Moran pleased Leitrim managed wind and conditions in London victory

Frustrated that Leitrim couldn’t deliver on their usual high intensity attacking game, Andy Moran nevertheless recognised that sometimes you’ve got to cut your cloth to measure and last Sunday against London was very much a day to do that.

Leitrim ultimately came away with a 1-8 to 0-6 victory but even the Leitrim manager admitted it was a frustrating game to observe from the sideline: “It is frustrating but we expected it so it wasn’t as bad, there was no panic this week when we were going against the wind because we knew London would sit in, we knew we would have plenty of the ball and it is just about taking those chances. We even left a few points behind us.

“We like to play front foot football and today we just knew it was going to be a bit slower, a bit more monotonous. Very disappointed with some of the chances we missed in the first half but we got there and that was the most important thing. We knew that was going to be a really, really tough game.”

London’s defensive set-up was something Andy and his team were well prepared for: “Usually when you play London, like in the second League game last year, you don’t get much to see but this year obviously, they beat Mayo in the FBD, then they played Roscommon and then Wexford so we could see the way they were going to play and set up. 

“It is not the football that you’ve been watching us play for the last two years but sometimes you have to do it and if you’re going to be set up to be caught on the counter attack, sometimes you just need to settle. Obviously Ryan wants to be scoring, Darragh wants to be scoring, Riordan, Evan Sweeney.

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“But I think what epitomises it is Evan Sweeney’s chase down there but if Evan is doing that, I think the team and the mood is in a good place. We had to get through the game, you have to win your home games and when the wind is blowing like that and the team you’re playing is set up like that with 15 behind, that’s a tough station and I think we came through it well.”

Moran admitted a few moments of worry that Leitrim hadn’t built a bigger lead in the first half: “When London kicked two points just before halftime, we were saying those very vital scores so the goal was massive, considering we should have had 1-10 on the board in the first half, it was so frustrating. In fairness to the boys, no panic, a bit of maturity and we dug it out but the goal was the key score of the game.”

The Leitrim manager highlighted the game smarts of Ryan O’Rourke, Jack Gilheaney and Mark Diffley in managing the pace of the contest: “That’s where the likes of Ryan comes into his own, obviously he scores the goal, a great finish and probably the most important thing he did in the whole second half was just control the whole game for us. 

“That just takes patience and it takes somebody that is good at that - I know from my own playing days, I wasn’t good at that myself, just holding the ball linking it. But there are certain players who are just very, very good at that facet of the game and Ryan is one of them and I think in fairness, Gilheaney is one of them and Diffley is one of them so we have three guys who can do that.”

Darragh Rooney’s impact was also appreciate with Andy remarking “He has big boots to fill obviously but he has done it all Summer. He is playing for St Judes, he is playing at a really high level. We have great faith in him, we always had great faith in him but he is beginning to mature and come into his own and hopefully he can keep up that form.”

Shane Quinn’s new role as creator was something Moran and his backroom team came up with last July but the Leitrim boss insists it should be no surprise given the calibre of the Mohill man: “We met Shane last July when we had everything finalised what we were going to do and we ran a new role by him and in fairness to him, he just goes ‘yeah’, what it needs to be for the team.

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“You know how Quinner is, he is always ready to play and that is just the sort of guy he is, he is a really good footballer. I don’t think Shane has got anywhere near to where he could get to in terms of football - he is a really smart player, really good skill level. He kicked three points against Galway in the FBD, two points last week and assisted so many around the place today. 

“Even the two balls into Donal there at the end, he spotted who was in there. You can’t kick that ball into Riordan or Ryan or any of them boys but he spotted Donal. I think there is more to come from Shane Quinn.”