Carnaross 1-13
Cortown 1-18

Cortown recorded their first win of the 2026 Division 5 Football League campaign with a tremendous victory over neighbours Carnaross on Sunday morning.

It was the home side who started the better with Daragh O'Reilly and a Dermot McGee mark getting their side up and running. A Tommy Smith monster two-pointer and a superb Jake Coyne effort with the outside of the left then put Cortown in front for the first time.

Paddy Morris equalised to make it three apiece but McGee pointed a free to restore Carnaross' lead. O'Reilly doubled the 'Ross' advantage with a close range free to make it 0-5 to 0-3 to the hosts after 15 minutes.

A lingering Hugh Staunton shot then clipped the upright with Kian Fitzsimons following in to calmy slot home. Then a lovely interchange with the Staunton brothers resulted in Coyne curling over another.

The visitors had clearly found their groove with Hugh Staunton adding a brace of quickfire points from play, one off the right and one off the left. Coyne landed another exquisite score from the most acute of angles to extend the Cortown lead.

Luke Gillic stopped the rot for the home side but Fitzsimons quickly re-established the four point buffer for the men in yellow. Big Decky Clarke sprawled across the goal-line to deny Carnaross a certain goal with a magnificent outstretched save. Down the other end, Daragh Smith was bundled over with Coyne slotting the free to give Cortown a deserved 1-9 to 0-6 half time lead.

A Reilly point for the home team was immediately cancelled out by a Staunton free after the break. Fitzsimons kicked another outstanding score before a dubious McGee score brought the margin back to six.

Coyne then raided away down the left and pointing following more terrific play from Staunton. McGee added another couple of frees to his tally to trim the deficit to five.

Both sides were reduced to 14 with Paddy Morris and Luca Brady dismissed but Colm McGearty then landed a stunning two-point free to stretch the lead to seven.

The excellent Fitzsimons pointed with Theo Staunton slicing over a quality two-pointer with the outside of his right to open up a double-digits lead for Davy Wright's men.

John Reilly punished an error in the Cortown defence to goal with five minutes remaining bringing it back to six but Staunton settled any nerves with a free down the opposite end.

Late consolation points from Dillon Fox and McGee proved academic as Cortown scored a much needed two point to get off the mark.

Cortown: Colm McGearty (0-2 tpf); Micky Costello, Decky Clarke, John McGearty; Luca Brady, Stevie Clarke, Gavin Clarke; Decky Coyne, Theo Staunton (0-2tp); Ciaran Keating, Jake Coyne (0-5 one free), Daragh Smith; Tommy Smith (0-2 tp), Kian Fitzsimons (1-3), Hugh Staunton (0-4 two frees).

Subs: Aaron Smith for D Clarke. 

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