Heartbreak for Leitrim clubs in Connacht Minor Semi-Finals

Leitrim champions Allen Gaels Fenagh St Caillins and Rinn Gaels both suffered heartbreak in contrasting fashions on Tuesday evening in the Connacht Club Minor Football Championship Semi-Finals as Sligo teams Eastern Harps and Ballymote Bunninadden prevailed after close contests.

Allen Gaels Fenagh St Caillins lost out by a point to Eastern Harps on a 0-10 to 1-6 in the A semi-finals held at the NUI Galway Connacht Centre of Excellence while Rinn Gaels lost out 2-12 to 1-8 after an extra time epic when it appeared as if the Bornacoola and Gortletteragh combination were on their way to the final.

AGFSC got off to a slow start against Harps in the second game of the programme, the Sligo side charging into a three point lead but scores from Ruairi O'Rourke (2) and Przemek Zaremba put them level after 13 minutes. Harps went two clear again before Ruairi O'Rourke swapped scores. AGFSC struck a major blow when Colm McLoughlin landed the game's only goal three minutes before halftime.

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That left Allen Gaels Fenagh St Caillins 1-4 to 0-6 ahead at the break but Eastern Harps again came out strong in the second half, hitting four unanswered points to go three points clear with 14 minutes left in the game. AGFSC's first score of the second half came from an O'Rourke free after 51 minutes and they closed the gap to the minimum with less than two minutes left when James Gilheaney also converted a free.

Unfortunately, the Leitrim side were unable to get the equaliser they needed to send the game to extra-time with Eastern Harps now meeting Castlebar Mitchells of Mayo in the final after they secured a 2-10 to 0-7 victory over Tuam Stars in the other game played in Bekan.

In the earlier B semi-finals, Rinn Gaels had one step in the final before a late equaliser for Ballymote Bunninadden spoiled their dreams. Two Jonathan Boyle points got the Bornacoola Gortletteragh combo off to a strong start. Boyle would add two more points for the Gaels but the Sligo lads were level 24 minutes into the first half.

A Kian McCormack point before the break gave Rinn Gaels a narrow 0-5 to 0-4 halftime lead but it was the Sligo side who took control in the second half with two early points. Noah McNulty matched those scores with two of his own but two more from Ballymote Bunninadden had them a point to the good when David Liu Doyle struck for a goal less than two minutes from the end of normal time.

That left Rinn Gaels two up but two injury time scores from Ballymote Bunninadden took the game to extra-time. The first period of extra time was a cagey affair with both sides only scoring once, Jonathan Boyle on target once more for the Gaels but in the second period, the Sligo side made the crucial breakthrough with a goal two minutes into the second half of extra-time.

New Leitrim jersey sponsored by Gallagher group launched - GALLERY

Leitrim GAA launched it's new jersey and new sponsorship for the 2024 season on Friday night in the Lough Rynn Castle Estate & Gardens Hotel in Mohill with the new jersey, produced by McKeever Sports and sponsored by the Gallagher Group winning huge praise. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to capture the occasion so check out Leitrim's new look!

Ballymote Bunninadden would go on to add a further 1-1 to put a somewhat harsh gloss on the scoreline as they won out 2-12 to 1-8. The Sligo team will now meet Mayo's The Neale who scored an impressive 4-13 to 1-5 over Galway's Mountbellew Moylough.