Carlow stun Leitrim to top Lidl LGFA Division 4 as Green & Gold set to face Sligo in Semi-Finals

Leitrim's unbeaten run in Division 4 of the Lidl LGFA National League came to a shuddering halt in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada as Carlow turned the tables in the second half of a fascinating if slightly bizarre clash that saw the Barrowsiders deservedly win the top of the table clash by two points.

The top of the table clash between two unbeaten teams was always going to be a tough encounter, Carlow having been relegated from Division 3 last year and that was how it turned out as Carlow overturned a six point halftime deficit to win by two and they could, and probably should, have been further ahead as they missed several late goal chances and frees that would have made their victory that bit more comfortable.

The bizarre nature of the game came in the first half as Carlow simply held onto the ball for the guts of 12 minutes, save for two Leitrim kickouts in that period, content not to advance beyond the scoring arc as they faced the strong wind. Holding onto possession and with Leitrim sitting in big numbers across the 40 metre scoring arc, Carlow simply wound down the clock and denied the Green & Gold the chance to build a more substantial lead that might have guaranteed the victory.

Strangely, Leitrim opted not to press the visitors, deciding not to give Carlow the chance to spray the ball to their inside forwards but it meant that, in between two Leah Fox scores on the 17th and 29th minutes, Leitrim players only had their hands on the ball on three occasions - two kickouts, one of which was successful - and Carlow were only delighted to run down the clock.

Perhaps Leitrim felt they could withstand what Carlow would throw at them with the wind at their backs but the Leinster side produced a much more direct and incisive second half performance and two goals proved crucial in their victory, one after a great move and the second from the penalty spot that put them in front of the first time after 46 minutes.

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There was controversy too as match officials missed a blatant three-person breach of the halfway line just over a minute into added time. With just a point between the teams, had the breach being spotted and punished by a successful free (not a guaranteed score on a mixed day for Leitrim's placekickers), it would have tied the scores before Carlow's impressive centre-back Niamh Forde scored the insurance point a minute later.

Questions were also asked of a two pointer awarded to Carlow, this Observer felt it was inside the arc but referee Keith Sheerin from Meath awarded the bonus point from Sara Doyle's effort, a score that tied the teams 13 minutes into the second half.

Carlow also managed the closing stages a player down with the sin-binning of Ruth Birmingham but Leitrim were never able to take advantage against a well-drilled and motivated Carlow.

Losing the unbeaten record is a blow but in the larger scheme of things, if Jonny Garrity's side secured promotion against Sligo in the Division 4 semi-finals on Sunday March 29, this loss won't matter. But there will be concerns over Leitrim's inability to cope with Carlow's tactics in either half - their possession game in the first and their harder running in the second.

The Leitrim team that was defeated by Carlow Picture: Willie Donnellan

Whether that was due to having too easy of a passage through the Division since the Offaly game in the second round is hard to know but an almost full-strength Leitrim, minus an injured Kate Gormley, never truly got going against a Carlow side who made five changes from the team announced for the game, players they brought on to win the game in the second half.

Both teams missed early chances before Leah Fox intercepted a Carlow kick-out and set up clubmate Aoife Gilmartin for a fine point. Carlow's possession game was already evident as Niamh Forde burst through for a fifth minute point but after Carlow's Cliodna Ni Sé was harshly punished for over-carrying and then the ball moved forward for dissent, Michelle Guckian converted the free.

Leitrim broke from defence and Fox again turned provider, setting up Muireann Devaney for a long range point and the dual sports star added a second on 16 minutes when a Carlow defender was dispossessed. From the next two kick-outs, Leitrim won the ball back, Leah Fox scoring a wonderful effort from the corner before directly pouncing on a kickout for a score.

Leitrim now led by five points after 17 minutes but Carlow went into ultra-defensive mode, holding on the ball without any particular pressure for the guts of 12 minutes, kicking their first attempt after 10 minutes when Grace Lawlor shot wide. Carlow got the ball back from an errant kickout, leading to another shot from Ruth Birmingham.

