Improving Sligo inflict third League defeat on Leitrim

It is tempting to dismiss it as a game that meant nothing but Sunday's Lidl NFL Division 4 loss to neighbours Sligo will certainly have raised a few eyebrows as last year's TG4 All-Ireland IFC champions Leitrim suffered a third loss of the campaign, a loss that could not be said to have been unlucky.

A transformed Sligo, beaten last year by 34 points by Leitrim, were well worth their win and were it not for a late bout of indiscipline that saw them lose three players to yellow cards, the Yeats women would have been much more comfortable in the closing stages as they fended off a late surge.

As it was, Leitrim were left feeling this was a game that got away as Muireann Devaney cracked a shot off the Sligo crossbar deep into added time, a score that might have given Leitrim a draw as Sligo's  failure to drive home their advantage with costly wides and efforts that fell short almost all their good work.

Yet for all that, Leitrim are exactly where they want to be - in the semi-finals, where they will face leaders Antrim, with a chance to earn promotion to Division 3 with one win. They were on the other side of the equation last year when they suffered one loss in the entire campaign but then got ambushed by Limerick in the semi-finals.

If Leitrim can do the same, there will be few complaints over a campaign that has seen Jonny Garrity blood a lot of new faces but also suffer losses to the three teams that finished ahead of them in the table.

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The new faces have made an impact but what was evident from Sunday's loss is the loss of the running power and endurance of the Bruen sisters, Orla Flynn and Aine Redican along with the injured Laura O'Dowd has left the Green & Gold vulnerable to runners charging up through the middle, as Sligo and Fermanagh both did.

Garrity will undoubtedly take action between now and March 30, when the semi-final will be held  and there is a feeling in the Leitrim camp that they didn't perform well up in Belfast and that the Saffrons are more than a little vulnerable to the power of the Leitrim ladies.

But they now face the same proposition that they did 12 months ago - win and earn promotion, lose and another year in Division 4, a thought that seems unthinkable for a team that will contest the Senior Championship this year.

The Leitrim team that was defeated by Sligo in the Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 clash in Castleconnor Picture: Willie Donnellan

Sligo got off to a more than fortunate start when, straight from the throw-in, Ciara Walsh was released and her long range shot deceived Leitrim keeper Michelle Monaghan, dropping over her head and into the net to the surprise of virtually everyone in Castleconnor.

Leitrim tried for an instant response but Sligo keeper Ellen McGuire did well to keep out Muireann Devaney’s low shot and it was the home team who continued to set the pace but they hit three wides and dropped another shot as Leah Fox opened Leitrim’s account three minutes in.

Ailbhe Clancy tapped over a free but then hit a wide while Niamh Tighe saw a shot blocked and Leitrim drew level 11 minutes in when Michelle Guckian finished off a swift counter-attack with a fine point.

Sligo regained the lead when Ellen Kelleher played a one-two with Leah Duffy to score on 13 minutes and she quickly added another a minute later. Leitrim were now missing chances, Devaney and Leah Fox off target before Aoife Gilmartin burst through and scored a fine point, the ball going over via the far post.

But just as Leitrim were beginning to feel they had got to grips with Sligo, the home side broke through a second goal when Tara Breheny took off on a blistering run right down the centre of the Leitrim defence and found Anna McDaniel for a palmed goal on 19 minutes. 

The Sligo team who defeated Leitrim last Sunday in Castleconnor Picture: Willie Donnellan

Corner-back Aisling Molloy hit a well worked point while Duffy saw a point effort hit the post and virtually roll across the face of the goal. Nicola Brennan fired over as Sligo now led by six points but good work from Mollie Murphy and Gilmartin set up Devaney for a powerful shot that was tipped over the bar by the keeper.

Tara Breheny should have had a third goal as she again cut through the centre of the Leitrim defence but, with players either unmarked either side of a solitary Leitrim defender, she lifted her shot high over the bar.

Two Ailbhe Clancy points, one from a free and the second set up by Chloe Dolan, cut the gap before another Devaney point left a goal in it at halftime, Sligo leading 2-5 to 0-8 at the break.

Leitrim almost repeated what Sligo did at the beginning of the game at the start of the second half but Clancy unfortunately slipped after a Devaney ball over the top. Sligo were again creating chances, Monaghan saving a dipping shot from Sarah Feeney but the game was back level eight minutes after the restart.

A high ball saw Leah Fox get round her defender before planting a powerful shot in the Sligo net but crucially, Sligo responded instantly, Leah Duffy scoring a nice point before Michelle Guckian put a long range free wide.

Sligo were winning everything in the middle as Kelleher, Duffy (free), Regan, Kelleher and Regan again landed points in a five minute spell as Sligo now led by six points with a little over 12 minutes left on the clock.

The game took a big turn in Leitrim’s favour when Jennie Creegan was sin-binned for a foul on Fox, free converted by Clancy and last year’s TG4 IFC Final player of the match tapped over another free three minutes later.

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It looked as if Sligo were imploding when Cara King also picked up a yellow card, reducing the Yeatswomen to 13 for the closing stages but Michelle Guckian put the free wide while Clancy saw a free brilliantly fielding on the line by Ellen McGuire. Guckian did convert a free, a somewhat harsh call against the Sligo player to cut the gap back to a goal.

But that score, with more than three minutes of normal time and another three plus of added time, was the last of the game as Sligo, with just 13 players, proceeded to play keep ball for long periods and actually had enough time to see Creegan come back onto the field of play.

Leitrim did get one chance - a long ball found Leah Fox who was clearly fouled, she quickly found Muireann Devaney who launched a powerful shot from some 20 yards out but the ball crashed off the crossbar. Fox won the ball back and was clearly taken down by Sarah Feeney, picking up another yellow for Sligo, but it was worth it for the home side as Michelle Guckian’s free was easily blocked on the line for a famous Sligo victory.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Ailbhe Clancy 0-5, 4f; Leah Fox 1-1, Muireann Devaney & Michelle Guckian (f) 0-2 each; Aoife Gilmartin 0-1

Team: Michelle Monaghan, Mollie Murophy, Charlene Tyrell, Jasmine Maye, Sarah Reynolds, Clare Owens, Lauren Devaney, Niamh Tighe, Chloe Dolan, Aoife Gilmartin, Michelle Guckian, Ailbhe Clancy, Leah Fox, Muireann Devaney, Emma Guckian. Subs: Dearbhaile Beirne, Aisling Quinn & Rachel McIntyre for Dolan, E Guckian & L Devaney (HT); Roisin McHugh for Murphy (55)

SLIGO

Scorers: Ellen Kelleher 0-4; Anna McDaniel & Ciara Walsh 1-0 each; Leah Duffy (f) & Sinead Regan 0-2 each; Aisling Molloy, Tara Breheny & Nicola Brennan 0-1 each

Team: Ellen McGuire, Aisling Molloy, Claire Dunne, Jennie Creegan, Tara Breheny, Cara King, Ciara Walsh, Tara Doddy, Sinead Regan, Nicole Brennan, Ellen Kelleher, Nisha McDonagh, Sarah Feeney, Anna McDaniel, Leah Duffy. Sub: Eryn Lavin for Feeney (54)

Referee: Aaron Clogher (Roscommon)