Impressive Leitrim cruise into League Semi-Finals

Leitrim stormed into the Lidl LGFA Division 4 Semi-Finals when they proved just too powerful and too clinical last Sunday in Echelon Aughrim Park for a Wicklow side who never threatened to repeat their championship victory of last year over a dominant Green & Gold side.

Goals from Laura O’Dowd and Ailbhe Clancy (2) were the exclamation points on an impressive victory that sets up a League semi-final meeting with Fermanagh on Sunday March 26, as Jonny Garrity’s side look to win promotion to Division 3.

Leitrim were always in control of this contest but there will be some small caveats as Wicklow played for long spells of the game with only 14 players as three of their players received yellow cards from Kildare referee Eoghan O’Neill and Leitrim made great hay when a player up.

Check out the Leitrim fans cheering on the Green & Gold in Aughrim - GALLERY

It was a mixed day for Leitrim fans in Echelon Aughrim Park on Sunday as the Ladies team booked their place in the Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 Semi-Finals while the Men's team saw their Allianz NFL Division 4 promotion hopes suffer a massive blow in a 0-15 to 1-9 loss. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was a busy man with his camera at both games, snapping shots of fans enjoying a rare Leitrim double header ..... see who you can spot!

Yet for all that, there was no doubting that the shock of the draw against Limerick the last day out has the desired effect because Leitrim were much more clinical, far more intense in the tackle and, most importantly, they never let their guard down as they kept the pressure on and never gave Wicklow a hint of the goal they needed.

Early on, it was tit for tat and the sides were level at four points apiece but once Wicklow’s Aoife Gorman was sin-binned, Leitrim took over as they went in with a 1-8 to 0-6 halftime lead.

Leitrim also suffered a sin-binning at this time, Mollie Murphy seeing yellow but two more yellow cards in the second half spelt the end for any hopes Wicklow had of mounting an unlikely comeback.

We had a quick start to the scoring with Michelle Guckian converting two frees either side of a Marie Kealy free inside the first three minutes. That start didn’t last as Guckian had a wide and Kealy missed two good chances before the Wicklow freetaker converted a second placed ball on 11 minutes.

Michelle Guckian is taken down for a penalty late on Sunday in Aughrim Picture: Willie Donnellan

Wicklow went in front for the only time in the game when Laci Jane Shannon scored from distance on 12 minutes but a foul on Leah Fox saw Guckian notch her third free of the game on 14 minutes.

Wicklow’s Sarah Delahunt had a bad wide as Leitrim regained the lead, a long ball to Guckian releasing Elise Bruen for a good point, although there was the brief hope the St Mary’s player would have gone for goal.

The ball did end up in the net, the Leitrim net, on 19 minutes when a long range shot was not dealt with but the score was disallowed for a push on a Leitrim defender. Marie Kealy tied the scored on 20 minutes but Wicklow suffered a blow when Aoife Gorman was yellow carded for a push, harsh it seemed but it may have been for persistent offences.

The dilemma of the scoring forward

THE LAST POINT

Ailbhe Clancy fired Leitrim in front but a good interception led to a long ball to Leah Fox who fired over. The lead was up to three point as Laura O’Dowd played a one-two with Guckian before pointing but Wicklow came back, Kealy converting a free after Murphy was sin-binned for a pull.

Niamh Cullen cut the gap back to a point with a well worked score but a brilliant run from Elise Bruen cut open the Wicklow defence. Her off-load found Clancy who launched a rocket at the Wicklow goal that keeper Ellen Griffin did extremely well to divert up and over the crossbar.

From the kickout, Leitrim won the ball back and quickly found Laura O’Dowd charging through in space and the Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins clubwoman made no mistake with a great finish to bottom right hand corner of the Wicklow net, leaving Leitrim with a 1-8 to 0-6 halftime lead.

Points from Guckian and Clancy frees got Leitrim off to a strong start in the second half but Wicklow responded with points from Elizabeth Burke and Kealy (free) but any hopes the Garden county had evaporated with a yellow card for Sarah Jane Winders on 13 minutes.

It didn’t help that Leitrim’s next score was a goal - a long ball to Vivienne Egan releasing Leah Fox who fed her clubmate Clancy and the Glenfarne woman’s clinical finish finished the game there and then.

Elise Bruen on the charge with the ball for Leitrim Picture: Willie Donnellan

Marie Kealy hit Wicklow’s last score with just over 11 minutes of normal time left but Leitrim kept the scoreboard ticking over with points from frees from Guckian and Clancy (2) while Wicklow keeper Griffin made a good save to deny Laura O’Dowd a goal.

A third goal did come from the penalty spot in added time - another pulsating Elise Bruen cut the Wicklow defence wide open. She found Michelle Guckian who looked certain to goal only for a heavy foul to knock the Kiltubrid woman to the ground. Penalty awarded with Ailbhe Clancy firing home, albeit not that convincingly, to finish the game off on a high for Leitrim.

Leitrim's promotion hopes suffer heavy blow as Wicklow hit five late points to claim victory

WICKLOW 0-15 LEITRIM 1-9

WICKLOW

Scorers: Marie Kealy 0-6, 6f; Elizabeth Burke, Niahm Cullen, Laci Jane Shannon 0-1 each

Team: Ellen Griffin, Megan Healy, Sarah Jane Winders, Roisin Byrne, Laci Jane Shannon, Lucy Dunne, Sarah Evans, Aimee Maher, Aoife Gorman, Sarah Delahunt, Niamh Cullen, Elizabeth Burke, Clodagh Fox, Meadhbh Deeney, Marie Kealy. Subs: Aoibhinn Dowling for Delahunt (52)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Ailbhe Clancy 2-5, 1 pen, 3f; Michelle Guckian 0-5, 5f; Laura O’Dowd 1-1; Elise Bruen 0-2; Leah Fox 0-1

Team: Michelle Monaghan, Jasmine Maye, Charlene Tyrell, Mollie Murphy, Rebecca Rooney, Kasey Bruen, Carla Le Guen, Megan McGovern, Aisling Quinn, Laura O’Dowd, Michelle Guckian, Ailbhe Clancy, Vivienne Egan, Leah Fox, Elise Bruen. Subs: Sarah Reynolds & Aoife Gilmartin for Murphy & Rooney (37); Siomha Quinn for Egan (52); Bronagh O’Rourke for Fox (58)

Referee: Eoghan O’Neill (Kildare)