“Savage” - McGloin makes Leitrim return as brothers' debuts against Mayo

Cillian McGloin was one of three big figures for Leitrim who returned to the matchday line-up as the green and gold asked big questions of a lacklustre Mayo at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada on Saturday evening.

“The boys that we had throughout the league are only starting their inter-county careers. So, it does need a couple like McNulty, Casey, and myself, coming back and with just a little bit more experience.”

The game marked McGloin's first full appearance since returning from a lengthy injury spell. He had seen limited minutes against Offaly and Sligo in the league, but this was another level entirely, and he stresses that there is no easing into games against top-tier opposition.

“When you play the likes of Mayo, Galway, these teams, they're in your face straight away. So you just have to get right up to that intensity straight away.”

The physical battle was a key subplot of the game, with a fierce contest unfolding in wet conditions. It boiled over in added time, when McGloin and Mayo’s David McBrien were both shown black cards after a manic phase of defending from Leitrim. There had been talk of a potential hammering for Leitrim in the build-up; however, with just one point in it at half time, McGloin felt the game was there for the taking.

READ MORE: Battling Leitrim restore hope as they test off-colour Mayo to the limit

“I was like, if we can come out strong here,” he says. “Personally, I thought we needed to put in a goal to get that, because I know how clinical they are and they have some of the top forwards in the country there.” 

Amazingly, at just 26, the Kinlough man is already one of the elder statesmen on the Leitrim team. Alongside Man of the Match Barry McNulty and Casey, he added size, strength, and leadership to a Leitrim squad badly hit by injuries during the league campaign.

“The turnover we had of players was unnatural,” he says. “It's obviously been a tough league. Going back down to Division 4. But talent's there, you know. And for myself, it's very encouraging even just to come back. And play amongst some of them, younger boys that I wouldn't have played with before, I can see so much there, and there is so much there to work with coming towards the future.”

Among those younger players is McGloin’s younger brother, Joseph, who made his senior Leitrim debut as a second-half substitute against Mayo.

It was “savage” to share the pitch with him, McGloin says: “Great to see him come on down, great to get him a few minutes now, and hopefully, you know, he enjoys it. I know when I played my first game, you get addicted to it. It's one of those things, as soon as you get a taste for it you want to just keep going after that.”

More game time is something McGloin is hoping for after a frustrating spell with injuries in recent years, though he says the setbacks have taught him a lot.

“Injuries, I know I kind of got stung with them bad, but the funny thing with injuries is the more times it happens, the more experience you get with them, you know, and the more, you know, I look after a body then,” he says.

In the end, Mayo’s experience and attacking strength off the bench proved decisive in this rocky Connacht semi-final, as they booked a place in the final while Leitrim head for the Tailteann Cup with signs of renewed momentum.