Anybody can and will challenge us at this level - Garrity

Leitrim learned a valuable lesson last Sunday in their bid to escape the Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 with manager Jonny Garrity stressing that if the Green & Gold are not on the top of their game, any team can and will challenge them as Carlow did so effectively.

Speaking after Leitrim’s first loss in the 2026 League, Garrity conveyed the impression of someone annoyed with the loss but perhaps also secretly thrilled that the lessons from the 2-7 to 0-11 defeat at the hands of Carlow in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada will serve them well ahead of the semi-final against Sligo.

“We've been doing every single thing we can to fight complacency,” Jonny told the Observer, adding “We know that that's the biggest enemy in Division 4 football but it certainly shouldn't be the case from this point on and that could be the biggest learning that we take from today is the fact that if we're not on it, anybody can and will challenge us at this level.

“The semi-final against Sligo is going to be an extremely difficult game against another really, really good team and another team who are having a resurgence. We know we're going to have to probably clean up and tidy up some of the, as I say, the little bits and pieces of our game today that we can do.”

In fact, Leitrim’s surging form in this year’s League probably didn’t equip them for the war of attrition, as Garrity termed it, that Carlow brought to the table and he stressed his hurt at losing their first game of the year: “It does matter because we want to win every game we play regardless and we set out today to win the game. 

REPORT: CARLOW STUN LEITRIM TO WIN TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH

“There's no doubt about that so there's going to be lots of opportunities to learn and to pinpoint areas that we can improve on. I mean this with the greatest of respect to every team in Division 4 but, sometimes when you're playing one-sided games, it doesn't help you, it doesn't prepare you very well for days like today.

“This is a good team we're up against - Carlow are resurgent after a poor season last season and we know from the season before how good of a team they are so it was a good battle today and maybe we weren't battle-hardened but certainly this game should stand to us.”

The Leitrim manager felt that his team’s tactical approach in the first half, when playing with the wind, had worked very well even if the Green & Gold led by six points: “It was a war of attrition in the first half and look, they seemed to be quite unambitious in their approach and we were content enough in picking points and staying compact.

“We felt that if the game continued in that shape, then that would have proved to be a wise choice. As it was, as the game developed, we'll look back on maybe not dealing with a few instances and that being the difference then in the end.  I think that it put us in a position where we had a bit of breathing space.

“Had we done the basics right thereafter, I think that breathing space would have been enough to serve us really well. As it was, they were living off some lapses in our concentration and some of the distribution left a lot to be desired and that was the staging post for most of their dangerous play and their goal and their penalty so we'll look back on those instances. 

“I think that we managed the game very well in the first half even if it was difficult to watch and we would have wanted it to be more open and we wanted them to be more ambitious but we were happy with where we stood. It's just the deficiencies in our play in the second half were the difference in the result.”

Asked if the result today would concentrate Leitrim’s minds ahead of the League Semi Final, Jonny simply smiled and said “Well, it should do yeah.”