Shane Quinn believes it is time Leitrim had some silverware to show for their efforts

It’s one thing getting to Croke Park, another to win there but that's the target for Shane Quinn and his Leitrim teammates as they face Laois in the Allianz NFL Division 4 Final next Saturday.

Leitrim faced Derry five years ago at the same stage but now the long serving Mohill players feels it is time the Green & Gold brought home a Cup! “It is a quick turnaround but it will probably suit us a bit better. 2019, we probably had a bit too much time to think and we can get too carried away.

“We sealed promotion three games out and were just happy to be promoted and going on the Croke Park journey. It is time we had silverware now to show for it. Promotion is great, it will bring us on when we play Division 3 next year but when you look back, and I’m coming to the end of my career, I want something other than the FBD trophy in my back pocket. We have to work hard this week and go and win this game.”

Two weeks ago, Croke Park looked like a distant dream and Shane admits that the win in Laois was a pivotal moment: “The Longford defeat hurt us badly but we dug in deep.  If you said it would be still in our hands coming down to the last two games, we’d have bitten your hands off. 

“We knew if we got the performance against Laois, everything else would be taken care of it. We couldn’t worry about Longford or Wexford, we had to focus on ourselves and if we are preparing for a League Final or  the championship, our focus was solely on  getting a performance.”

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Shane also felt Leitrim’s players were always in control against Tipperary: “We started off flying like we planned, we hoped to keep going for the whole half but we didn’t get the scores when they were on offer to us and we allowed them to get a foothold in the game. 

“But we still just kept our noses in front. It was nervous in the crowd but I’d say no man in a Leitrim jersey that was togged out was any bit nervous - myself, Paul Keaney and the subs we were watching to see where we’d be coming on, how can we affect the game when we get on. I probably affected the game with a few turnovers for Tipperary but that’s the way the game rolls.”

Shane also highlights the impact of the younger players and the togetherness of the squad as a factor in Leitrim’s promotion: “The performance dropped in and out there but the heart and grit of the lads, Donal Wrynn, Ryan, Jack Gilheaney, Diffley, just the grit there - Paul Keaney coming on, Niall Walsh coming up from Galway, the panel is the closest its been in a long long time that I’ve been here. It is like a brotherhood now and it is just driving us on.

“We had to look after ourselves. You see Jack Foley, Jamie McGrail, such level headed fellas that come into the panel as if they’ve been there for 20 years. No man is bigger than the next in this panel and that drives everyone on - the fear of letting your teammate down is bigger than your own personal issues. That will ground us.”

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The plan for the next few days is simple according to Shane: “Get the recovery in, probably a zoom session on Monday, review the game, review Laois. To be fair, this team is level headed, nobody gets carried away - a few of the older boys do but this is a great team!”