Moran pleased with Waterford win but expects tougher tests ahead

Job done thanks to a five point win over Waterford in the Tailteann Cup last Saturday evening but manager Andy Moran wants Leitrim to score more goals as he warned that next Sunday’s derby clash with Longford will be a much tougher test for the Green & Gold.

Speaking after the 0-17 to 0-12 victory over Waterford in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin, Moran revealed there were aspects of the game that pleased him but others not so much! “It was very similar to the game in Fraher Field - I think we played with the wind in the first half and we went in two points up and then in the second half, we just went and potted on scores, potted on scores. 

“There are certain aspects that we’d be really pleased with and how we played, getting young Cox onto the field for his debut. I thought Sweeney showed a lot more impetus when he came in, he looks like Evan Sweeney now and is nearly like a new player now which is great moving forward. Radek played really well at centre back.

“But there are some aspects there we wouldn’t be happy with, some of them are in the first half we didn’t think we had enough tackles in around the middle of the field and the second one is lads, if we start scoring goals, we’d be a serious team. 

“I think we had five or six goal scoring chances again tonight and that just makes a huge difference - if you go from 17 points to 2-17, that’s 23 points and that is a huge difference. That is where we’re looking to get to - we’re happy with the result.”

LEITRIM LADIES LET THE SHACKLES OFF BELIEVES CAPTAIN MICHELLE GUCKIAN

Winning was the main thing but Moran also revealed that getting back to winning ways after two losses was important: “We lost our last two games - unintentionally gave up the Sligo game with the U20s and with the injuries we had so it was nice to get back winning.

“I think the heat killed us for 20 minutes but if you haven’t played a game for five weeks, it does make that difference. In and around the middle of the field, we were getting them stopped but we just weren’t tackling them and letting them off.”

The Leitrim manager credited Waterford for much of Leitrim’s first half struggles: “I think Paul Shankey has done an unbelievable job even in terms of the physical conditioning of the Waterford boys which has come way up. This is a three, five, ten year project with counties like ourselves, like Waterford and he has done a great job in a short period of time and I think they’ll develop more. 

“You could see that when they beat Tipp, they went very close to Longford and in the last couple rounds of the League, yes Laois didn’t go well for them, but beating Tipp in the championship was huge for them. They’ve some really nice players like Dermot Ryan and the Currys and if you leave them go, they can cut you open. 

“You saw that against Tipperary, they were up by three points at halftime and playing with a gale force wind in the second half so when Waterford are running with the ball, that’s when they’re dangerous and we were just letting them away too easily.”

Told by the Observer that Kildare had handed Longford a 20 point defeat in the group’s other game, Andy quipped “You’re like my teletext, after every game you’re telling me the results!” but quickly turned serious when discussing Leitrim’s other opponents in the group: “Lets call a spade a spade - Kildare are looking to go and win this championship. I think Glenn Ryan and the boys probably need to win the championship if I’m being honest and we were probably expecting Kildare to win, but not by 20 points.”

Longford are next up and the memory of the League defeat in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park is still fresh in the mind: “I think the game that disappointed us most in the League was Longford. Yes we lost to Carlow but we actually played really well in the second half but I don’t think we got out of the traps against Longford, that was a game that really disappointed me so it is a huge game for us.

“You had to laugh when you saw the draw - Pearse Park again so let's go and see if we can reverse the result. It is going to be tough, they’re a really good team and they probably don’t think they belong in Division 4 so it is going to be a really tough game for us.”

Leitrim started without Mark Plunkett from the team named on Friday while Paul Keaney and Donal Casey are still out of action: “We’re not playing any tricks with Mark Plunkett, Mark was in the team and he hurt his groin before we even started the session on Thursday, very disappointed. We had played two challenge matches against Tipp and Carlow and he was probably the standout player. Hopefully in six days time he’ll be alright.

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“Paul Keaney, just with concussion after the Sligo game, we thought it was best he go play a challenge game with St Mary’s and Donal, we’ll know more about it on Sunday. We’re in a really good place, we have 15 on 15 in training, we have ten U20s and they have just lifted the whole place. 

“Ben Guckian very unlucky not to get on today, you saw what Coxy can do when he came on and there are a couple more guys pushing. What is exciting about this project is the talent is coming, we just need to be patient and wait for it.”