Frustration and pride as battling Leitrim miss glorious chance to shock Sligo

To say that sport can be undeniably cruel is underselling what transpired in the sweltering heat in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada on Sunday afternoon as a defiant Leitrim produced a barnstorming display that should have defeated Sligo only for the Yeatsmen to prevail thanks to some profligate finishing.

Sunday’s display was much more like what Steven Poacher’s warriors produced against Mayo and they went incredibly close to shocking a Sligo side who beat them by an incredible 22 points in the League, the Yeatsmen leaving Carrick feeling as if they had got away with a very big one on Sunday.

Leitrim led by three points at the break, a lead that exploded to seven when Barry McNulty drilled home six minutes into the second half. But in a precursor of the troubles that would afflict the Green & Gold, Darren Cox was denied a second Leitrim goal four minutes later that would have left the home side ten points clear and cruising.

On such small moments, games change - Sligo went down the field where the impressive David Quinn lobbed over a massive two pointer and a minute later, disaster struck when Daire O’Shea’s attempted palmed clearance came to Cian Lally, two passes later and Darragh Cummins was palming the ball to the net.

That meant Leitrim, in the space of less than two minutes saw a potential ten point lead reduced to just two, ripping the heart out of Leitrim’s challenge and infusing the Yeatsmen with a vital dose of self-belief at a time when they seemed to be imploding in Pairc Sean.

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Quinn’s two pointers would haunt Leitrim - twice more he struck, first wiping out a two point Leitrim lead before edging the visitors in front for the first time after 62 minutes. Three minutes later, Sligo produced the killer second goal and you’d be forgiven for thinking that was all she wrote.

But no, Lady Luck had far worse in store for the Green & Gold as, in the final minutes of added time, Leitrim conspired to butcher four superb goal chances - Barry McNulty shaving the outside of the post with one effort while seeing Aidan Devaney tip another over the crossbar, sub Joe McGloin had a shot saved on the line by Evan Lyons before one more McNulty effort was driven wide.

It was a fantastically battling effort from the Green & Gold but those late misses left both players and fans, admittedly in a paltry attendance of 1,269 paying spectators, frustrated that what would have been a famous and thoroughly deserved victory had slipped through the grasp of Poacher’s young team.

That youth was double edged - Sligo’s experience and ability to absorb Leitrim’s blows always gave them a puncher’s chance and when the opportunities arose, they took them with the cold-eyed efficiency of a team with hard won experience.

Yet it was Leitrim’s youth and fearlessness that got them back in the game - Sligo went six point clear as the game ticked into added time but it was the Yeatsmen who were hanging on for dear life at the finish, Leitrim launching wave after wave of attack on the scoreboard end in a bid to earn the rewards they deserved.

Considering what they had endured in Cedral St Conleth’s Park against Kildare, this performance was a revelation and speaks volumes about the self-belief, spirit and steel Poacher had instilled in a young and inexperienced squad that deserved so much more from this game than they got.

The Leitrim team stands for the national anthem before the game Picture: Willie Donnellan

Leitrim got off the sort of start they would have dreamed about, Ben Guckian lobbing a monster 50 with the wind behind him after a minute before Keith Keegan disrupted the Sligo kickout, racing forward to fire over a fine point.

Niall Murphy responded from a free before both teams missed chances, Murphy & Spillane for Sligo and Jack Flynn from place before Sligo drew level inside eight minutes thanks to points from Alan Reilly and Patrick O’Connor.

The narrative was expected to be Sligo taking command but instead Jack Foley fisted over a Riordan O’Rourke shot that fell short and despite a McNulty free going wide, Leitrim were holding their own as Darragh Cummins saw a shot blocked.

However, momentum appeared to be going against Leitrim when referee James Molloy handed Cillian McGloin a black card for a block off the ball on Sligo’s Paul McNamara, David Quinn pointing a minute later.

Instead, Leitrim took the fight to Sligo - great work from Keith Keegan released Riordan O’Rourke for a fine point, Pat Spillane cut in from the corner to equaliser but a three man breach saw McNulty fire over a two point free to open up a gap. Murphy’s attempt to reply saw his fisted effort come off the post.

Tom Prior concluded a period of patient possession with a fine score and while Patrick O’Connor responded, Leitrim were flying with Darren Cox and Tom Prior finishing off quick counters to open up a four point lead.

