Leitrim Minors fall to impressive Roscommon once more in Ballinamore

Luck may have deserted Leitrim in their first Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship game but it didn’t play a part in a sunny Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin on Friday evening as a clinical and impressive Roscommon proved too good for them despite their best efforts.

Roscommon controlled this game for long periods, their patient play mixed with an effective long ball game that caused Leitrim no end of their problems but it was their ability to stem Leitrim’s progress and force turnovers that truly proved the difference between the teams.

After a composed defensive performance against Sligo, Karl Foley’s team tried to play a bit more on the front foot but Roscommon’s ability to intercept and disrupt the Green & Gold attack provided them with a lot of possession while the concession of fouls provided a steady stream of frees for the eventual victors.

Roscommon opened a seven point gap early in the second half seemingly without much effort, their patient play finding holes in the Leitrim defence while Cathal Enright’s superb finish for the game’s first goal, again started by a turnover and a strong Declan Kennedy run, emphasised the difference between the sides.

Then Leitrim seemed to throw caution to the wind with the strong running of Kyle Russell creating opportunities and a little bit of havoc in the Roscommon defence but it was still a surprise to see joint captain and full-back Oran Foley pop up to blast the ball to the Roscommon net on 26 minutes.

LEITRIM MANAGER KARL FOLEY UNHAPPY WITH REFEREE'S DECISIONS IN SLIGO LOSS

That injected a good deal of confidence in the Leitrim lads and they tore into their opponents but halftime came too quickly and when Roscommon came out in the second half, they bossed the rest of the game despite an early Daire McCabe free reducing the gap to just two points a minute into the second period.

The fact that Leitrim scored just three second half points to 1-6 for the Roscommon men tells the tale of the tape - Roscommon’s excellent long range kick passing often negated Leitrim’s defensive alignment while Shay McGuinness, Dara Curran, Stephen Tighe and Eoin Collins pulled the strings.

Leitrim next face leaders Mayo next Friday in Castlebar with their chances of reaching the semi-finals taking a huge hit after this defeat.

The first 12 minutes was pretty much tit for tat with both teams swapping scores and wides - Colm Murray and Dara Curran, two frees, were on target for the visitors while Jack Kelly, Senan Bohan and Kelly (free) registered for Leitrim before a Leitrim interception led to a long ball to Kelly which he worked back to his Glencar Manorhamilton clubmate Bailey McBride for a fine score.

Dean Casey tied the scores from a free to tie the scores and Roscommon started to pull ahead with four unanswered points - Casey from a free before Gordon Casey fired over after the visitors turned over a Leitrim attack. Stephen Tighe added a point after a brilliant Roscommon move from defence before Shay McGuinness put his side four up by the 19th minute.

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Roscommon in Ballinamore Picture: Willie Donnellan

Gavin Gallagher halted the Roscommon tide temporarily with a well worked point but after Roscommon’s Declan Kennedy took off on a powerful run, his precise pass found McGuinness who handpassed to Cathal Enright in space and the Elphin man produced a wonderfully delicate finish to nudge the ball into the Leitrim net on the near side.

Eoin Collins added a point a minute later and suddenly Leitrim were trailing by seven points after 22 minutes. That prompted a spell of Leitrim attacking with abandon, capped off when Gavin Gallagher’s high ball into Jack Moolick came down at the feet of full-back Oran Foley who made no mistake from close range.

Leitrim’s abandon saw them pressurise Roscommon before the break with Kyle Russell finishing a strong run with a good point to leave Leitrim 1-9 to 1-6 behind at the break and the gap closed to two points when Daire McCabe converted a good free a minute into the second half.

That unfortunately was as good as it got for Leitrim - Darragh Devaney robbed a Leitrim defender to set up Stephen Tighe for a fisted point before Cathal Enright finished a Roscommon break with a fine point eight minutes into the half. Tighe then added another point after a great ball to McGuinness.

Daire McCabe’s 41st minute free after a foul on Gallagher cut the gap back to four but Leitrim needed Sean Carolan Morris to make an excellent save to deny McGuinness a certain goal after another turnover, Rowscommon putting the free wide.

However, it seemed to matter little as two more Tighe points, one from a free, left six points between the teams with less than 10 minutes of normal time left. It didn’t help that Leitrim were missing some relatively easy chances and Roscommon sealed a comfortable win when another long delivery found McGuinness, the offload finding Dara Curran who sidestepped his way to a clinical goal.

MOHILL TO HOST PHILLY MCGUINNESS CONNACHT B FINAL

That killed off the game with just over five minutes of normal time left, Daire McCabe scoring a lovely point for Leitrim with Roscommon sub Sean McDonnell adding his team’s final score, the winners missing three late chances to pad their winning total.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Daire McCabe 0-3, 2f; Oran Foley 1-0; Jack Kelly 0-2, 1f; Kyle Russell, Senan Bohan, Bailey McBride & Gavin Gallagher 0-1 each

Team: Sean Carolan Morris, Kyle Russell, Oran Foley, Luke Fitzsimons, Senan Bohan, Luke Braam Farrell, Bailey McBride, Cormac Moran, Gearoid Curley, Niall Torsney, Jack Kelly, Gavin Gallagher, Daire McCabe Jack Moolick, Joey McBrien. Subs: Conor Reynolds for Curley (26); Karl Gethins for McBrien (HT); Jamie Plunkett for Torsney (46); Jack Prior for Bohan (57); Cillian McWeeney for Gallagher (61)

ROSCOMMON

Scorers: Dara Curran 1-2, 2f; Stephen Tighe 0-4, 1f; Cathal Enright 1-1; Shay McGuinness & Dean Casey (f) 0-2 each; Gordon Casey, Colin Murray, Eoin Collins & Sean McDonnell 0-1 each

Team: Patrick Gaynor, Liam Finneran, Gordon Casey, Martin Connaughton, Alan Conroy, Keelan Kelly, Colin Murray, Darragh Devaney, Cathal Enright, Stephen Tighe, Eoin Collins, Declan Kennedy, Dara Curran, Shay McGuinness, Dean Casey. Subs: Sean McDonnell for D. Casey (38); Joe McKeon for Conroy (46); Conor Kennedy for McGuinness (55); Anthony Cox for Murray (56); Jeffrey Oates for G Casey (59)

Referee: Shane Corcoran (Mayo)