Cortown save Div 5 status
Cortown ....................0-15
Seneschalstown........ 0-11
In situations like these you always know that Cortown will be hard bet. That's what transpired in Bective on Thursday evening as Martin McGovern's charges condemned Seneschalstown to a second League relegation of the year as they lost their FL Div 5 status to add to their drop from Div 1.
The sides exchanged points in the early stages with Tommy Smith opening the scoring for Cortown followed immediately by an Owen Mullen equaliser for the Furze.
A fortunate Daragh O'Halloran point was followed by a Hugh Staunton free that helped Cortown into a two-point lead with the breeze at their backs. A Ciaran Keating free make it 0-4 to 0-1 at the end of the opening quarter to a Cortown side seeking their third consecutive win.
Seneschalstown reduced it to two before a fine individual score from Elliot Reilly restored the three point lead. A monster Sean Commons two point free was cancelled out by an equally impressive effort by Cortown netminder Colm McGearty.
Staunton, Keating and Brían Smith added points to continue the forward momentum for the men in yellow. Brían Smith got his second of the evening curling over following lovely interplay by O'Halloran and Staunton in the build-up play to leave the men in yellow 0-11 to 0-5 up at the break.
Seneschalstown's second string called upon John Smith at the break, son of the legendary Cortown midfielder Franko with John coming up against cousins Brían and Stevie.
The wind-assisted Yellow Furze side hit the first score of the second period thanks to a Commons two pointer. Tommy Smith hit back to make it a five-point gap once again.
The game entered a patchy stage with both sides reduced to 14 men for two separate incidents as things heated up in this survival of the fittest clash.
The Smith's - Tommy and Brían - found the range with successive scores as Cortown pushed for home. The defensive effort was nothing short of phenomenal with Barry Canning, Decky Clarke, Gavin Clarke and Josh Keating all excelling in the closing stages.
Seneschalstown missed a penalty with the last play in an attempt for a late consolation but it wasn't to be.
Relief for Cortown, who are hitting form at just the right time of the season with the Championship opener against Eastern Gaels on Saturday week.
Cortown - Colm McGearty (0-2); Gavin Clarke, Decky Clarke, Barry Canning; Josh Keating, Stevie Clarke, Ciaran Keating (0-2); Theo Staunton, Luca Brady; Elliot Reilly (0-1), Hugh Staunton (0-3), Charlie Smith; Tommy Smith (0-3), Daragh O'Halloran (0-1), Brían Smith (0-3). Sub - Micky Costello for S Clarke.