Two wides apiece was followed by a mini Sligo rally, Cian Lally and Quinn pointing but when a free was moved in for dissent, Barry McNulty converted to give Letirim a 0-11 to 0-8 halftime lead.

Leitrim again started strongly, Daire O’Shea putting a two point free wide but when James Rooney gathered the kickout and was fouled, the ball was advanced and Barry McNulty converted to stretch the lead to four. Tom Prior had a bad miss before Daire O’Shea leapt high to deny O’Connor a two point Sligo score.

Donal Casey shot wide on the run but then Leitrim hit a stunning goal - Alan Reilly made a spectacular catch in his own defence but a well timed McNulty tackle dislodged the ball and the Glencar Manorhamilton man brilliantly drilled the ball to the Sligo net to great cheers from the Leitrim support.

Leitrim almost went ten points clear on ten minutes - Daire O’Shea’s booming free was fielded by McNulty who released Darren Cox but Aidan Devaney did extremely well to deny the Annaduff forward, the danger cleared with Sligo coming straight down the field for David Quinn to lob a monster two point effort over the bar.

Quinn tried to repeat the trick a minute later but Daire O’Shea’s attempted denial of the two pointer, that he had earlier pulled off, came with a huge cost as the ball fell right to Patrick O’Connor, a quick pass found Cian Lally who passed across the goal for Darragh Cummins to palm the ball to the net.

Momentum was with Sligo but Cox steadied Leitrim from a free before Riordan O’Rourke had a shot blocked. Niall Murphy fired over, O’Connor hit a wide but a good move was well finished by Ben Guckian to leave Leitrim three clear, Cox also having a long range shot punched clear by the Sligo keeper.

Sligo were now moving well, Murphy fisted over before Quinn landed his second two pointer to tie the score with 14 minutes of normal time left. Back came Leitrim, Tom Prior bursting through on the run to score but a third Quinn two-pointer of the half put Sligo in front for the first time on 62 minutes.

Then came disaster, Cian Lally and Niall Murphy combined to find space in Leitrim’s left hand corner, Murphy lobbing the ball across the face of the goal for sub Jack Lavin to palm to the Leitrim net and a real killer blow. 

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Luck was certainly going Sligo’s way, sub Shane Deignan losing control of the ball on the run but pulling on it to send it over the bar. Darren Cox converted a free, moved in 50 metre but a Patrick O’Connor two pointer left six between the teams in the first minute of added time.

Then came the heartbreaking misses - a long ball found McNulty, he twisted and turned but grazed the outside of the post with his low shot. Another high ball to McNulty led to his Glencar Manorhamilton clubmate James Rooney firing over a good point.

McNulty went for goal again but Devaney managed to push the ball over the crossbar to deny him a goal before Joe McGloin saw his shot saved on the line and cleared by Evan Lyons as Letirim threw everything at Sligo. There was even time for one more effort but McNulty’s low shot flew wide of the posts as the visitors escaped with the win.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Barry McNulty 1-5, 2f, 1 tp; Tom Prior & Darren Cox (2f) & Ben Guckian (tp) 0-3 each; James Rooney, Jack Foley, Keith Keegan & Riordan O’Rourke 0-1 each

Team: Daire O'Shea; Éanna McNamara, Donal Casey, Kieran Clancy; James Rooney, Mark Diffley, Jack Foley; Barry McNulty, Cillian McGloin; Jack Flynn, Keith Keegan, Tom Prior; Ben Guckian, Riordan O'Rourke, Darren Cox. Subs: Conor Quinn for McGloin (60); Joe McGloin for Keegan (62); David Feeney for O’Rourke (67)

SLIGO

Scorers: David Quinn 0-8, 3 tp; Patrick O’Connor 0-4, 1 tp; Darragh Cummins & Jack Lavin 1-0 each; Niall Murphy 0-3, 1f;  Alan Reilly, Cian Lally, Pat Spillane, Shane Deignan 0-1 each

Team: A Devaney; E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara; B Cox, D Cummins, L Towey; P Kilcoyne, P O'Connor; A Reilly, D Quinn, C Lally; A McLoughlin, N Murphy, P Spillane. Subs: M Gordon & J Lavin for Towey & Reilly Lyons (48); S Deignan for Spillane (59); P Laffey for Kilcoyne (67)

Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)