‘Frustration after winning a really, really tight test is a really good sign,’ Leitrim ladies boss

Leitrim passed a major test on Sunday in Carrick on Shannon, overcoming Offaly with a three-point win in their second round, showing resilience against strong opposition.

Offaly, who took the plunge from Division Three last season, are strong contenders to make quick work of returning there again, as they caused Leitrim problems in the second round match.

“It was a huge challenge,” says Leitrim Manger Jonny Garrity.  “We had a struggle to marry our transition with our attack, and for our attack to leave the ball dead as well.  We were probably lacking a bit of fluidity. I think that a lot of the reason was probably because of a very intense Offaly team.“

“They played with intensity. They got contact, they slowed us up. They made it difficult for us. They got behind us in numbers. They showed good tackling, good positioning, and a good starting point. They're a very well-coached team.”

Leitrim's manager, who led them to All-Ireland success in 2024, emphasised the importance of this win in a difficult game - exactly the kind of situation where Leitrim fell short last season.

“Last year, we may not have won that much. This year, it seems that when the game was in the mixer there, and it was a dogfight, and it was anybody's game against a team that was extremely motivated to go and win it.”

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“We stood up, we made the blocks we had to make. The girls, they dived into anything, they moved, and they fought their way to the win today, which is, as I say, a different way to win than we did last week. We'll take it. It's brilliant to see that heart and determination in the team.

The game was largely balanced and in the mixer until late on, but a few big scores from the likes of Ailbhe Clancy, Muireann Devaney, and Rachel McIntye, along with vital defensive efforts at the back, saw the game out for his Leitrim side.

Despite the positivity of the win, there is space for Leitrim to improve, according to Garrity, who felt they were not at their full potential on Sunday.

“We're probably a wee bit frustrated with the lack of fluency in our game today and a wee bit frustrated that we know that we can play better. Having that frustration after winning a really, really tight test is a really good sign.”

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A slate of new players has come into the Leitrim set-up this season. Garrity is happy with how his new recruits are developing in camp, with a few already finding ways to contribute on the field.

“I thought Niamh Moorhan was excellent again today, for instance, and Kate Gormley again led the line very well. Martina Gellagher will look back on her performance as a mixed bag, but I think that some of the better parts of her game today were the difference in winning and losing. Some fantastic kick-outs under pressure and some really good handling and saves.

Leitrim will go undefeated to face Sligo in Ballinamore in a repeat of a fixture where Leitrim suffered defeat last season.