Third defeat for Minors but improved Leitrim showing against in-form Mayo

Leitrim suffered their third defeat of the Electric Ireland Connacht MFC on Friday night, this time at the hands of Mayo in Hastings Insurance Mac Hale Park but the scoreline hides a competitive outing from Karl Foley’s troops.

The scoreline is very harsh on Leitrim. The guests were much more competitive than the final tally suggests. Mayo might have been clear and deserving winners and secured a place in the Connacht final, but the scoreline masks a performance which took a long time to get motoring against a determined Leitrim outfit.

The home boys played around the edges of the Leitrim defensive wall for long periods and went long periods without a score, but to their credit the young Mayo boys never stopped looking for solutions and eventually found them.

Mayo made six changes to the team which started against Galway the previous week, but retained the Crossmolina cohort and the spine of the side which was successful in Tuam. However, this familiarity wasn't immediately apparent as it took Mayo a long time to find a rhythm.

The opening quarter was bizarre with total possession football from both sides and very few shots at the posts. The first effort arrived after six minutes from Mayo wing-back Barry Langan before the opening score of the evening occurred three minutes later when Leitrim full-forward Jack Kelly split the sticks.

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The guests were holding the ball well in their own half with full-backs Kyle Russell, Oran Foley and Luke Fitzsimon eye-catching while midfielders Bailey McBride and Cormac Moran were having the best of it around the middle.

Mayo's Kobe McDonald kicked the home side's first score after 13 minutes and his clubmate Josh Moyles added a point of his own soon after, but Letrim were posing a lot of questions which the home side took time to answer.

Impressive full-forward Kelly tied up the scores at 0-2 apiece after 17 minutes while his colleague Luke Braam Farrell kept a close watch on McDonald. This seemed to hinder Mayo somewhat and the home boys found space hard to find in attack.

However, gaps began to appear as half time approached and team captain Tom Hession came forward to punch over a point before a McDonald free and a snappy score from Fionn Ó Cinnseala put three between the teams after 26 minutes.

It seemed as if Mayo would pull away at that stage but Leitrim stuck to their guns and swapped pointed frees from Dáire McCabe and McDonald left the half-time score 0-6 to 0-3 in favour of the home side.

Things changed dramatically after the half-time break when Mayo took charge and midfielder Owen Loughney was sprung from the bench. Dylan Flynn knocked over a point and a goal quickly followed when Oisin Deane intercepted a clearance and bent a shot into the net from the left wing.

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That put clear daylight between the sides but Leitrim kept trying and one of their better players Jack Moolick saw his goal shot well saved by Nathan Roddy after 45 minutes.

That initiated another scoring spree from Mayo when McDonald crashed home a goal before Evan Walsh finished a high, hanging delivery into the net despite the presence of three Leitrim boys.

The guests got their only score of the half four minutes from the end when Bailey McBride burst forward for a fine point, but Mayo were out of sight at that stage and the home side eased to another well-earned win.

MAYO

Scorers: K McDonald 1-3, 2f; O Deane 1-1, 1f; E Walsh 1-0; T Hession, J Moyles, F Ó Cinnseala & D Flynn 0-1 each

Team: N Roddy; C Beale, T Hession, D Butler; B Langan, M Noonan, M Sheeran; J Moyles, K McDonald; A Quinn, F Ó Cinnseala, D Flynn; K Conway, O Deane, E Walsh. Subs: O Loughney for Conway (HT), H McHale & D Hurley for Sheeran & Quinn (47), M Feeney for Walsh (51), S Óg McGuinness for Langan (55)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Jack Kelly 0-2, 1f; Bailey McBride & Daire McCabe 0-1 each

Team: S Carolan Morris; K Russell, O Foley, L Fitzsimons; S Bohan, L Braam Farrell, N Torsney; B McBride, C Moran; K Gethins, J Moolick, G Gallagher; D McCabe, J Kelly, J Prior. Subs: S McGowan for Braam Farrell (27, blood), L Braam Farrell for McGowan (30), R Gordon and G Curley for Gethins and Prior (45), S McGowan for Russell (54), J Plunkett for Gallagher (55), J Hughes for Torsney (59)

Referee: J Donoghue (Roscommon)