Cruel heartbreak for Leitrim as late Carlow goal ends unbeaten run

Just a week after a dramatic added goal winning goal against Wexford, Leitrim cruelly found themselves on the other side of that scenario as Colm Hulton’s thunderbolt over five minutes into added time snatched victory for Carlow in Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.

Hulton’s match winner provoked wild scenes of celebration among the local fans as Leitrim’s unbeaten run in the Allianz NFL Division 4 campaign came to a crushing end, the Green & Gold seeing victory prised from their grasp in cruel, cruel fashion.

It left Leitrim players, management and supporters speechless as the Green & Gold seemed set to claim a vital victory after weathering a storm from a stubborn Carlow who went toe to toe with Andy Moran’s side and struck at just the right time.

Hulton’s goal was a worthy winner of any game, breaking a tackle on the right wing before drilling a bullet of a shot to the top left hand corner but that will mean little to Leitrim who had done more than enough to take the victory.

Truth be told, the second half performance was Leitrim’s best period of sustained football of the entire League - down four points, 1-1 from turnovers on two back to back Leitrim kickouts, Andy Moran’s side responded in huge impressive fashion, Ryan O’Rourke finishing off a lightning quick move with aplomb just about a minute after Carlow’s goal.

CHECK OUT WILLIE DONNELLAN'S FAN GALLERY FROM NETWATCH CULLEN PARK

From then on, it looked as if there would be only one winner as Leitrim hunted with intent - sub Paul Keaney thumped over two massive points and Barry McNulty, fast becoming Letirim’s most influential player, shot his third from distance as Leitrim turned a four point deficit into a two point lead.

Crucially, Leitrim were unable to hold out against Carlow’s lung bursting runs, Mikey Bambrick, Ross Dunphy and Conor Crowley doing damage but when Jack Gilheaney edged Leitrim two in front two minutes into added time, the visiting fans must surely have felt the job was done.

Losing in this manner will always cause regrets - a second yellow card for Conor Reynolds in added time and an earlier black for Adam Reynolds hurt the ability to hold Carlow at bay while a Darragh Rooney free, uncharacteristically for the St Jude’s clubman, fell short into the keeper’s hands from about 35 yards.

But that is clutching at straws in what was genuinely an evenly matched contest - Carlow hit 11 wides, saw Nevin O’Donnell make one wonder save while Leitrim had a shot cleared off the line, had nine wides and left another five short. Some of those shots were, in fairness, an attempt to find a Leitrim man on the edge of the square and it truly was that close.

In fairness, Leitrim didn’t do a hell of a lot wrong and had the game ended in a draw, nobody would have argued as neither team could escape the clutches of their opponents. No more than what Leitrim did to Wexford, Carlow struck at a time that left Leitrim with almost no time to respond.

Leitrim did try but with Carlow dropping everyone back, chances were few and far between and a blocked shot ended Leitrim’s unbeaten run.

Carlow's Colm Hulton (right) strikes for the match winning goal against Leitrim Picture: Willie Donnellan

Both teams had early wides as there appeared to be a certain nervousness about both teams before Darragh Rooney opened the scoring after an off-the-ball hold on Riordan O’Rourke was spotted by Galway referee Christopher Ryan four minutes in.

Leitrim almost goaled a minute later, Barry McNulty breaking down the left side only to see his shot cleared off the line by Colm Hulton in a real let-off for the home side before Jamie McGrail shot wide after Nevin O’Donnell’s resulting 50 had dropped short.

Carlow opened their account when Paddy McDonnell cut inside to score but a second Rooney free had Leitrim back in front a minute later. The home side were beginning to probe and after a period of possession play, Hulton fired over to tie the scores once more.

Again both sides missed chances, Shane Quinn’s dangerous ball on top of the keeper well claimed by Johnny Furey but a nice run from Ryan O’Rourke saw him edge the Green & Gold back in front 13 minutes in.

However, Carlow were beginning to create more chances and despite two bad misses, a Darragh Foley pass over the top found Josh Moore to score on 17 minutes. Carlow were still shading the wides, 3-2, over the next six minutes while Furey did well to hold onto another high Shane Quinn delivery.

Aidan Flynn was punished for a foul on Conor Crowley when Foley tapped over the free on 25 minutes and two more frees from the Carlow captain gave his side a three point advantage. One of those frees was nearly so much more as Jordan Morrisey was taken down by Mark Diffley as he bore down on goal, the Leitrim captain escaping sanction.

Andy Moran took remedial action as Jamie McGrail was withdrawn, moments after missing a mark, with Adam Reynolds entering the fray. A foul on Mark Diffley allowed Rooney to convert as Carlow led 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval.

Tom Prior came on at halftime for Evan Sweeney with Rooney continuing where he had left off with a successful first minute free. From the kickout, Carlow went direct, a mark, a long pass and Conor Crowley pointed but Ryan O’Rourke answered as he came around on the loop to take a pass from McNulty to score.

