Improved Leitrim left frustrated by Mayo

Another frustrating if improved performance from Leitrim in the Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship on Friday night as the Green & Gold were left ruing missed chances, including a penalty, as a more clinical and calmer Mayo prevailed in an entertaining contest in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

The four point loss to Mayo coupled with Roscommon’s 0-17 to 0-8 win over Sligo means that Leitrim’s interest in the Connacht A series is over with a game still left to play as Karl Foley’s side will go into the Connacht B Final for a second successive year, this time against Sligo.

After failing to fire last week in Hyde Park, this was a different Leitrim team as they took the game to their highly rated performance and when they look back on this game, they will have huge regrets, particularly a missed penalty in the first half that might have seen them take control against the visitors.

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Maybe it was the lack of expectations against a fancied Mayo or maybe it was simply a reaction to the underperformance against Roscommon but this was a much improved showing from the Green & Gold as they fought with an aggression and focus that was missing last week.

Truth be told, Mayo had an ease on the ball and a spread of scoring threats that Leitrim couldn’t cope with and there was no doubting that the visitors were the better side, their pace in all sectors of the field causing Leitrim enormous problems. And while they were worthy winners, there was no doubt that they had to work for it.

Leitrim played with an aggression that was right on the edge and they benefited from a touch of leniency from referee Brendan Healy. But with strong performances from Colm McLoughlin, Paul Honeyman, Josh Maye and Brian Keaney, there was no doubt that this was Leitrim’s best and most consistent performance of the campaign.

Where the game got away from Leitrim was not in extravagant wides, neither side was overly guilty in that regard, but more in the way Mayo took control in the third quarter, turning a two lead into an eight point one as Karl Foley’s team struggled to cope with a realigned Mayo defensive structure.

In the first half, Mayo had gone man to man, leaving room for Maye & Honeyman to cause havoc any time they got the ball but in the second half, they closed the space in front of the front line duo and the game slipped away from the Green & Gold.

Credit Leitrim’s battling spirit - they lost Maye to a shoulder injury but a palmed goal from Honeyman and a point from sub Ruairi O’Rourke got the gap back to a point. Credit too to Mayo who reeled off three unanswered points to go seven clear again before a late rally closed the gap to four at the final whistle.

Frustration has got to be the overriding emotion for this Leitrim team as they led a victory slip from their grasp in added time against Sligo before Roscommon sunk them with a late goal blast while missed chances will again weigh heavily on the mind here.

A long ball from the throw-in up to Paul Honeyman briefly had a goal on for Leitrim after just 15 seconds before Josh Maye fired over the bar. Mayo corner-back James Lavelle popped up to see his low shot tipped over the crossbar by keeper Sean Carolan Morris on two minutes.

Mayo went in front after an off-the-ball foul allowed Tom Lydon fire over a free but Leitrim were level when Honeyman found an unmarked James Gilheaney from a free and the Fenagh lad fired over on four minutes.

Mayo almost goaled on five minutes, Colm Lynch waltzing through the Leitrim defence only for Carolan Morris to make an excellent save with Lydon grabbing the rebound to fire over. A minute later, Mayo put together a superb move involving four to five players and multiple inter-changing passes before Darragh Beirne pointed.

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An off-the-ball foul on Honeyman allowed the Ballinamore man to fire over a seventh minute free before Beirne restored the two point gap on 11 minutes. Mayo keeper Conor Meaney got down well to divert an Adam Gethins shout out for a fifty that was converted by Carolan Morris.

The sides were level on 14 minutes when good work from Dessie Wisely and Brian Keaney set up Honeyman for a fine point and it seemed the game was taking a definite Leitrim turn when a high ball into the Leitrim captain saw him win the ball under a strong challenge that was judged to be too strong by the referee, a penalty awarded after his initial shot hit the crossbar.

