinlough grounds for the latest instalment of this sequel. The sides met 2 years ago in the first round of the Intermediate Championship when Cortown ran out comfortable winners on that occasion and whilst the two might be applying their trade in the Junior ranks this year, both have aspirations of returning to the Intermediate grade this year. 

Glen Loughran and David 'Skipper' Coyne were both injury doubts during the week but were both passed whilst the Athboy men were without the services of veteran Balrathboyne man Gary Woods who missed out through injury. Despite this, it was the Clann na nGael men who flew out of the traps in the early exchanges and raced into an early lead through county under 21 panellist Eamon Ó Donnchadha who opened the scoring with a fine effort. Indeed the young star was giving Cortown's young star Cormac Lindsay a torrid time of it in the early exchanges. Lover boy Lindsay was perhaps not fully tuned in after a hard day's studying (what he was studying remains unclear however). 

Caoimhin Griffin also opened his account and doubled the Athboy men's advantage soon after as Cortown struggled to settle. I suppose no better man to help Cortown settle but the evergreen King of the frogs Brian 'Butch' Casserly who backed up the "Impossible is nothing" saying when he pointed from what appeared to be an impossible angle. You'd have thought this would have woken the men in yellow up but it wasn't to be as County minor Luke Swaine prominent in midfield and Robbie Woods prominent along the sideline as always. 

Clann na nGael dealt Cortown a further blow 10 minutes in when some lacklustre and unconvincing defending was seized upon by the opportunist Darren Kelly, an adopted midfielder who seems to be flourishing in the advanced role. Another man who's still flourishing is the legendary Graham Geraghty at 44 years of age. The 1999 All-Ireland winning captain planted himself in front of the dangerous Cortown full forward line and was sweeping up effectively. Just how does he do it! Hair still as blonde as ever, right boot still as accurate and deadly as ever and still at the heart of everything for the Rath Cairn men. 

There was no let up from the Clann's as Aaron Ennis landed a beautiful effort with the inside of the right boot. Gradually though Cortown settled and Colm Kerrigan sprayed a beautiful cross-field pass and Davy Rispin collected and curled over from an acute angle to keep Cortown just about in touch. Glen Loughran edged Cortown ever closer as he exchanged a quick one/two with Rispin and he got the sufficient bend to land the point. 

Clann na nGael were by far the better side in the opening period and they continued to stamp their dominance all over the game as Kelly, Griffin and another monster from Ennis stretched the lead even further. Cortown did keep plugging away despite the battering they were taking and sergeant Brían Smith floated over after good work from Casserly and Kerrigan who narrowly avoided another nose bleed in front of the posts. The gap was reduced to 6 then as John McGearty scooped a ball up to Conor Gleeson and he defied his early season wheetabix leg problem to land a peach. Despite the late flourish, Cortown still had a mountain to climb with the Athboy men leading 1-8 to 0-5 at the interval. 

Mattie McCabe was faced with his biggest team talk to date as Cortown gaffer and he got stuck into his troops and Ragsie Matthews frantically dished out the Jaffa Cakes like they were going out of fashion! Athboy in comparison retired to the dressing as Geraghty and co endulged in some long-island ice teas. 

Cortown needed to produce something and they began the long road to recovery when Loughran hit a textbook score to keep the Cortown flame flickering. When Ivor O'Halloran ventured forward and picked out Rispin who turned and riffled over belief was growing and Johnny Henry and his ever growing group of Ultra's were finding their voices. 

All of a sudden lover boy Lindsay had got to grips with his young counter-part, Paddy Kerrigan and Skipper Coyne were winning breaks and half time substitute was starting to throw his weight around. Of course Faulkner a man with several roots in and around the Athboy area was like a man possessed raring to go running at defenders and causing absolute havoc!  

Clann na nGael were skinking quicker than the Titanic and Cortown were on fire at this stage and Geraghty was suddenly feeling his age all of a sudden as he hauled down Rispin who has since taken the poster of his childhood hero off the wall. Ryan O'Rourke pointed the free to continue to eat away at the rapidly extinguishing Athboy lead. McCabe then called for the one, the only, the Bronzed Adonis, Davy Wright. As graceful as a swan, the ever bronzed Wright jumped up off the deck chair, swapped the flip-flops for football boots and threw on a jersey and on he came. 

Ennis just about kept things in tack for the leaders but it was a backs to the wall job especially when O'Rourke pointed a routine free after the Adonis and Skipper Coyne combined to earn a free. The drama was yet to unfold though as O'Rourke dropped a free short and a disastrous mix-up between Clann keeper Aaron 'Bull' Ryan and Geraghty gifted Brían Smith a tap-in and suddenly there was a point between the sides. 

Cortown were absolutely rampant and roared on by a partisan crowd, there was yet more to follow as a second long ball into the area was once again met by that man Smith who fisted terrifically to the back of the net to leave the Athboy men shell-shocked. The way the ball fell twice to Smith in a minute in that position was almost like faith and after the week Brían and his brother have had who'd argue it. The brothers tragically lost their cousin Cormac Murphy who was involved in a horror car crash and passed earlier in the week. However, there was no doubt Cormac was looking down and contributed to the goals and the comeback as much as anyone. 

Smith wasn't the only inspired man, indeed there was 15 inspired men in yellow and Faulkner just had to have a say. A rushed kick-out from Ryan landed perfectly into the hands of Faulkner who ducked and dived and then split the posts with an exquisite effort with the outside of his right boot and the roar that greeted the score was unbelievable and it echoed all the way to Australia as a buoyant Tommy Smith woke. 

Of course it was an anxious final few moments not only for Cortown but for popular publican George Plunkett who was interesting onlooker. No doubt Plunkett was praying to the heavens that the Cortown men could hold out to ensure a busy Friday evening in the Blackwater Inn. There was one more final heart in the mouth moment when Ó Donncha launched a long delivery into the danger zone but thankfully it just cleared the crossbar and as Seamus O'Connor sounded the final whistle it was sheer ecstasy for McCabe's.

The Meath Chronicle questioned Cortown's "staying power" during the week, perhaps they may need to rethink that statement as Cortown produced a statement of their own in stunning the Championship favourites in what can only be described as a timeless classic between two sides who gave it everything and left it on the pitch. The contrast in emotions summed up what championship football is all about and don't be surprised if you see these two heavyweights meet again in the latter stages of the competition. Cortown have laid down a marker and everyone knows at this stage that Cortown will be hard bet!!

Cortown: John McFadden, David Coyne , Paddy Kerrigan, Ivor O'Halloran, Conor Gleeson (0-1), Daragh O'Halloran, Cormac Lindsay, Brían Smith (2-1), Richie Flanagan, Colm Kerrigan (0-2,1f), John McGearty, Ryan O'Rourke (0-2fs), Brian Casserly (0-1), Davy Rispin (0-2).

Subs: Brian Faulkner (0-1) for McGearty, Davy Wright for Casserly, Declan Clarke for Flanagan (BC). 

Referee: Seamus O'Connor (Carnaross)  

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