Battling Leitrim undone by blistering Donegal

A battling Leitrim fought like tigers in Tuesday’s LGFA All-Ireland U16 C Championship but eventually found the power of an impressive Donegal too much to handle in Tempo Maguires’ ground, a late blast of goals putting an unjust gloss on the scoreline for the Ulster champions.

Leitrim took the game to Donegal from the word go with Aoibheann McWeeney finishing from an acute angle just three minutes in following keeper Aine Walsh making a superb stop from Lucie Maye and from there, the Green & Gold tore into their vaunted opponents.

Further goals from Clodagh Kilrane and Caragh Guckian kept the Leitrim girls well in contention with their northern neighbours and the determination of the Green & Gold players was reflected in the fact that they held Donegal to two points during a sin-binning either side of halftime.

But eventually all of that effort started to tell as an extremely well drilled and impressive Donegal team started to find gaps and in Mia O’Donnell and Eva McNamara, they had two forwards who look destined to star for their county at Senior level for some years to come, O’Donnell hitting an amazing ten points on the day.

Three goals in the final ten minutes of ordinary time and five of added time put a somewhat harsh look on the scoreboard because Leitrim’s battling efforts did not deserve a 23 point defeat on the night but such was the wave after wave of Donegal attack, it was almost inevitable that Leitrim’s dam would breach.

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Considering the speed of their movement, intricate passing and excellent kickpassing, it is fair to wonder how Donegal were not operating at the higher B or even A level in the U16 Championship?

It was a deeply disappointing end for the Leitrim girls but they never took a step back and in players like Mabel Keane, Eibhlin Guckian, Ava Lyons, Grace Devaney and Mollie Harte, there are players that you could quite easily see starring for the Green & Gold at adult level for many years to come.

Leitrim got off to a blistering start with Lucie Maye and Mabel Keane both narrowly wide with early efforts but they opened their account in spectacular style when Maye forced Donegal keeper Aine Walsh into a spectacular save but Aoibheann McWeeney was equally spectacular, firing to the net from an oblique angle just three minutes in.

Almost immediately, captain Grace Devaney fired over from distance before a technical breach on a kickout allowed Maye to extend Leitrim’s lead from a fourth minute free. Donegal had a long range effort kept out by Mollie Harte and Clodagh Kilrane, after an earlier wide, pointed after a strong run from Keane.

Donegal, however, were beginning to find their feet with Mia O’Donnell firing over two good points in the space of a minute but just as they were settling, Leitrim hit them another hammer blow when a blistering run from Ava Lyons cut through the Donegal defence, her offload finding Kilrane who blasted a brilliant shot to the net.

The Leitrim team that was defeated by Donegal in the LGFA All-Ireland IFC U16 Final Picture: Willie Donnellan

That left Leitrim 2-3 to 0-2 ahead after just ten minutes but Donegal’s response was impressive - Harte did well to stop a shot from Laura Boyle before Eva McNamara hit a free. 

Then came the first of Donegal’s goal and it was harsh on Harte who made a great save to prevent O’Donnell’s shot from creeping in but full-forward Cayla McFadden showed great poacher’s instincts to follow-up and palm the ball to the Leitrim net to leave just a point between the teams after 13 minutes.

Leitrim weren’t for buckling with Caragh Guckian hitting a great point after an intricate passing move from Leitrim but ominously, Donegal were beginning to build up a head of steam as O’Donnell hit three points inside two minutes and Laura Boyle scored her second to tie the scores after 18 minutes.

Donegal then put together a great move that cut through the Leitrim defence, Orla Ward finishing to the net to take the lead for the first time and it looked as if they were about to take control with points from O’Donnell and McNamara as they led by five points after 21 minutes.

However, when Donegal turned over the ball in their own defence, Caragh Guckian produced a great close range finish after a pass from Maye for Leitrim’s third goal. But Leitrim’s momentum was halted when they saw a player sin-binned for ten minutes just before halftime with Donegal adding two further points to their tally.

Donegal led 2-11 to 3-4 at the halftime break and despite points from Ward and McNamara (2), a great Mabel Keane goal after Leitrim broke up the field saw them defy their 14 player status and when they got back to a full compliment, a well worked Keane point left three points between the teams.

Unfortunately, the wheels started to slowly come off the Leitrim wagon as the effort of holding out began to tell with McNamara firing over two points. Lucie Maye saw a dangerous free into the Donegal goalmouth cleared to safety but Leitri’s defence was breached when a great run from Nicole Bonner Gillespie paved the way for Orla Ward to chip over a helpless Mollie Harte.

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Mia O’Donnell reeled off three more points as Donegal began to put a substantial gloss on the scoreline, a tiring Leitrim exposed with Laura Bouyle and Cayla McFadden both finishing great Donegal moves to the Leitrim net.

O’Donnell and McNamara would add a further point each before, deep into injury time, corner-back Kate McCafferty made a late splash with 1-1, the goal a long range shot that just evaded the grasp of Harte in the Leitrim goal.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Clodagh Kilrane, Mabel Keane, Caragh Guckian 1-1 each; Aoibheann McWeeney 1-0; Lucie Maye (f) & Grace Devaney 0-1 each

Team: Mollie Harte, Leah Casey, Jane Hanrahan, Kate Kenny, Nessa Fox, Grace Devaney, Ella Gilmartin, Eibhlin Guckian, Mabel Keane, Ava Lyons, Clodagh Kilrane, Aoife Crawford, Aoibheann McWeeney, Lucie Maye, Caragh Guckian. Subs: Eppie McAllister for Crawford (21); Kate McNamara for Keane (41); Keane for C Guckian (49); Aoife McKiernan for McWeeney (53); Megan Doonan for Casey (59)

DONEGAL

Scorers: Mian O’Donnell 0-10, 1f; E McNamara 0-7, 1f;, Cayla McFadden & Orla Ward 2-1 each; Laura Boyle 1-2; Kate McCafferty 1-1

Team:  Aine Walsh, Kate McCafferty, Aoibhin Wallace, Sarah Black, Laura Boyle, Laura Quinn, Sofie Campbell, Toni Boyle, Nicole Bonnar Gillespie, Iona McHugh, Eva McNamara, Kirstie Boyle, Orla Ward, Cayla McFadden, Mia O'Donnell. Subs: Subs: Rachel Gillespie for K Boyle (37); Aoibheann McCann for Campbell (53); Cadhla Gillespie for Ward (56); Clara Kelly & Evangeline McDermott for Black & McFadden (59)

Referee: David Hurson (Monaghan)