Experimental Leitrim take a lot from Plate Final despite London defeat

There are experimental teams and then there is the incredibly young Leitrim side that put up a heart-warming and battling display against London in the FBD Insurance Connacht League Plate Final on Saturday evening at the Connacht Centre of Excellence, eventually going to nine point to an almost full-strength Exiles squad.

With Steven Poacher on the sideline but handing over coaching duties to U20 manager Enda Lyons, an incredible 12 players made their first appearance in a Leitrim Senior jersey with one or two players appearing in any Green & Gold team for the first time in their playing careers.

Given the disparity between the sides, Leitrim’s vastly understrength side put in a thoroughly defiant display against London and were actually one five points in arrears with a minute left in the contest only for the Exiles to hit 1-1 in the closing stages to put an unwarranted gloss on the scoreline.

Truth be told, London looked the superior side for most of the game with their structure, organisation and physicality causing huge problems for a young Leitrim side but that didn’t prevent the Poacher - Lyons combo from causing them problems and certainly you couldn’t fault the spirit nor application of the Leitrim cubs.

In fairness, there was a bit of experience sprinkled through Leitrim’s selection but of the ten players who had seen action in a Senior jersey before, four of those came in this year’s FBD League campaign and the rest have, at most, two years with the County Senior set-up.

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That won’t necessarily translate immediately into success at Division 4 but it has got to be a boost to Poacher and his management team for when the trip to Ruislip comes around in four weeks time, albeit London are sure to play with even more focus and intent than their well drilled side displayed in Bekan.

Leitrim trailed by six points at the break, the lead eventually reaching ten points midway through the second half before a defiant Green & Gold rallied, Ben Guckian crashing home an excellent goal, Oisin McLoughlin hitting a booming two point free and debutant Hugh Bracken, with almost his first touch, scoring a great point.

That incredibly cut London’s ten point lead in half but the Exiles just had too much know-how, carving open the Leitrim defence in the closing stages for a third goal as they finished their League preparations with a morale boosting victory.

It will be very different in Aughrim next Sunday but it is hard not to take some heart from this performance ahead of the Division 4 campaign.

The Leitrim team which was defeated by London in the FBD Insurance Connacht League Plate Final on Saturday at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence Picture: Willie Donnellan

The early exchanges saw London’s Conor Coggin and Leitrim’s Tom Plunkett swap well worked points in the opening five minutes but London seemed to be getting a run on Leitrim when Conal Gallagher, the excellent Shay Rafter and the dangerous Daniel Clarke all landed points in a two minute spell.

Leitrim had chances, wides from Ben Guckian and Oisin McLoughlin, before Arek Oberwan finished off a brilliant team photos, six or seven players combining to release the Allen Gaels man for the score 12 minutes in.

Clarke fisted over a second point and Rafter added a point from a fifty with Leitrim registering two wides from Dromahair’s Adam Gethins and Plunkett before Oisin McLoughlin produced one of his trademark dummies to score a good point on 26 minutes.

Just as it looked as if Leitrim would get into halftime in good shape, Shay Rafter’s surging run cut open the heart of the Leitrim defence and he left Joe McGill with a powerful if straightforward shot to the Leitrim net, Kristian Healy adding a point before Ben Guckian converted a free in the corner.

That left Leitrim trailing 1-7 to 0-4 at the break but London’s physical power and experience was having an effect as they hit three unanswered from Conor O’Donoghue, Healy and Rafter. Oisin McLoughlin responded with a great two pointer but London’s response was deadly, another move cutting Leitrim open as O’Donoghue blasted home from close range.

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London almost added to their goal tally but Leitrim lifted themselves with Oisin McLoughlin combined with Tom Plunkett to set up Ben Guckian for a goal 45 minutes in. Joe McGill hit a point for London, Oisin McLoughlin responded with a two point free.

London’s Daniel Clarke ended the night early after a heavy foul on Leitrim sub Luke Braam Farrell, the Leaving Cert student forced out from the game as both teams ran their bench. One of those subs to come on was Hugh Bracken who charged forward to score a wonderful point from the corner.

With just five points between the teams and a man advantage, Leitrim came looking for more scores but from a turnover, London broke quickly and Rafter shot expertly to the Leitrim net, the same player adding an injury time free to complete the action.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Oisin McLoughlin 0-5, tp, 2f; Ben Guckian 1-1; Arek Oberwan, Tom Plunkett & Hugh Bracken 0-1 each

Team: Daire O’Shea, Oran Foley, Peter Prior, Dessie Wisely, Arek Oberwan, Eoin McLoughlin, Dara Greenan, Bailey McBride, Colm McLoughlin, Oisin McLoughlin, Ben Guckian, Hugh Clancy, Adam Gethins, Tom Plunkett, Joe McGloin. Subs: Cormac Moran & Luke Braam Farrell for Wisely & Clancy (24); Gavin Gallagher for Greenan (34); Joey McBrien for C McLoughlin (42); Hugh Bracken, Oisin Molloy, Sean Carolan Morris & Charlie Kearney for E McLoughlin, McGloin, Braam Farrell & Gethins (54)

LONDON

Scorers: Shay Rafter 1-4, 50, 1f; Joe McGill & Conor O’Donoghue 1-1 each; Daniel Clarke & Kristian Healy 0-2 each; Conor Goggin & Conal Gallagher 0-1 each

Team: Andrew Walsh, Nathan McElwaine, Matt Maughan, Stephen Henry, Conor Coggin, Conal Gallagher, Conor O’Donoghue, Liam Gallagher, Daniel Clarke, Tighe Barry, Joe McGill, Kristian Healy, Michael O’Reilly, Shay Rafter, James Davis. Subs: Ciaran McKeon for Barry (36); George Durrant for O’Reilly (42); Liam Murphy, Conor Redican & Ciaran Gaughran for McGill, O’Donoghue & Davis (53); Oran Kerr for Goggin (59)

Referee: Anthony Coyne (Galway)