Leitrim are on the cusp of a breakthrough says manager Jonny Garrity after Kildare loss

A five point defeat at home might not seem like reason for optimism but Jonny Garrity saw enough in Leitrim’s somewhat encouraging 5-10 to 4-8 loss at the hands of Kildare on Sunday to suggest that the Green & Gold are on the cusp of a major breakthrough.

Leitrim opened their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate championship by pushing the presumptive favourites for the Mary Quinn Cup all the way in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada as the performance left their manager enthused by what he had witnessed.

“It is frustrating, it is very disappointing that we fell just short - we came very close but at the same time, there is loads of positives from that performance today,” Garrity told the Observer after the game, adding “Kildare are the standard bearers at intermediate football right now, they won the National League Division 3 title in great style and they backed that up with the Leinster champions. 

Clinical Kildare do enough to hold off battling Leitrim

LEITRIM 4-8 KILDARE 5-10

“We know that is the standard, they are probably the favourites to win the All-Ireland and we knew that probably very few people gave us a chance today coming in but within the camp, we felt very confident in our own ability, very determined that we were going to go out and we were going to ambush them.”

It was also a big performance for a Leitrim squad that suffered two crushing disappointments in the Connacht Intermediate Final against Roscommon and the Division 4 League decider against Antrim but the reaction to those defeats is what has their manager confident that a major breakthrough is close!

“I wouldn’t call it hard,” replied Jonny when asked about the reaction to those defeats, adding “it was a challenge for the girls to show their commitment for the thing we’re trying to do, their commitment to the project that we’re building, the culture that we’re building, the tactical game plan that we’re building.

“It was very much a case of putting it back on them, saying we didn’t perhaps implement what we wanted to do so lets go at it again and if we can change x, y & z, we’re going to be very hard to beat. That was the case for both, in between the trainings were absolutely great and the girls are totally ingrained in what we’re trying to do, they’re committed to it, they seem to be enjoying it, it is a lovely culture to work in.”

So happy has he been with the response that Jonny perhaps goes against the traditional GAA manager outlook of playing things down as he proclaims: “We know that perhaps the last thing to happen is the result that we deserve but there are a lot of things that are progressing, that we see, that we know the result is a matter of time. When change occurs, sometimes it is slow but then all of a sudden and I think we are on the cusp of something really special happening in the county.”

Analysing Sunday’s game, Jonny admitted that while the tactical battle fascinated him, there were times he almost felt like a bystander as games take on a life of their own! 

“Some matches, as a manager, as a coach, you’re a mere bystander because it is not taking the shape you might have predicted, hoped for or wanted and all you can do is hold on for dear life. And the game took a life of its own, it certainly did. 

“You are going to get that when you get two committed teams, two teams playing strong running games, not afraid to empty defences when they win possession back but at the same time, they’ll stock up their defence and ask the other team to break them down. 

“Fascinating game, disappointing to lose that goal, any of the goals but you also have to concede that you’re up against a very high calibre of attacking player in the Kildare team, they are coming down with fantastic forwards. We showed today that we are too - it was a really, really good match, disappointing not to win it but we’ve certainly showed our calibre today.”

Leitrim and Kildare fans bask in sunshine as Lilywhites get better of Green & Gold - GALLERY

Leitrim and Kildare fans basked in the sunshine in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada on Sunday as the Green & Gold and Lilywhites did battle in the opening round of the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship with the Leinster champions triumphing 5-10 to 4-8. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was a busy man with his camera, snapping shots of fans ... see who you can spot!

The coach in him really enjoyed the tactical aspect of the game: “That was the shape the game took, it threw up some really fascinating tactical battles, games within the game with them trying to break us down, with us sitting in, with them conceding the kickouts in the second half, it was an enjoyable experience.

“Had we solidified our position after we scored our fourth goal and had a five minutes after that without conceding, I think we would have won the match - we were in the ascendancy and hit them for a quick 1-1 to take us within a point. As it was, they went up the field and got a goal straight away and that was a real massive score in the game. 

“Even after that, the girls showed no willingness whatsoever to concede the game, they just battled and battled and battled. Today was a bit of a landmark performance.”

Next Sunday, Leitrim travel to the Cooley peninsula to take on Louth and the Leitrim manager admits it is a ‘must win’ encounter: “It is must win and like I said to the girls in the huddle there after the game, and there was disappointment but I said I wouldn’t change it for the world that we have no time to be disappointing. No time to feel sorry for ourselves so bring it on. We’ve parked the disappointment already, it is over, we’re looking forward to next week and we can’t wait.”