LEITRIM LOOKING FOR HOME COMFORTS

Leitrim may be on the road next Sunday for the second round of the Tailteann Cup but it is home they are thinking of as a victory against Longford in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park would assure them of at least home advantage in the preliminary quarter-finals.

Leitrim's 0-17 to 0-12 victory over Waterford and Longford's heavy 3-25 to 1-11 defeat at the hands of Kildare means that a win or a draw would guarantee Andy Moran's side home advantage in the preliminary quarter finals ahead of the final group clash with Kildare over the June Bank Holiday weekend.

Leitrim's record in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park is not a happy one with the most recent meeting a chastening 1-16 to 0-13 defeat in the Allianz League campaign at the start of March but the pressure is very much on Paddy Christie's side after their heavy defeat in Hawkfield last Saturday as they will need a win to get back on track for qualifying for the knockout stages.

Longford felt the full force of the Kildare backlash last Saturday after the Lilywhites were consigned to this year's Tailteann Cup and Glenn Ryan's side are being tipped as the favourites for this year's competition with Leitrim due to meet the Leinster side at a neutral venue in the final round of games.

Finishing top of the group comes with the prize of a place in the semi-finals while the teams that finish second and the three best third placed teams along with New York facing off in the preliminary quarter finals, the teams who finish second enjoying home advantage for the tie.

MORAN PLEASED WITH WATERFORD WIN BUT EXPECTS TOUGHER TESTS AHEAD

Ryan O'Rourke and Nevin O'Donnell were both named on the first Tailteann Cup Team of the Year by GAA.ie following their exploits against Waterford. Fenagh St Caillins' O'Rourke hit five points from play in the first half against the Deise footballers while O'Donnell converted three second half placed balls as the Shannon Gaels Cavan clubman made an impact at the other end of the field from his normal goalkeeping duties.

London, who shocked Offaly in Tullamore with a 2-22 to 0-10, Kildare and Down both have two players  on the Team of the Week with Fermanagh's Che Cullen and Sligo's Alan McLoughlin also making the cut along with players from Tipperary, Laois, Carlow and Antrim.

Leitrim face Longford in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park next Sunday May 19, at 2.30 pm.

In other news, Leitrim’s All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship C Final against Monaghan has been fixed for Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday May 25, at 4pm. There has been some hope that it may be fixed for Croke Park like last year but while the U20 B Final involving Roscommon will be played at GAA headquarters, the hurlers will be heading to Cavan.