Goals are golden for Mayo as they send Leitrim to relegation semi-final

Goals proved the difference for Leitrim in Saturday's TG4 All-Ireland SFC Relegation Semi-Final in Tubbercurry's Kilcoyne Park as Mayo twice found the net to consign last year's All-Ireland Intermediate Champions to the relegation final next week against Donegal.

In a battle of two more or less evenly matched foes, Mayo's ability to find the net proved the difference on the day as they repeated their Connacht campaign victory over Leitrim, albeit with an increased winning margin of seven points. It was so evenly matched that both teams missed penalties, Leitrim's injury time effort going high over the bar as Mayo held on for the vital victory.

It leaves Leitrim up against Donegal in the relegation final after the Ulster county suffered a 0-15 to 0-5 defeat in the other relegation semi-final on Saturday, meaning that the Green & Gold Ladies will twice be meeting their northern neighbours in the space of four days with the U16 team taking on Donegal in the All-Ireland C Final in Tempo on Tuesday July 15.

Saturday's loss to Mayo was one of those games that felt strange - a seven point loss didn't reflect how much effort Leitrim expended, nor how close the exchanges were out the field yet were it not for some good saves from Michelle Guckian and admittedly poor Mayo finishing in three one-on-one situations, it could have been a cakewalk for Mayo.

Nerves definitely abounded everywhere in this game - Leitrim started much more brightly but some poor misses meant that there early two point lead wasn't reflected on the scoreboard and when Sinead Walsh finished to the net 11 minutes in after a poor Leitrim kickout, a jittery Mayo found themselves in command without have done much to do so.

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Leitrim twice closed the Mayo lead to two points in the first half and again midway through the second half following a Michelle Guckian penalty save that got the Green & Gold crowd going in full voice but it was Mayo who displayed the cool edge in the final quarter, outscoring Jonny Garrity's side 1-4 to 0-2 in the final quarter.

Leitrim opened the scoring, Vivienne Egan’s quick pass to Muireann Devaney, on the edge of the square, for a fine point after just 20 seconds. Mayo almost hit back with a goal when a ball over the top found Mayo’s Lynda Hanley bearing down on goal with only Michelle Guckian to beat but the Leitrim captain made a good save.

Guckian was also in action at the other end, putting a free wide before a foul on the energetic Rachel McIntyre, one of the finds of the campaign, allowing the St Mary’s player to point the free for a two point Leitrim lead after five minutes.

Unfortunately, Guckian put another free wide two minutes later with Mayo’s Hannah Reape finishing a strong run with a fine point on eight minutes. Two minutes later, the lively Sinead Walsh converted a free to tie the scores.

The resulting kickout went astray and Mayo pounced, two quick passes and a strong run from Walsh seeing the Mayo sharpshooter blasting to the net from relatively close range. Leitrim tried to hit back but saw Ailbhe Clancy shoot wide while Mayo pulled off blocks on efforts from Clancy and Siomha Quinn.

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Mayo in the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland SFC Relegation Semi-Final in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry Picture: Willie Donnellan

Sinead Walsh added to her tally after a long dangerous ball into the area caused problems for Leitrim but a low pass from Leah Fox to her former club colleague Clancy resulted in a fine point, a goal briefly on the cards but the new Clontarf clubwoman was under pressure when shooting.

Mayo’s Clodagh Keane did well to gather a long ball and turn and shoot and they were left ruing another missed goal chance when Hanley shot straight at Michelle Guckian in a real let-off. The value of that miss was magnified as Leitrim quickly hit two points, Muireann Devaney pointing a wonderful effort after a long ball into the corner.

Devaney came up trumps again with another long delivery into the corner to cut the gap but Mayo replied with a fisted effort from the hard working Kathryn Sullivan that had the potential to be a goal as she charged in alone on goal after 24 minutes.

Michelle Guckian left a long range free short but Leah Fox managed to fire over an excellent point but after both teams missed effort, a well worked Walsh point gave Mayo a 1-6 to 0-6 halftime advantage.

