A dream three years in the making for Donal Casey and Leitrim

Overnight successes in sport aren’t really overnight success, often taking time and lots of effort, a point Donal Casey stressed after Leitrim secured promotion on Sunday afternoon with a 0-15 to 0-9 victory over Tipperary.

With Wexford beating Longford, Leitrim’s head to head victory over the Model County secured promotion for the Green & Gold but for Donal and his teammates, this was a success three years in the making: “It is a dream and finally we got to it, it has been three years in the making.

“It was nervy alright but we set out our goal, we wanted to get to ten points. We couldn’t control the Wexford game but we had a goal at the start of the year to get to ten points, it didn’t change for us, we stuck to it and finished it out thanks be to God.

“Andy set goals - we don’t even have a goal of winning, it is goals off the pitch, in the gym, goals of running, fitness sizes. It was three years and we said we’d get to Croker in three years and here we are.”

Tipperary proved stubborn opposition but the Leitrim Gaels clubman felt that Leitrim’s growing confidence helped them ease past the Premier county: “We knew they were going to be sticky. They didn’t have much to play for as such so we knew they were going to play free flowing football so we knew we were going to have to play with the same intensity as last week. We’re at a different level now so we’re confident in every game we play.”

CROKE PARK IS WHERE LEITRIM WANT TO BE SAYS ANDY MORAN

Coping with the pressure didn’t faze Donal and his teammates despite worrying what might be happening in Chadwick’s Wexford Park: “Nothing changed for us, we blocked out the outside noise, stuck together and bonded probably more than ever because it was so negative. I never saw the lads stick together so much. Again, stick to the plan and we nailed it, Croker next week.”

For Donal, getting back on the field consistently after a couple of injury blighted years made the victory all the sweeter: “Busy couple of weeks but this is what we play for. I got injured the last couple of years so for me it is a pleasure. Unbelievable to be there. Laois again, confident. We’ll do our tactics, back to the drawing board this week - yeah, we’re ready.”