Wasteful Leitrim rue missed goal chances against understrength Tribe

Wasted goal chances ultimately proved Leitrim’s undoing in the FBD Insurance Connacht League Semi-Final on Friday night in the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome as an inexperienced Galway proved that just little bit more clinical on the night.

With Andy Moran's side wasting five goal chances over the course of the 70 plus minutes, this was a game that Leitrim probably should have won but up against what many in maroon termed their third string side, Galway’s composure in front of the posts was crucial.

In a chaotic finish to a game that threatened to meander to a comfortable Galway win with 15 minutes of normal time left, the Green & Gold looked to have pulled off a miraculous recovery when Barry McNulty guided Nevin O’Donnell’s long delivery to the Tribe with just over a minute of the six minutes added time left.

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That tied the scores and left Leitrim looking to push up on the kickout and force a turnover but from a booming kickout from Oran Burke, Céin Darcy claimed a magnificent catch under pressure, broke free and two passes later, Rory Cunningham was blasting his second shot to the Leitrim net.

Another sub Ryan Monaghan added an insurance point in added time of added time as the Tribesmen booked their place in the Final, leaving Leitrim wondering what might have been once more - the memory of missed goal chances haunting them.

Darragh Rooney, Ryan & Riordan O’Rourke had great chances in the first half but Oran Burke belied his status as Corofin’s number two by making some incredible saves, repeating the dose in the second half as he denied Rooney again and Donal Casey with superb stops.

Those stops were critical and prevented Leitrim from showing just reward for their good play in the first half as the Tribesmen incredibly led by a point at the break, 0-10 to 0-9. The third quarter saw Galway take over completely to open up a seven point lead midway through the half.

Whether it was Leitrim throwing caution to the wind or Galway growing complacent, Leitrim clawed their way back into contention over the final ten minutes but again, missed chances came back to haunt them before the helter-skelter finish.

Antaine O’Laoi opened the scoring two minutes in from a free before Paul Keaney finished off a long period of Leitrim possession play with a fine point from distance. Charlie Power edged Galway back in front before Shane Quinn hit a superb effort from the right hand corner.

Jamie McGreal marked his Leitrim senior debut with a fine point from a mark with Cillian O’Curraoin replying from a free to tie the scores. Donal Casey’s pass released Quinn for his second on 12 minutes but a well worked move saw Charlie Power hit his second of the game a minute later.

Leitrim should have goaled on 15 minutes when Ryan O’Rourke broke free but saw his first shot saved by the keeper, the rebound came to Riordan O’Rourke but a flying defensive block saw his goal effort blocked before Darragh Rooney scooped up the rebound to point.

Galway hit back with points from Cian Monaghan and O’Curraoin to retake the lead but Leitrim squandered another goal chance when Riordan O’Rourke burst through with only the keeper to beat but fisted the ball over the bar as Burke advanced swiftly off his line.

Shane Quinn made it a hat-trick of long range points on 21 minutes to put Leitrim in front again but two from half-back Daniel Flaherty regained the lead for the Tribe. Both those points came either side of another goal chance, this time Darragh Rooney dragging his shot wide across goal.

Leitrim players reacted as the ball hits the net for Galway's second goal Picture: Willie Donnellan

O’Laoi and Pearce Dolan swapped scores before Dolan pounced on a poor Galway pass to set up Rooney for an equalising point. However, a free from O’Curraoin left Galway with a 0-10 to 0-9 halftime lead, a lead soon wiped out when Paul Keaney chipped over from the corner inside 30 seconds of the second half.

But Galway were soon in control and three points from O’Curraoin (2) and O’Laoi put them clear. Darragh Rooney’s free temporarily stalled Galway’s momentum but O’Laoi hit a great effort from the corner to restore the three point gap seven minutes into the second half.

That lead was doubled three minutes later when Charlie Power and sub Céin Darcy combined to free another sub Rory Cunningham for a close range finish for the game’s first goal, Power quickly adding a mark.

With Galway leading by seven points and both teams running in subs, the rhythm of the game suffered with Galway missing a hot of chances while Darragh Rooney fired over two frees on 19 and 21 minutes.

Rooney could have had a goal when Barry McNulty broke onto a poor Galway clearance, setting up the St Jude’s clubman but the keeper came out to block the shot and the chance was lost.

Burke was again the hero when the impressive Donal Casey burst into attack, sending a low shot towards the bottom left hand corner only for the Galway keeper to get his hand to the ball, scooping it away from danger.

Leitrim, however, were beginning to generate some momentum and a Pearce Dolan point after a good run was quickly followed by a Rooney free and a good effort from Mark Diffley to suddenly leave the Green & Gold just two points adrift after 68 minutes.

In a move eerily similar to what would happen for their second goal, Galway went long from the kickout, Darcy won the ball and the ball went on to Shane McGrath who opted to fist the ball over the bar, restoring the three point gap.

Subs Jack Casey and Ryan Cunningham swapped points before Leitrim’s chances appeared to evaporate when Conor Reynolds was dismissed on a second yellow card for a challenge on Liam Boyle that necessitated the Galway corner-back coming off.

That left both teams down to 14 as Galway had used all their subs and the match was dramatically level when keeper Nevin O’Donnell pinged a long ball in towards the Galway goalmouth. Keeper Burke leapt outrageously high for the ball but Barry McNulty got the vital touch to steer the ball to the net.

But barely had the cheers died down and Galway fans were roaring when Darcy plucked the kickout from the skies, two quick passes and Rory Cunningham finished clinically to the net, a Ryan Monaghan point the icing on the cake.

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LEITRIM

Scorers: Darragh Rooney 0-6, 4f; Shane Quinn 0-3; Barry McNulty 1-0, Shane Quinn 0-3; Paul Keaney & Pearce Dolan 0-2 each;, Jack Casey, Mark Diffley, Riordan O'Rourke & Jamie McGreal (M) 0-1 each

Team: Nevin O'Donnell; Aidan Flynn, Donal Casey, Cillian McGloin; Jamie McGreal, Mark Diffley, Evan Sweeney; Pearce Dolan, Paul Keaney; Shane Quinn, Barry McNulty, Jack Foley; Ryan O'Rourke, Darragh Rooney, Riordan O'Rourke. Subs: Conor Reynolds for McGreal (HT), James Rooney for McGloin (45), Jack Casey for McNulty (49), Conor Quinn for Sweeney (51), Stephen McLoughlin for Foley (57), Cathal McHugh for Ryan O'Rourke (64), Jack Foley for McLoughlin (66 blood)

GALWAY

Scorers: Rory Cunningham 2-1 (1f), Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-6, 3f; Charlie Power (M) and Antaine Ó Laoi (2f) 0-3 each; Daniel O'Flaherty 0-2; Cian Monaghan, Shane McGrath & Ryan Monaghan 0-1 each

Team: Oran Burke; Liam Boyle, Billy Mannion, Darragh Varley; Cian Monaghan, Jack Kirrane, Daniel O'Flaherty; Ciaran Brady, Diarmuid Kilcommins; Donal Hunt, Antaine Ó Laoi, Jack O'Neill; Liam Costello, Charlie Power, Cillian Ó Curraoin. Subs: Céin D'Arcy for Kilcommins (28), Ryan Monaghan for Hunt (28), Keith O'Reilly for Mannion (33), Rory Cunningham for Costello (44), Shane McGrath for Brady (51), Barry Goldrick for Ó Laoi (54), Conor O'Neill for C Monaghan (62), Ger Davoren for O'Neill (66), Conor Rafferty for Ó Curraoin (67)

Referee: Paul Lydon (Mayo)