Goal mad Antrim too strong as Leitrim crash out in League semi-final

If goals kill games, Leitrim looked like the walking dead as they fought back time and again in their Division Four league semi-final loss to Antrim in Kingscourt today.

Leitrim will spend another year in Division Four as goal-crazy Antrim head straight back up to Division Three next season with a 5-8 to 3-10 victory.

What was a stellar game for neutrals watching was a frustrating one for Leitrim, who put on a patchy and at times bewildering display.

The Green and Gold played brilliant, open, attacking football, scoring beautiful goals and points off the back of wonderful flowing attacks, but coupled it with conceding scores, possession, and momentum through constant erroneous passes. This was Leitrim's main issue, as misplaced passes out of the back cost them at least two goals and a slew of points.

Antrim had a blistering start, opening the scoring in the second minute with a fisted point from Ana Mulholland. A minute later, her partner in midfield, Aine Tubridy, was in for a goal after receiving a smart handpass that put her behind the full-back line. She was well stood up by Michelle Monaghan in the Leitrim goal but managed to keep composed and slipped a shot in for the opening goal of the game.

Leitrim were picking the ball out of the net again less than 30 seconds later after a stray kick-out landed into the hands of Antrim captain Bronagh Devlin, who returned it over the head of Monaghan to put Antrim 2-1 up after three minutes.

A killer start for Antrim ladies, but clearly, Leitrim were not in the mood to lie down. Two minutes later, Leitrim’s Leah Fox put a bouncing pass from midfield in front of Muireann Devaney, who pounced on it, turned, and went at goal along the end line, cutting inside and hammering a shot home for the perfect response.

Leitrim’s collective attack looked dangerous and impressive every time they got the ball inside the Antrim 45, but it is hard to see where they would have been without Muireann Devaney on the day, as she acted as the key lynchpin for them going forward at times and was a constant goal threat.

Leitrim captain Michelle Guckian converted two frees from range in the next five minutes to put Leitrim right back in the game.

On the attack again, hard running and quick handpassing between Devaney and her Manorhamilton teammate Ailbhe Clancy got Clancy a shot on goal, which was stopped with a foot block, and Leitrim had a penalty. Clancy took it herself, slotting it into the right bottom corner.

Another Glencar Manorhamilton stalwart, Leah Fox, added another point on 18 minutes, and suddenly, after a dream start, Antrim had not scored in 15 minutes, while Leitrim had gone from seven points down to one up, hitting 2-3 without reply.

It was a battle all over the field at this stage, one Leitrim was winning as they fought hard to get scores on the board and put on a brave, scrambling defensive display to nullify the Antrim attack down the other end.

But as was the case throughout the game, what Leitrim won hard, they lost easily. When a long ball from Antrim found full-forward Lara Dahunsi on the edge of the square, she turned and hammered a fast, low shot into the net.

The momentum had shifted, and suddenly Leitrim were trying to get to halftime with minimal damage as Antrim broke the line and whipped a low shot at the bottom corner of the Leitrim goal, which Monaghan managed to get down to block.

Antrim popped over frees from Sarah O’Neill and Bronagh Devlin before Leitrim hit back with a beautiful point from the outside of Laura O’Dowd’s boot. Antrim scored three more without reply from Bronagh Devlin, Theresa Mellon, and corner-back Niamh McIntosh.

To end the half, Muireann Devaney won a kick pass inside before handing off to Clancy, who pulled a point back for Leitrim before the break.

Antrim started the second half much like the first, as Maria O’Neill intercepted a Charlene Tyrell pass coming out from the Leitrim defence. A quick handpass across put Nicole Jones in for a palmed goal and her second of the day.

And just like the first half, Leitrim reacted to Antrim’s perfect start with a goal of their own - again from Devaney, who received a perfectly weighted handpass from Aoife Gilmartin over the full-back line. This put her through on goal, where she rifled a shot into the net.

Once again, the comeback was on as Michelle Guckian followed up with a point before Devaney hit another of her own, and Leitrim were within three.

From then on, however, Leitrim struggled massively to get the ball out of their defence as Antrim put on the pressure and picked up a slew of stray passes while they hit points from Aine Tubridy and Bronagh Devlin and kept Leitrim pinned back.

Leitrim looked to be mounting a late comeback led by Laura O’Dowd, as the Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins woman knocked over two points on the trot. That resurgence was put to rest after Theresa Mellon made a blistering run before delivering a long kick into Maria O’Neill, who cut in behind the Leitrim defence and finished the ball to the net for Antrim’s fifth and final goal.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Muireann Devaney 2-1; Ailbhe Clancy 1-1,1p; Michelle Guckian (2f) & Laura O’Dowd 0-3 each; Leah Fox 0-2

Team: Michelle Monaghan, Mollie Murphy, Charlene Tyrell, Jasmine Maye, Sarah Reynolds, Clare Owens, Lauren Devaney, Niamh Tighe, Chloe Dolan, Aoife Gilmartin, Michelle Guckian, Ailbhe Clancy, Síomha Quinn, Muireann Devaney, Laura O'Dowd. Subs: Vivienne Egan for Dolan (30); Siomha Quinn for Fox (40); Emma Guckian for Murphy (47); Shaylyn Ward for Gilmartin (54) 

ANTRIM

Scorers: Bronagh Devlin 2-3, 2f; Aine Tubridy 1-1; Maria O’Neill & Nicole Jones 1-0 each; Sarah O’Neill 0-2, 2f; Niamh McIntosh, Ana Mulholland, Theresa Mellon & Aoife Kelly 0-1 each

Team: Aine Devlin, Niamh McIntosh, Maeve Blaney, Maeve Mulholland, Sarah O'Neill, Ciara Brown, Dúana Coleman, Ana Mulholland, Aine Tubridy, Theresa Mellon, Omolara Dahunsi, Aoife Kelly, Bronagh Devlin, Nicole Jones, Maria O'Neill. Subs: L Agnew for Jones (43); O Ni Corra for Tubridy (50); C McKenna for S O’Neill (53); A Turley for Ni Corra (54)

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)