Anti-climax for manager Karl Foley as victory eludes Leitrim Minors

A draw is better than a defeat but it was hard for Karl Foley to avoid the feeling that Leitrim had left victory behind them in Friday’s 1-8 to 0-11 draw with Sligo in the opening round of the Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

The Leitrim manager felt the Green & Gold could have won the game comfortably had they taken their chances: “Bit of an anticlimax there at the end. I thought our game plan worked so well, we got so many things right. We kept Sligo to 11 points, we knew they were going to go ultra defensive and play a running game at us and I thought defensively we were brilliant.

“We missed a few chances there at the end and we probably should have won it by three or four points. Take the goal chance inside that first 20 minutes and I’m sure we’d have gone on to win handsomely. But these things happen with young lads, we missed another chance up here in the first half but I am extremely proud of these young players, they gave us absolutely everything.”

Yet another kick in the teeth

THE LAST POINT

Friday’s display didn’t surprise the former Annaduff manager e as he is well aware of the talent in Leitrim ranks: “There is a good group here - I knew the minute I came into the job that there was talent here and we could work with it. It takes times to mould and getting them to do what you want them to do but we’ve done a hell of a lot of work in the space of four or five months and they’ve been brilliant. 

“You can see the work and effort they’ve put in there, I couldn’t be more proud to be managing them - an absolutely great bunch of young lads and hopefully we get our just rewards next Friday.”

As a native of Kilmore and former Roscommon Minor manager, next Friday is a big one for Karl as Leitrim travel to Dr Hyde Park to take on the Rossies and he hopes his charges can take what they learned from Sligo and apply it on Friday in Hyde Park.

“You have to look at it that this is the first time these lads have played championship football, we have played some really tough challenge games over the past couple of weeks and weren’t getting the rub of the green in them. I won’t say they were afraid to go for it but I thought they played so well in the first 20 minutes.

Stalemate as Leitrim miss two injury time chances to pip Sligo

LEITRIM 1-8 SLIGO 0-11

“We prepared them well, the management team has worked so hard with them and I’m happy we didn’t lose it but annoyed we didn’t win it. Hopefully we can learn from it and push on in the Hyde next Friday and be able to take on the Rossies in their backyard. I know them well of course, but they’ll be up for that, we’ll have them ready. All we can do is just keep doing what we’re doing.”

The return of St Mary’s Josh Maye was offset by an injury to Annaduff’s Kyle Russell while top scorer Paul Honeyman is also nursing an injury: “Great to see Josh Maye back, he only came back to training last Monday after being out for eight, nine weeks and he made a huge impact when he came on. 

“Paul isn’t firing on all cylinders, he is carrying a knock and we need to get that looked at during the week. One or two other things, Kyle Russell has a bad injury, he’ll have to assessed, we’re hoping it is not as bad as it first seems, he will be a big loss if we don’t have him next week.”