Barry McNulty drives at the Carlow defence in the first half on Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

McNulty himself tied the scores when Leitrim overloaded one side before switching the play to the other side for the Glencar Manorhamilton man to score. A monster Darragh Foley free edged Carlow back in front but another long range bomb from McNulty had the teams level seven minutes into the second half.

Another Foley free was matched by another Rooney free before Nevin O’Donnell made a truly stunning save, getting down low to divert Conor Crowley’s goal bound shot out for a fifty that Conor Doyle put wide. But that miss eventually paid big dividends for Carlow as from the next kickout, Donal Wrynn was turned over and Ross Dunphy scored.

From the very next kickout, the ball went short to Mark Diffley but Carlow pressure saw the ball spill. Nevin O’Donnell went to help his teammates but the ball broke for Jamie Clarke who tapped into an empty Leitrim net from about 25 yards.

It seemed a match winning moment for Carlow but instead it provoked a wonderful Leitrim response - Jack Foley’s storming run up the centre released Tom Prior and his offload found Ryan O’Rourke, the Fenagh St Caillins man shooting low into the Carlow net in the perfect response.

Andy Moran sent on Paul Keaney for Shane Quinn and barely a matter of seconds on the field, the St Mary’s Kiltoghert clubman fired over from distance as Leitrim turned over the Carlow kickout. Another couple of wides, one for each team, was followed when a foul on Rooney in the corner was punished by a successful free 18 minutes into the second half.

Conor Reynolds picked up a yellow and from the short free, Carlow worked the ball to Clarke to fire over, albeit under immense Leitrim pressure. But straight away, Rooney and Ryan O’Rourke combined to set Paul Keaney free for his second point.

Leitrim suffered a big blow when Adam Reynolds was black carded for blocking off Clarke after a foul but it almost seemed a price worth paying as Darragh Foley inexplicably put what looked a simple free wide of the post.

The value of that missed chance was magnified when sub Niall Walsh, in his first appearance for Leitrim, curled over a great shot from the corner with eight minutes to go. Now Leitrim were two up but Foley made amends for his earlier miss with a well worked point.

Leitrim hit back again - Darragh Rooney broke a tackle to score from a tight angle, his first from play to restore the two point gap. But Carlow refused to buckle as sub Niall Hickey and full-back Mark Furey both fisted the ball over the bar after good work from Mikey Bambrick and Conor Crowley.

THE LAST POINT: TREADING A FINE LINE ON REFEREES

That left us level again with just over two minutes of normal time left but it was Leitrim who seemed poised to claim victory after a period of patient play ended with a third wonderful Barry McNulty point.

Darragh Rooney put a 35 yard free short, claimed by Johnny Furey in the Carlow goal in a costly miss but it didn’t seem to matter as Leitrim broke and Jack Gilheaney hit a wonderful point to put Leitrim two up two minutes into five minutes of added time.

Carlow thought they had cut the gap to one but Crowley shot wide while an off-the-ball wrestling match between Conor Doyle and Conor Reynolds ended with both getting booked, a crucial call as the Annaduff man picked up his second caution in the 39th minute.

Time looked against Carlow but a crucial turnover on a Leitrim attack saw Carlow break free down the right wing but Colm Hulton breaking past a tackling before unleashing a truly stunning strike to the top left hand corner to dramatically put the home side in front.

The Leitrim team who was defeated by Carlow in the Allianz NFL Division 4 Picture: Willie Donnellan

The clock read 40 minutes and three seconds when the ball hit the net but with a few stoppages in added time, Leitrim had the opportunity to earn an equaliser but with Carlow flooding bodies back, space was at a premium and a block on an attempted shot ended Leitrim’s unbeaten run in the League.

CARLOW

Scorers: Darragh Foley 0-6, 4f; Colm Hulton & Jamie Clarke 1-1 each, Mark Furey, Niall Hickey, Ross Dunphy, Conor Crowley, Paddy McDonnell, Josh Moore 0-1 each

Team: Johnny Furey; Colin Byrne, Mark Furey, Shane Clarke; Mikey Bambrick, Conor Doyle, Jamie Clarke; Jordan Morrissey, Paddy McDonnell; Colm Hulton, Josh Moore, Conor Crowley; Ross Dunphy, Darragh Foley, Aaron Amond. Subs: Niall Hickey for S Clarke (60), Cormac Lomax for Amond (65), Eric Molloy for J Clarke (70)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Darragh Rooney 0-7, 6f; Ryan O'Rourke 1-2; Barry McNulty 0-3, Paul Keaney 0-2, Niall Walsh & Jack Gilheany 0-1 each

Team: Nevin O’Donnell; Conor Reynolds, Donal Casey, Aidan Flynn; Jamie McGrail, Mark Diffley, Jack Foley; Jack Gilheany, Donal Wrynn; Shane Quinn, Barry McNulty, Ryan O’Rourke; Riordan O’Rourke, Darragh Rooney, Evan Sweeney. Subs: Adam Reynolds for McGreal (27), Tom Prior for Sweeney (HT), Paul Keaney for Quinn (51), Niall Walsh for Wrynn (54)

Referee: Christopher Ryan (Galway)