Down goal rush batters Leitrim to submission

Leitrim Minors saw their year end on a disappointing note when an impressive Down hit four second half goals to bring their interest in this year’s Electric Ireland Tier 3 All-Ireland to an end in Lavey, Co Cavan on Saturday afternoon.

Up against a Down team that failed to advance to the Ulster Minor semi-finals thanks to the vagaries of scoring difference, Leitrim battled manfully but once the floodgates opened in the second half, the Green & Gold had no answer for a team that simply looks far too good for this grade.

Without the inspirational Cormac Moran in the middle of the park, Leitrim were always going to struggle and when they took to the field with an injury hampered Daire McCabe, the odds did not look promising but Karl Foley’s side fought with everything they had and pushed Down for 40 minutes.

The Mourne men started strongly but then seemed to flounder against Leitrim’s committed massed defence and it was only a goal in the last minute of the half, compounding the loss of McCabe who had to leave the fray three minutes earlier, it gave the Ulstermen a bit of breathing space they scarcely deserved.

But Down were a different animal in the second half - Leitrim did hit two points but by the time the goal-fest started, they had already gone ten points clear and were clearly the superior side, their intensity upped considerably and it showed on the scoreboard.

REPORT: LEITRIM PUSH KILDARE ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH IN TAILTEANN CUP

Paul McGovern got their second goal on 47 minutes, Gearoid Curley hitting back for Leitrim with a green flag but the Mourne men then hit Leitrim for an unanswered 3-2 as they repeatedly ripped through the centre of the Leitrim defence.

It was a disappointing end for Leitrim with Karl Foley confirming that he was stepping down from his post after two years in charge. It brought to an end a frustrating campaign where Leitrim showed sparks of potential but suffered two heartbreaking one point losses to Sligo that defined their season.

Leitrim got off to a bright start with two Kelly points, one from a free, the second after a great catch from Jack Moolick from a kickout and long delivery, either side of a Barra McEvoy free for Down. The Mourne men would, however, hit five unanswered points inside the first ten minutes from Conor Ward (2), Darragh Poland, Charlie McGrath and Liam Blaney.

The signs looked ominous but Leitrim dug in, Kelly swapped frees with McEvoy before Kyle Russell’s intercept and run led to another point for the Glencar Manor man. Lorcan Lynch for Down and Daire McCabe from a free swapped points before Kelly did extremely well to gather a high ball to point after 20 minutes.

Kelly, however, missed a free to cut the gap back to a single point and Down saw the impressive Paul McGovern score a monster point from 50 yards in response. Kelly missed another free and Down took advantage of that, McEvoy converting a free while Leitrim also lost Daire McCabe to injury.

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Down in the Electric Ireland Tier 3 All-Ireland MFC Semi-Final in Lavey Picture: Ian McCabe

His replacement Conor Reynolds hardly had time to get used to the pace of the game when he was swamped in his own defence, hastily getting rid of the ball with Down pounced as Daniel McKiernan put Conor Ward clear for the game’s opening goal after 29 minutes.

Leitrim did finish with a Kelly free after a foul on Ruairi O’Rourke but Down led 1-10 to 0-7 at the break and despite an early point from Daniel Carr, Leitrim were competing well with frees from Conor Reynolds and Kelly, both awarded for frees on Ruairi O’Rourke, cut the gap back to five points.

Down almost grabbed a second goal through Darragh Poland but Scott Kerr made a superb save from the Down centre-forward with Bailey McBride clearing the ball off the line but the Ulster side were dominating and it showed with three unanswered points from Cormac Small, Liam Blaney (free) and Ward.

That left Leitrim trailing 1-14 to 0-9 ten minutes into the second half with manager Karl Foley introducing Cillian McWeeney and Sean Carolan Morris for Oran Foley and Scott Kerr with Down continuing to pull away with points from McEvoy and McGrath.

Then the goals started to come - Paul McGovern burst up through the middle for Down’s second goal but a minute later, Leitrim hit back when a long ball to Kelly saw him beat his man and float the ball across the face of the goal for Gearoid Curley to palm home his third goal in two matches.

FANS PICTURE GALLERY FROM LEITRIM V KILDARE IN PEARSE PARK

That only seemed to infuriate Down as they hit back with 3-2 in the next five minutes, Paul McGovern pounced for his second goal after the Leitrim defence lost the ball before sub Adam McCann Gibbs pounced on a poor kickout and charge through before passing the ball across goal for Daniel Carr to palm to the net.

McCann Gibbs’ incredible pace led to a fifth Down goal when he charged through the centre of the Leitrim defence to fire home either side of two McEvoy points. Leitrim kept battling with Curley going close to a second goal while Kelly would add two more points to bring his total to ten with Down sub James O’Hanlon finishing his team’s scoring.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Jack Kelly 0-10, 5f; Gearoid Curley 1-0; Daire McCabe (f) & Conor Reynolds (f) 0-1 each

Team: Scott Kerr; Oran Foley, Luke Braam Farrell, Luke Fitzsimons, Kyle Russell, Bailey McBride, Gearoid Curley, Jack Moolick, Karl Gethins, Gavin Gallagher; Senan Bohan, Daire McCabe, Jack Kelly, Ruairi O’Rourke. Subs: Conor Reynolds for McCabe (24); Cillian McWeeney for Foley (41); Sean Carolan Morris for Kerr (43); Senan McGowan for Torsney (48); Ryan Gordon for O’Rourke (54)

DOWN

Scorers: Paul McGovern 2-1; Barra McEvoy 0-6, 4f; Conor Ward 1-3; Daniel Carr 1-1; Adam McCann Gibbs 1-0; Charlie McGrath & Liam Blaney (f) 0-2; Cormac Small, Lorcan Lynch, James O’Hanlon & Darragh Poland 0-1 each

Team: Callum Travers, Charlie McGrath, Oisin Murphy, Aaron McClelland, Cormac Small, Jon Rogers, Lorcan Lynch, Daniel McKiernan, Liam Blaney, Conor Ward, Darragh Poland, Paul McGovern, Daniel Carr, Barra McEvoy, Shane McParland. Subs: Adam McCann Gibbs for McParland (42); James O’Hanlon for Poland (48); Eoin McCaffrey for McGrath (50); Danny McClogan for McGovern (52); Lorcan Murray for Blaney (56)

Referee: Barry McMenamin (Cavan)