The contrast was evident as Leitrim just about kept the next ball in play, Shaylyn Ward's swing to keep a ball heading over the sideline in play. Carlow had possession but Muireann Devaney robbed the ball to set up Leah Fox for a third point. Carlow's Sara Doyle shot wide in added time while Michelle Guckian put a two point free attempt wide to leave Leitrim 0-7 to 0-1 ahead at the break.

Straight after halftime, Carlow's different tactics were evident as Doyle scored from the corner and then, just two minutes into the half, they put together a great move that ended with Aibha Kiernan hammering the ball to the Leitrim net. That cut Leitrim's lead back to two points but it provoked a response, Leah Fox seeing a shot blocked and Aoife Gilmartin hitting wide after a short free routine into the wind.

The Carlow team that defeated Leitrim last Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

Leitrim did, however, get two of the four points back when Michelle Guckian tapped over a free after a foul on herself while Leah Fox dodged a defender to score a nice point on six minutes, leaving Leitrim 0-9 to 1-2 ahead. Carlow, however, were moving and Doyle and Ni Sé both landed good points as Guckian saw two frees miss the target, one short and one wide.

Then another good Carlow move ended with Sara Doyle hitting the first ever two-pointer scored by a Carlow player, tying the scores after 43 minutes. Three minutes later, Carlow broke through on goal, a great move that left Kate Burke bearing down on goal only to be fouled by Lauren Devaney in a desperate bid to stop the shot. Ni Sé hammered home an unstoppable penalty as Carlow took the lead.

Sara Doyle saw a shot blocked and Leitrim broke, advantage being played as Muireann Devaney had an effort blocked only for Leah Fox to pop over the bar. Devaney floated a shot across goal while Carlow keeper Nicole Hanley saved a shot from Devaney after a Carlow defender's pass was intercepted.

Michelle Guckian had a shot half-blocked, the ball cleared by the Carlow keeper but it was then Carlow who missed the chance, Cliodna Ni Sé putting two frees wide while a Leitrim kickout was that intercepted resulted in a fortunate kick-out after keeper Martina Gallagher lost her footing with the Carlow player putting the ball wide with six minutes of normal time left.

Michelle Guckian landed a free with just over three minutes left on the clock while a yellow card for Ruth Bermingham, apparently for an accumulation of fouls, saw Carlow reduced to 14 players for the rest of the game but the Barrowsiders controlled the final minutes and added time and probably should have added a third goal when she shot into the side-netting.

Leitrim players, mentors and fans were calling for a three-player breach of the halfway line, rightly so, but the offence wasn't spotted and after a great move, Niamh Forde charged through for a huge point. Leitrim kept looking for a late goal to snatch victory but Carlow held out, claiming a lobbed Michelle Guckian free into the area, as they handed Leitrim their first defeat of the year.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Leah Fox 0-5; Michelle Guckian 0-3, 3f; Muireann Devaney 0-2; Aoife Gilmartin 0-1

Team: Martina Gallagher, Jasmine Maye, Charlene Tyrrell, Niamh Morahan; Dearbhaile Beirne, Lauren Devaney, Rachel McIntyre; Niamh Tighe, Anna Devaney; Aoife Gilmartin, Leah Fox, Michelle Guckian, Muireann Devaney, Shaylyn Ward, Emma Guckian. Subs: Dearbhaile Rooney for E Guckian (44); Chloe Dolan for A Devaney (48); Vivienne Egan for Ward (53); Sarah Reynolds for Beirne (58)

CARLOW

Scorers: Sara Doyle 0-4, tp; Cliodna Ni Sé 1-1; Aibha Kiernan 1-0; Niamh Forde 0-2

Team: Nicole Hanley; Aoife Carroll, Anne Roche, Clodagh Mahon; Aoibhin Webb, Niamh Forde, Ruth Bermingham; Roisin Bailey, Grace Lawlor; Amy Farrell, Cliodna Ní Shé, Amy Hanley; Aibha Kiernan, Sara Doyle, Kate Burke. Subs: Bronagh Nolan for Farrell (43); Beibhin Nolan for Hayden (44); Megan Townsend for Lawlor (47); Edel Hayden for O’Neill (58)

Referee: Keith Sherrin (Meath)