Short-sighted clash of Leitrim games unfortunate says Ladies manager Jonny Garrity

The clash of Leitrim Ladies' crucial Lidl LGFA Division 4 Semi-Final against Fermanagh with Leitrim men's final Allianz NFL clash with Sligo next Sunday is both unfortunate and short-sighted according to Ladies team manager Jonny Garrity who feels disappointed that common sense was not applied to allow supporters attend both games.

With Garrity's Ladies taking on Fermanagh, a team he formerly managed, in Templeport GAA grounds in Bawnboy on Sunday at 2 pm in the Division 4 semi-finals and Andy Moran's team in what is virtually a semi-final in all but name against Sligo in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada at 1pm, fans will have to make a choice between which team they support.

Fermanagh themselves are in the same position with their promotion chasing Division 3 side facing Cavan in Kingspan Breffni Park at 2pm on Sunday and it is a situation that Garrity cannot understand: "There is no way around it at the moment given that they’ve fixed for the games for when they have particularly as the Fermanagh men’s team are playing at the same time as well so both counties will have that decision to make.

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"I think it is pretty short-sighted if I’m being honest, I don’t know if they had even thought of playing it as a slightly different throw-in time to allow people to go to both games or even thought about a double header somewhere. Look, short-sighted and disappointing for a lot of people who would have went to both but that is where we are at the moment and at times, there seems to be very little joined up thinking unfortunately."

With three Leitrim teams seeking to book their passage to their respective League Finals this week, Garrity feels disappointed that a common sense approach could not have been adopted to allow fans support the Leitrim teams: "We’re probably lucky in that there is not two but three teams in the county that are challenging in the latter stages of their national leagues and that is fantastic to see and well done to the hurlers and the footballers.

"We’re doing our bit but it is just disappointing that there can’t seem to be a common sense to ensure that the county can support all their teams but nevertheless, that is one of the things that is outside of our control and our focus will be on what we can control."

The Leitrim manager report a clean bill of health for his squad for Sunday and a full-deck to choose from, even if that is giving him selection headaches: "Full deck, everybody fit, everybody available and chomping at the bit to get playing. It has given us a huge headache trying to pick teams - usually when you are coming towards the latter stages of a national league campaign, you’d expect a few walking wounded and a few maybe not walking.

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"We’ve been extremely lucky and it is testament to the girls and the professionalism they’ve shown in looking after themselves, get rest when required, putting work in the strength & conditioning department - everybody is fit and raring to go and we’re delighted."

The excitement is definitely building up in the Leitrim camp ahead of the meeting with Fermanagh: "Any time you are in a semi-final, it is an occasion to savour but we’ll certainly be concentrating on our performance first and foremost and hopefully the result will give us something to savour when it is over and done with."

SEE WWW.LEITRIMOBSERVER.IE FOR MORE FROM LEITRIM LADIES MANAGER JONNY GARRITY AHEAD OF SUNDAY'S LIDL LGFA DIVISION 4 SEMI-FINAL AGAINST FERMANAGH