Mayo made two changes for the second half with Ava McDonnell and Erin Murray making a big difference, McDonnell’s running and link-up play between the Leitrim lines meaning Mayo were less dependent on Walsh and more dangerous looking overall.

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Ailbhe Clancy converted a free in the first minute but Annie Gough matched it a minute later. Leah Fox finished off a good Leitrim move with a good point but Walsh replied from a free, all inside the first four minutes before the game took a bit of a breather scoring wise.

It wasn’t until the tenth minute that a long ball up to Devaney was worked back out to Laura O’Dowd for Leitrim’s ninth point but again Mayo replied instantly when Reape hit a long range point and it looked as if Mayo would take control when referee Gus Chapman awarded a penalty for a foul on Clodagh Keane.

Keane collected a long delivery before colliding with a defender. The spot-kick was awarded but Michelle Guckian literally stood tall to save Annie Gough’s penalty, the danger clear and Leitrim breaking down the field at pace and Devaney finishing with a great point from the corner.

That again cut the gap to two and after the penalty miss, momentum was all with leitrim but it was Mayo who started to utilise their running game to great effect and despite two wides, McDonnell and Erin Murray both hit points as Leitrim were struggling to get their kickouts past the Mayo cover at midfield. 

Sinead Walsh scores Mayo's first goal against Leitrim Picture: Willie Donnellan

Another Leitrim kickout was returned and Murray put over a point to put five between the teams with just under ten minutes to go. Walsh added a free but Clancy hit back with a great point after a period of patient Leitrim possession.

Leitrim were in a similar position in the Connacht game but they created a lot of chances that could have won them the game. Mayo obviously learned the lesson as they controlled the ball and made sure of victory as the game ticked into added time with their second goal of the game.

Hannah Reape’s long run seemed to take the wrong option as she went right with the ball instead of feeding the charging McDonnell. However, intricate passes from sub Ciara White and Murray eventually saw the ball passed across the face of the goal to an unmarked McDonnell who palmed the ball to the net.

Clancy pulled back a point after a Devaney pass but despite a few bad wides, Mayo replied with a fine point from Murray. Leitrim still had one last bite in them as they put together a great move but referee Chapman adjudged that there was a footblock on Ailbhe Clancy as she went for goal.

With time up and a yellow card for Mayo’s Saoirse Lally, harsh enough considering she dived full length on the ground to block the effort, Leitrim’s efforts to end the day with a goal were not to be as Clancy’s spot kick flew high over the bar.

MAYO

Scorers: Sinead Walsh 1-5, 3f; Ava McDonnell 1-1; Erin Murray 0-3; Hannah Reape 0-2; Annie Gough, Clodagh Keane & Kathryn Sullivan 0-1 each

Team: Julia Gawalkiewicz; Lucy Wallace, Nicola O’Malley, Ciara Durkin; Danille Caldwell, Ella Brennan, Sherin El Massry; Hannah Reape, Saoirse Lally; Lynda Hanley, Sinead Walsh, Aoife Geraghty; Annie Gough, Clodagh Keane, Kathryn Sullivan. Subs: Erin Murray & Ava McDonnell for Brennan & Hanley (HT), Ciara Whyte for Gough (49), Niamh Mooney for El Massry (57), Lillian Keane for C Keane (59)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Ailbhe Clancy 0-5, 1f, 1 pen; Muireann Devaney 0-4; Leah Fox 0-2; Michelle Guckian (f) & Laura O’Dowd 0-1 each

Team: Michelle Guckian; Jasmine Maye, Charlene Tyrrell, Eimear Quigley; Dearbhaile Beirne, Clare Owens, Rachel McIntyre; Niamh Tighe, Aisling Quinn; Muireann Devaney, Vivienne Egan, Aiblhe Clancy; Leah Fox, Sioma Quinn, Laura O’Dowd. Sub: Chloe Dolan for A Quinn (49)

Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo)