Cruel heartbreak for Leitrim as Sligo hit injury time winner in Markievicz Park

Sports’ ability to inflict cruel heartache on Leitrim players and supporters was never more evident than in Markievicz Park on Friday evening when Sligo struck a match winning free deep into added time of an absorbing if somewhat frustrating Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship clash.

With two minutes of added time expired, Sligo’s Niall Duffy kept his nerve to slot over a 30 yard free, finally separating the teams after over an hour of an arm wrestle where neither team was able to establish any clear supremacy.

To say neither team deserved to lose is just as fair as saying neither truly deserved to win, both missing enough chances to be out of sight when the wind was on their back in Markievicz Park but Sligo won the crucial free when Leitrim had no time to respond.

In a game where defences dominated and both sides deployed a cautious approach, scores were at a premium with Sligo managing three points from play to Leitrim’s two. Massed defences restricted chances as they managed to over-shadow the forwards of both teams.

Yet Leitrim will feel this is a game they should have won - the Yeatsmen kicked 11 wides to Leitrim’s four but Karl Foley’s side had six efforts blocked or fall short to just one from the eventual victors and towards the end, it was Leitrim who looked to have the greater energy and intensity as they drove forward.

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The failure to convert chances, four second half shots caught on the line by the Sligo defence, proved extremely costly and Sligo, while equally guilty of missing good chances from play and placed balls, had the clinical edge just when it mattered most.

In a game of such tight margins, the referee is always going to be a topic of conversation with decisions for and against both teams - Leitrim appealed strongly for a penalty while a clear Jack Kelly mark in the first half wasn’t given, the Glencar Manorhamilton man seeing his subsequent shot blocked.

The penalty incident came in the second half when Kelly broke free - on first viewing, I was convinced it was a footblock but referee Garryowen McMahon got the decision right, photos proving that there was clear daylight between Sligo sub Dante Currid and Kelly.

For all the disappointment, Leitrim did so much so well - Sligo found it extremely difficult to break down the Green & Gold rearguard while they protected possession very well in attack. A small improvement in the speed of attacks, however, may yield a bigger dividend for a forward unit that has the potential to cause problems.

Daire McCabe opened the scoring from a fourth minute free after the Allen Gaels man was fouled but it was Sligo who were creating the chances but hitting wides. Gavin Gallagher did have a bad miss for Leitrim before Matthew Walsh scored a fine point on the counter-attack for the home side after 13 minutes.

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Sligo in the opening round of the Electric Ireland Connacht MFC Picture: Leitrim GAA

Midway through the quarter came a bit of controversy when Jack Kelly made a good catch to claim a mark but referee Garryowenn McMahon waved play on and the Glencar Manorhamilton player saw his shot blocked. Sligo continued to hit bad wides with the wind, three in a row, before Kelly was successful in claiming and converting a mark on 19 minutes.

Sligo hit back immediately after Marc Clifford cut in along the endline to score from a very tight angle and the Yeatsmen took the lead when Niall Duffy converted a free with seven minutes left in the half.

With both teams missing good chances, a third Leitrim free, this time from Jack Kelly for a foul on McCabe, left the sides level at 0-3 apiece at the break, although Sean Carolan Morris made a good catch from an excellent long range Duffy free.

The tit for tat nature continued in the second half - Jack Kelly and Niall Duffy swapping frees either side of a bad Adam Feeney miss for Sligo. Kelly saw a dangerous free brilliantly claimed on the goal-line by Sligo full-back Noah Philips but Leitrim took the lead when a foul on Cormac Moran was punished by a McCabe free nine minutes into the second half.

Duffy tied the scores from a mark six minutes later and after Kelly hit a wide and dropped one into the keeper, Sligo regained the lead 18 minutes into the second half when Duffy curled a long range effort over the Leitrim crossbar.

Then came a moment of controversy - Kelly brilliantly caught a Gavin Gallagher delivery in behind the defence, pulled perhaps as he fielded. He bore down on goal but Sligo sub Dante Currid made a vital block - to this Observer, it looked like a footblock but subsequent images showed it wasn’t.

However, the foul on Kelly was spotted and the Leitrim centre-forward tapped over to tie the scores once more. Once more, Sligo hit back with a Duffy free after Jack Moolick was yellow carded but Daire McCabe landed Leitrim’s first score from play, a brilliant effort on the run after a period of patient possession on 52 minutes.

That seemed to inspire Leitrim for less than a minute later, Jack Kelly lofted a brilliant effort from the dressing room corner over the crossbar and momentum was with Leitrim, a notion reinforced when Leitrim turned over the kickout but the Sligo keeper clawed Kelly’s long range effort from over the crossbar and away to safety.

Sean Carolan Morris left a long range free short and the sides were back level when Sligo sub Aaron Healy, literally seconds on the field, hit a monster 55 yard free high over the Leitrim crossbar to tie the scores. The home side turned over the kickout but Marc Clifford put a glorious chance wide.

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With two minutes of added time remaining, Daire McCabe drove a long range effort wide but Leitrim’s hopes were hit when Jack Moolick earned a second booking, a black card for pulling down a Sligo player. Sligo looked to have missed their chance when Currid fired wide a minute later.

However, Sligo turned over a Leitrim attack and they worked the ball to sub Conor Langan who was fouled and as the two minutes of added time expired, Duffy converted the free to break Leitrim hearts.

SLIGO

Scorers: Niall Duffy 0-6, 1M, 4f; Matthew Walsh, Marc Clifford & Aaron Healy (f) 0-1 each

Team: Gareth Cummins, Conor Murray, Noah Phillips, Shane Murphy, James Lavin, Alexander Lillie, Patrick Brady, Cian Nicholson, Conor McDonagh, Danny Woodrow, Niall Duffy, Matthew Walsh, Cathal Gilligan, Marc Clifford, Adam Feeney. Subs: Dante Currid for Murphy (39); Conor Langan for Walsh (42); Aaron Healy for Feeney (58)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Jack Kelly 0-5, 1M, 3f; Daire McCabe 0-3, 2f

Team: Sean Carolan Morris, Niall Torsney, Oran Foley, Luke Fitzsimons, Senan Bohan, Luke Braam Farrell, Bailey McBride, Cormac Moran, Gearoid Curley, Karl Gethins, Jack Kelly, Gavin Gallagher, Conor Reynolds, Jack Moolick, Daire McCabe. Subs: Ruairi O’Rourke for Reynolds (48); Kyle Russell for Curley (51)

Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo)