Goal hungry Leitrim blast eight past Derry

The storm force wind that battered the Derry coast last Sunday was not the only storm in Faughanvale GAC Club Grounds in Greysteel as a red hot and goal hungry Leitrim maintained top spot in the Lidl LGFA Division 4 table when they completely blew Derry’s challenge away in the first half.

Glencar Manorhamilton duo Leah Fox and Ailbhe Clancy claimed five goals between them as shell shocked hosts conceded five goals in the first half along the east shoreline of Lough Swilly.

Leitrim dominated the exchanges from the outset and mastered the difficult strong wind situation in all their defensive and attacking play in particular. Ailbhe Clancy drew first blood when she fired over the game's opening score, a second minute point.

After that, Leitrim attacked forcefully in the Derry half for a further eight minutes when they increased their advantage by shooting a further 2-2 while also preventing the Oak Leaf county women from raising a flag of any description.

Leitrim's Ailbhe Clancy, Michelle Guckian and Vivienne Egan all found the Derry net while Guckian and Leah Fox both raised white flags for the visitors. Derry eventually got their account opened when Cara Donnelly split the Leitrim posts with an 11th minute effort.

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Derry managed to reduce the deficit a small amount when Emma Doherty tapped over a free some four minutes later but captain Michelle Guckian, who was causing many headaches for the Derry rearguard, answered with a 17th minute point after some good link-up play by her teammates.

Over the next seven minutes neither side managed to put a score of any description on the scoreboard but then Derry's Emma Doherty converted a 24th minute free to reduce her side's deficit with Leitrim to seven points.

Leitrim upped their game again and closed the half with a bang that saw Leah Fox getting two goals in quick succession. For the first of Leah's goals, Vivienne Egan gave her a spot on pass while the Glencar Manor woman than pounced on poor kick-out by Derry net minder Ellie Conway to fire home an unstoppable shot that put the visitors ahead by 5-4 to 0-3 at the interval.

With the advantage of the wind now in their favour Leitrim started the second half in top gear when adding a further 1-3 to their tally when they also held Derry scoreless until the game's 42nd minute. 

After a fine run Elise Bruen fired over Leitrim's first second half point on the 33 minute mark. Further Leitrim points were added by Ailbhe Clancy and Leah Fox over the next three minutes. Then Leah Fox added her hat trick of Leitrim goal when she again found the Derry net in the game's 37th minute to put her side comfortably in command with a 19 point advantage.

It was some five minutes later when Derry got their second half account opened after Erin Donnelly split the Leitrim uprights with an on target effort from play. After Donnelly's score the home-side enjoyed a mini purple patch in the exchanges.

Emma Doherty dented Leitrim's advantage slightly when she converted a 44th minute Derry free. Cara Donnelly hit the target again for the Derry women when she tapped over another free a minute later.

But two minutes later Clancy reminded Derry that Leitrim wasn't done yet when she raced through the Oak Leaf women's rearguard to fire home a well-taken goal, despite the best efforts of a number of the home-side's defenders to prevent her from doing so.

Niamh Tighe & Siomha Quinn combine to stop Derry's Ciara Scullion last Sunday

Some seven minutes later sub Annie Ní Lochlainn closed the scoring in the game for Derry when she pointed from play. The stormy winds blowing from Lough Swilly didn't abate any for the final ten minutes of the game's action.

Leitrim also put in a storming finish. Michelle Guckian clinically tapped over a free and then sub Brigid O'Reilly closed the scoring in the game when she fired to the Derry net after being put through by her teammates following a well-executed Leitrim move that made her team's winning margin stretch to an impressive 25 points.

Many players like Charlene Tyrell, Clare Owens, Leah Fox and Ailbhe Clancy impressed for Leitrim but Michelle Guckian did great work leading her team to what was a runaway win

Leitrim has had a whirlwind successful start to their Division 4 campaign with particularly easy and big wins over Kilkenny and Derry. However when the league resumes on February 11 Leitrim will have much tougher challenges to face against Fermanagh, Longford, Limerick and Carlow

Next up for Leitrim is  a trip to neighbours Fermanagh on Sunday February 11.

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LEITRIM

Scorers: Leah Fox 3-2; Ailbhe Clancy 2-2; Michelle Guckian 1-3, f; Vivienne Egan & Brigid O'Reilly 1-0 each; Elise Bruen 0-1

Team: Michelle Monaghan; Eimear Quigley, Charlene Tyrell, Clare Owens; Kasey Bruen, Orla Flynn; Niamh Tighe, Aisling Quinn; Vivienne Egan, Michelle Guckian, Siomha Quinn; Ailbhe Clancy, Leah Fox, Elise Bruen. Subs: Laura O'Dowd for Owens (HT); Lauryn McKeon & Bronagh O’Rourke for Fox & Flynn (40); Eabha Moyles & Edel Shanley for Reynolds & Quigley (48); Eimear McHugh for Moyles (50); Brigid O'Reilly & Eimhin Quinn for Egan & Tyrell (55); Aoibh Treanor for Monaghan (57)

DERRY

Scorers: Emma Doherty 0-3, 3f; Cara 0-2, 1f; Erin Donnelly & Annie Ní Lochlainn 0-1 each

Team: Ellie Conway; Ciara McColgan, Aoife McGough; Joanne Corr; Annie Crozier, Megan Devine, Sarah Heron; Ciara Scullion, Bláithín Donnelly; Ciara McGurk, Emma Doherty, Anna Martin; Erin Doherty, Cara Donnelly. Subs: Annie Ní Lochlainn for C. Donnelly (38); Leah Boyce for Moore (41); Annie Kirkpatrick for Martin & Leah Casey for E. Doherty (45); Orlaith McGough for Devine & Caoimhe Dillon for Corr (52)

Referee: Brendan Rice (Down)