Blistering Galway start blows Leitrim away as Tribe lay down a marker

If Leitrim had some regrets about their narrow loss to Mayo just six days previously, there were none in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada as a ruthless and very impressive Galway demolished the challenge of last year's All-Ireland Intermediate Champions Leitrim in devastating fashion in the second round of the TG4 Connacht LGFA Senior Championship.

A rampant Galway obviously took heed of Mayo's close shave in Swinford last week as they blitzed Leitrim from the off, registering their first wide after 12 minutes but by that stage, they had already landed 1-8 to no score and the game was as good as over as a shell-shocked Green & Gold struggled to match their intensity and balls skills.

Leitrim, if they are lucky, won't come up against too many more teams of Galway's calibre this year as the 2024 All-Ireland SFC finalists demonstrated the gulf that exists between the top tier's elite teams and the rest of the competition. The Tribeswomen played with an intensity and a pace that simply overwhelmed Leitrim and saw them struggle to get out of their won half at times.

In fact, it took Leitrim 18 minutes in both halves to register their first scores of each half as Galway never allowed the home side even a hint of an upset, clearly learning from Mayo's inability to kill off the challenge of Jonny Garrity's side last year.

It was a rough lesson for the Green & Gold who found the Galway defence in tigerish form, smothering whatever ball came their way and limiting Leitrim to few and far between opportunities while their entire attack got on the scoreboard, their movement and unselfishness ensuring that Leitrim could never concentrate on just one dangerous attacking player.

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Leitrim battled as if their lives depended on it but it seemed that as fast as they cleared the ball, it was coming back at them with Galway's defenders led by captain Kate Geraghty, Nicola Ward and Hannah Noone in imperious form, restricting what is rightly regarded as a talented forward line to half chances and long range efforts for most of this contest.

The loss means that Leitrim's interest in the provincial championship is over with Mayo and Galway, who are due to meet next week, set to contest the final later this month while Leitrim must start planning for the All-Ireland series where they will face the Leinster champions and Munster runners-up.

Galway quickly set the tone for the contest with Leanne Coen cutting in from the left hand corner to score after 40 seconds. Lynsey Noone did the same from the other wing just over a minute later before Roisin Leonard fired over a free and a point from play, ominously all before the clock had reached five minutes action.

The visitors seemed intent on killing off Leitrim's challenge early and swift moves led to fine points from Olivia Divilly, Eva Noone and Leanne Coen before the death knell sounded for Leitrim challenge after just nine minutes, a Leitrim attack broken up and a swift, incisive passing move ending with Andrea Trill becoming the sixth member of the Galway attack to score when she drove home a goal.

Galway's first wide came after 12 minutes and while Leitrim tried to respond, their own accuracy problems, with the wind at their back, didn't help as Ailbhe Clancy put two shots from play and one free while while Eva Noone and Coen both hit wides. Leitrim may also have got a generous decision when Coen managed to palm a long range Leonard free to the Leitrim net after 17 minutes but it was ruled out for a square infringement.

The Leitrim team that was defeated by Galway Picture: Stefan Hoare

Leitrim finally got their first score after 18 minutes, a foul on Leah Fox, maybe a little bit soft, allowed Michelle Guckian to point while the lively Aoife Gilmartin completed a great move with a fine point two minutes later. Galway hit back with points from Divilly and Andrea Trill before Fox spun sharply to fire over a good point after 22 minutes.

Galway weren't quite as a deadly as they had been in the first ten minutes but they still rattled off points from Leonard (free) and Coen (2) to leave Leitrim trailing 1-13 to 0-5 at the halftime interval.

Leitrim made a change at the break, introducing Muireann Devaney for Aisling Quinn after the Glencar Manorhamilton player had missed the first half after playing in Sligo Rovers' 1-0 win over Peamount earlier in the day, but after a Clancy wide, Leonard opened the second half scoring from a free two minutes in.

Galway were becoming more wasteful, Divilly the only scorer for ten minutes as Leonard saw a shot hit the woodwork while Andrea Trill drilled a great goal chance wide with only Michelle Guckian to beat. Leonard added three more points, two from frees, as they now led by an imposing 18 points midway through the second half.

Just as in the first half, Leitrim opened their account 18 minutes in and again from a Michelle Guckian free but whatever good vibes that score created, they were washed away when Eva Noone palmed home a second Galway goal after two earlier efforts were repelled by Michelle Guckian and a defensive block.

Galway sub Kate Slevin and Eva Noone both added points before Muireann Devaney scored a fine effort from play with just over two minutes of normal time left. There was still time for Galway's Hannah Noone and Leanne Coen to add a point each to their tally as the Tribeswomen marched impressively into the Connacht Final.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Michelle Guckian 0-2, 2f; Aoife Gilmartin Leah Fox & Muireann Devaney 0-1 each

Team: Michelle Guckian, Edel Shanley, Charlene Tyrell, Eimear Quigley, Sarah Reynolds, Clare Owens, Rachel McIntyre, Niamh Tighe, Aisling Quinn, Aoife Gilmartin, Vivienne Egan, Ailbhe Clancy, Leah Fox, Siomha Quinn, Laura O’Dowd. Subs: Muireann Devaney for A Quinn (HT); Shaylyn Ward for S Quinn (48); Anna Devaney, Lauryn McKeon & Lauren Tivnan for Egan, Shanley & McIntyre (55)

GALWAY

Scorers: R Leonard 0-8, 5f; L Coen 0-5, E Noone 1-2, 1f; A Trill 1-1, O Divilly 0-3, L Noone, H Noone and K Slevin 0-1 each

Team: L O’Halloran; A Ní Cheallaigh, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty; H Noone, N Ward, C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; L Noone, O Divilly, L Coen; E Noone, R Leonard, A Trill. Subs: A Eilian for C Trill (ht), A Molloy for Ní Cheallaigh (44), A O’Rourke for O Divilly (47), K Slevin for Leonard (50), M Glynn for N Ward (53)

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo)