Kerr heroics not enough as Sligo hit injury time goal to break Leitrim hearts in Dalata Hotels Connacht U20 FC

An injury time Sligo goal broke Leitrim hearts in the Dalata Hotels Connacht U20 Championship in Tubbercurry's Kilcoyne Park on Wednesday night after a superb display of shot-stopping from keeper Scott Kerr looked to guaranteed the Green & Gold a first win in this year's Provincial Championship.

Leading by four points with just over seven minutes of normal time remaining, Leitrim suffered cruel heartbreak in the closing stages as Sligo keeper Gareth Cummins made a brilliant one-on-one save to deny sub Nathan Cox a certain match-winning goal before the home team staged a Lazarus-like recovery in added time, scoring 1-1 to take the verdict in a low scoring and tense encounter.

Truth be told, had Leitrim taken a point from the game, something their second half effort deserved, it would have been down to a truly outstanding display of net-minding from Scott Kerr who saved a penalty and denied the Sligo men goals on four other occasions across the 60 plus minutes, including one miraculous flying save early in the game from a fisted effort.

Kerr's performance was one of those heroic efforts that only keepers can produce, echoing that of his manager Enda Lyons as a Minor in 1997 over in Mac Hale Park against Mayo or a once-in-a-lifetime display from Conor Daly against Galway duo Michael Meehan and Sean Armstrong at U21 level - Kerr's performance truly was that good as he kept his team from getting swamped at times.

Yet that would also be an injustice to say that Leitrim were under the cosh - admittedly, the Green & Gold made poor use of their wind advantage in the first half, the sides level at 0-5 apiece, but they produced an excellent second half, hitting on the break with clever teamwork and incisive moves as they built up a four point lead that looked as if it would be enough to see them to victory.

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With Jack Kelly & Colm McLoughlin restricted to a sub's role due to injury, Leitrim will wonder what might have been had they taken a few more of their chances in the second half or had the Sligo keeper not produced a miraculous save to deny Nathan Cox and certainly you've got to think that a fully fit Kelly would have made hay against the Sligo defence.

But you also have to credit Sligo - with some atrocious wides, they never gave up and did extremely well on Leitrim's kick-outs down the closing stretch with Conor Walsh particularly outstanding. Eamon Keane, Patrick Brady, Cian Nicholson and Michael Carroll drove them on but they also got a great impact off the bench from subs Paul Flynn and Matthew Walsh who caused a previously largely untroubled Leitrim full-back line problems.

With Mayo next up and Leitrim likely to be without their contingent of Senior players due to the proximity of the Connacht SFC clash with Sligo on Sunday April 12, this defeat will sting Enda Lyons and his team but they showed enough bottle in their two outings so far and being more than competitive with Sligo and Galway to suggest that many of these players will make their way to the senior team in years to come.

Sligo got off to a bright start against the strong wind, Cathal Gilligan, Conor Walsh after an intercept on a Leitrim free, and Adam Lang converting a free inside the first five minutes as Scott Kerr began his heroics early, somehow clawing a ball away from the net after a fisted effort on a long range shot that dropped short.

After a Joey McBrien wide, Paul Honeyman’s two point free off the ground closed the gap but a two point attempt from play from the Ballinamore man fell short. Eamon O’Mahoney tapped over a tenth minute free before both sides started to miss chances, Leitrim missing three chances to Sligo’s two.

A foul on Eanna McNamara allowed Honeyman convert a free but Sligo got a huge boost when a fifty from keeper Gareth Cummins fell short but Aaron Lang was bundled over as he went for the ball. But Scott Kerr made a superb save from Michael Carroll’s spotkick, a follow-up attempt from Gilligan going wide of the far post.

The Leitrim team that was narrowly defeated by Sligo in Tubbercurry Picture: Willie Donnellan

Leitrim took the lead for the first time with five minutes of normal time left, a two point free edging the visitors in front but a lovely point from Adam Feeney ensured the sides entered the halftime break all square at 0-5 apiece but the advantage seemingly with Sligo as they would have the wind at their back in the second half.

