Carnaross kept their promotion hopes alive after a hard earned narrow victory in a tight, tense affair in Cortown.

Carnaross 1-11 Cortown 1-10

A League (Division 3)
Played in Cortown – 20/5/2018

The visitors played the first half with the aid of a strong breeze but struggled to use this advantage at times. Both sides traded points for the opening 10 minutes as Cortown fired over three points while Dermot McGee kept Carnaross in touch with a pair of long range efforts from the wing. Carnaross then took the lead as John Brogan poked home a loose break from close range after a fine team move sparked by an enterprising run from his brother Liam.

Cortown kept their composure and went back down the pitch to add a point which was followed up by another from McGee. The game then swung in Cortown’s favour as they capitalised on a free kick which dropped short to punch the ball in to the Carnaross net. The home side were in a strong position with a one point lead despite playing against the wind. However, this proved to be the last time Cortown would lead as Carnaross rallied before half time with a point from McGee and three in a row from Patrick McDermott to leave them leading 1-07 to 1-04.

The second half turned into a war of attrition as Carnaross attempted to hold the dogged home side at arm’s length. Both sides relied heavily on free kicks during the second half as each of them scored three points from placed balls in the first 15 minutes, McGee and McDermott converting for the visitors. Carnaross managed to get the upper hand around midfield as Killian Porter picked up several breaking balls and launched attacks from these. Cortown were then dealt a blow as they had a defender sent off for a second yellow card offence.

Cortown added two points and continued to press for the win until the final whistle but McGee capped an impressive display with a pointed free to leave Carnaross with a one point lead at full time on a score line of 1-11 to 1-10. The win leaves Carnaross in third place with a chance of gaining automatic promotion leading into the last three games.

Carnaross: Shane McNiffe, Peter Carpenter, Ian Donoghue, Jack Roche, Sam Reynolds, Cian O’Reilly, Liam Brogan, Dermot McGee (0-7, 3f), Tomás Plunkett, Niall McDonnell, Cormac O’Reilly, Patrick McDermott (0-4, 3f), John Brogan (1-0), Stephen Flattery. Subs: Dillon Fox for Cormac O’Reily, Declan Reilly for Dillon Fox, Thomas Nugent for John Brogan, John L McGee for Patrick McDermott