Honeyman lined up his shot and sent the Mayo keeper the wrong way but unfortunately, his shot hit the post and went out for a goal-kick. Leitrim did take the lead with a Honeyman free three minutes later.

Paul Honeyman sees his first half penalty on its way to strike the woodwork Picture: Willie Donnellan

However, the game took a decisive turn when Mayo exploited slack marking out on the left wing, finding Colm Lynch in space and he buried a great shot in the Leitrim net. Beirne and Jamie Clarke fired over points as Mayo went four clear approaching halftime.

Leitrim got a fortunate decision when a clear foul on Mayo midfielder Tiernan Egan saw him lose the ball and the counter-attack led to a fine point from Josh Maye. His St Mary’s teammate Brian Keaney added another in added time as Leitrim trailed 1-7 to 0-8 at the halftime interval.

Mayo came out with a much better defensive structure in the second half but that didn’t stop corner-back Lavelle from scoring his second point less than a minute into the second half. Tom Lydon played a one-two with Jamie Clarke to fire over two minutes in before an eighth minute Honeyman free cut the gap back to a goal.

Leitrim had lost Josh Maye to injury at this stage, Ruairi O’Rourke coming on but two points in a minute from Colm Lynch, which both involved Josh Carey in the build-up, opened up a gap and points from Lydon and Senan Guilfoyle from a monster 60 yard free had them seven points clear by the midway point of the half.

Darragh Beirne added another that was tipped over by Carolan Morris before O’Rourke shot over with ten minutes left. A strong run seconds later from full-back Eanna McNamara saw him find sub Bailey McBride bearing down on goal.

The Glencar Manorhamilton lad lofted the ball across the face of the goal and Paul Honeyman palmed the ball to the net to get the partisan home support all excited once more with the gap back at four points.

However, Mayo’s response was impressive - they stalled Leitrim’s momentum first and then hit three unanswered points from Lydon, Carey (mark) and sub Thomas Tuffy to stretch the lead back to seven points.

Ruairi O’Rourke got his second in the last minute of normal time but with Mayo’s defence not allowing even a hint of a shot on goal, all Leitrim could manage was two injury time frees from Honeyman to close the game out.

Late Roscommon goal blitz blows Leitrim away in final ten minutes

ROSCOMMON 5-9 LEITRIM 0-12

LEITRIM

Scorers: Paul Honeyman 1-6, 5f; Josh Maye & Ruairi O’Rourke 0-2 each; James Gilheaney, Sean Carolan Morris (50) & Brian Keaney 0-1 each

Team: Sean Carolan Morris, Oran Foley, Eanna McNamara, Kyle Russell, Dara Greenan, Darragh Gardiner, Josh McNamee, James Gilheaney, Colm McLoughlin, Brian Keaney, Fionn Curley, Adam Gethins, Colm McLoughlin, Dessie Wisely, Josh Maye, Paul Honeyman. Subs: Bailey McBride for Curley (17); Ruairi O’Rourke for Maye (36); Aaron Gardiner for Gethins (45); Frankie Cullen for McNamee (53); Cormac Moran for Keaney (59)

MAYO

Scorers: Tom Lydon 0-5, 1f; Colm Lynch 1-2; Darragh Beirne 0-4, 2f; James Lavelle 0-2; Jamie Clarke, Josh Carey (M); Senan Guilfoyle & Thomas Tuffy 0-1 each

Team: Conor Meaney; James Lavelle, Eoin McGreal, Yousif Coghill; James Clarke, Rio Mortimer, Fionan O’Reilly; Tiernan Egan, Shane Cunningham; Colm Lynch, Tom Lydon, Senan Guilfoyle; Darragh Beirne, Josh Carey, Gavin Forry. Subs: Dara Neary for McGreal (40); Fionan Burke for Forry (45), Thomas Tuffy for O’Reilly (48), Conor Ryder for Cunningham (54), Sean Walsh for Guilfoyle (62)

Referee: Brendan Healy (Sligo)