But tearing up the script, Leitrim quickly set the tone - Ruairi O’Rourke’s long run saw him fist over in the first minute before clever teamwork and a fast break saw Honeyman edge Leitrim two clear. Sligo again threatened a goal but Kerr denied them a third time when he saved from Feeney who nevertheless got some reward with a mark.

Leitrim were starting to move well and as they transferred the ball at pace, Eanna McNamara stretched the lead back to two points. Again Sligo should have had a goal, the impressive Conor Walsh bearing down on goal but his shot came crashing off the post with Kerr making a superb reaction save to deny Feeney a close range goal.

Honeyman stretched the lead from a free for off-the-ball holding, a yellow card for Patrick Brady into the bargain, but Cummins came up from goal to thump a fifty between the Leitrim uprights midway through the second half.

Sligo were creating chances but hitting some terrible wides and they looked headed for defeat when Leitrim went four clear with two points in a minute, sub Jack Kelly combining with Jack Attard for a lovely score before Honeyman fired over a mark.

Sligo hit back with an O’Mahony free from the sideline five minutes from time, a decision that proved controversial as play had continued but was called back for an earlier infringement. 

Leitrim could have put the game out of Sligo’s reach seconds later - a long ball from the kickout was knocked on by Honeyman into the path of sub Nathan Cox but Sligo keeper Gareth Cummins advanced smartly to block the shot from the Annaduff man, the Yeatsmen clearing the danger.

The hosts almost had another goal when Kerr saved again, this time from Matthew Walsh bearing down on goal, but the ball ricochetted off sub Paul Flynn for a point. Nathan Cox was yellow carded for a heavy challenge before referee James Regan from Mayo incensed Leitrim fans when he penalised Oran Foley for touching the ball on the ground.

The Leitrim defender had dived to gather the ball, clearly off the ground, but was then judged to have played it on the ground, Eamon O’Mahony converting the free to leave just a point in it in the dying seconds of normal time.

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Sligo now had all the momentum and despite a terrible wide in the second of five minutes of added time, they drew level when Conor Walsh rode a heavy tackle to score a wonderful point a minute later. From there, things got worse from a Leitrim perspective as Walsh won the subsequent kickout, broke a tackle and took off on a run.

His pass found wing-back Eamon Keane ahead of him and in space and as he bore down on goal, he drew the defenders before passing across to Matthew Walsh who managed to fist the ball to the Leitrim net despite the despairing efforts of Colm McLoughlin to tackle him.

It was a cruel blow for Leitrim but they sought to hit back, Frankie McManus firing over a point to leave two in it but Sligo were able to maintain possession and see out the clock in a cruel, cruel finish for Leitrim’s U20s.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Paul Honeyman 0-8, 1M, 6f; Jack Kelly, Frankie McManus, Jack Kelly, Ruairi O’Rourke & Eanna McNamara 0-1 each

Team: Scott Kerr; Darragh Gardiner, Niall Torsney, Oran Foley, Ronan Fox, Dara Greenan, Luke Braam Farrell; Eanna McNamara, Cormac Moran; Ruairi O’Rourke, Gavin Gallagher, Frankie McManus; Adam Gethins, Joey McBrien, Paul Honeyman, Ruairi O’Rourke. Subs: Colm McLaughlin for Gallagher (25), Jack Kelly & Ronan Connolly for Gethins & Gardiner (41), Nathan Cox for McBrien (53)

SLIGO

Scorers: Eamonn O’Mahony 0-3, 3f; Matthew Walsh 1-0; Conor Walsh & Adam Feeney (M) 0-2 each; Gareth Cummins (50), Paul Flynn, Aaron Lang & Cathal Gilligan 0-1 each

Team: Gareth Cummins, Josh McHugh, Patrick Brady, Alex Little, Eamon Keane, James Lavin, Oran Harte, Conor Walsh, Cian Nicholson, Eamon O’Mahony, Michael Carroll, Cathal Gilligan, Adam Feeney, Aaron Lang, Oisin Devlin. Subs: Matthew Walsh for Lang (41); Paul Flynn for Devlin (44); Jim Molloy for Gilligan (48)

REFEREE: James Regan (Mayo)