A tale of two halves as Leitrim left demoralised by Roscommon second string

A tough evening for football with strong winds and driving rain but for a young Leitrim team, Friday’s Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship in King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park was a demoralising experience as a second string Roscommon team cruised to a surprisingly comfortable victory.

With Letirim needing a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, hopes were high that the Green & Gold could secure a win against a Roscommon side who had already qualified directly for the final and took the decision to rest all but one of the usual starting 15 last Friday.

Unfortunately for Leitrim, that didn’t produce a weaker Roscommon response but rather a host of fringe players fighting to win their place in the match day squad for the Connacht Final and it showed in their hunger and intensity as they forced Leitrim back from the very first ball, taking just 20 seconds to score a two pointer.

But with the wind the decisive factor in this contest, Leitrim would have felt relatively good about themselves midway through the first half as the home side only managed four points and even though Roscommon added six points before the halftime whistle, the ten point gap didn’t feel insurmountable given the conditions.

So concerned were Roscommon that keeper Shane Carroll from Kilmore was sent out early during the interval to test his range into the wind from the kickout tee but inexplicably, just as the second half started, the wind almost turned direction and 40 yard passes that were impossible into the wind in the first half were suddenly flying into Roscommon’s dangerous full-forward.

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The fact that Roscommon hit a stunned Leitrim with an unanswered 1-2 in the first five minutes of the second half, after Leitrim failed to score against the wind into the same end in the first half, left Leitrim’s young players bereft and bewildered, their first score coming after 36 minutes.

It might have been different had Leitrim snatched a goal in their only shot in the first half, putting together a wonderful incisive passing move against the wind and cutting through the Roscommon defence but keeper Shane Carroll made a save to prevent what would have been an enormous morale boost just before halftime.

As it was, it was Roscommon that got the goal after the break and you could see the confidence drain from the young Leitrim squad as Roscommon players worked their socks off to impress their manager.

Credit Roscommon for a lot of Leitrim problems - the Green & Gold tried to take the sting out of the wind by holding onto the ball for long periods in the first half and, for 20 minutes, it worked. But the pressure exerted by Roscommon around the middle of the park meant that Leitrim could never establish field position in the Roscommon half.

Leitrim still have a slim outside chance of making the playoffs but they need a big victory over Sligo and a Galway win against Mayo to force a three way playoff and then hope that the scoring difference goes their way but with a minus 29 to Sligo’s minus 4 and Mayo’s minus 8, it would take a remarkable turnaround.

The Leitrim defeated by Roscommon in the Electric Ireland Connacht MFC Picture: Willie Donnellan

Roscommon got off to a bright start with Sean Duggan landing a huge two pointer after just 20 seconds but the home side were finding it tough to break down a hard working Leitrim rearguard, taking another six minutes before Duggan took advantage of a wayward Leitrim pass to twist and turn his way to a score.

But Leitrim would have felt pretty good in the early stages as despite the strong wind, Roscommon were unable to build on their lead and it wasn’t until the 14th minute that Dylan Goode landed a fourth point for the home team.

It wasn’t all good news for Leitrim as they were struggling to get out of their own half, let alone manage a shot a the Roscommon posts but as the half progressed and the intense and physical pressure from the home side started to wear down the Green & Gold, the scores then started to come.

Duggan landed a second two pointer, this time from 55 yards, after 20 minutes, Conor Cryan raided from defence to cut through a gap for a good point. Duggan added another while an interception from Goode ended with a point for James O’Brien.

Leitrim finally managed to trouble the Roscommon defence after 23 minutes when they stitched together a great counter-attacking move and suddenly, a ball was being lobbed into the goalmouth for Hugh McGovern to attack but unfortunately his fisted effort was easily gathered by keeper Shane Carroll in the only time he touched the ball in the first half.

Cronan McLoughlin added one final point for the home side two minutes before the break as Roscommon led 0-10 to no score at the break but there was the hope that the ferociously strong wind would allow Leitrim to mount a fierce comeback in the second period.

Unfortunately, it was Roscommon who got the bright start Leitrim needed as the wind suddenly died and switched direction, an interception on a Leitrim kickout ending with James O’Brien setting up half-back Conor Cryan for a killer goal after just two minutes of the half.

Now Leitrim trailed by 13 points and it went out to 15 when Cillian McGowan and McLoughlin both tagged on points in the opening five minutes of the second half, completely demoralising Leitrim.

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Senan Kelly saw a shot drop short but Leitrim pressure saw the ball turned over with Hugh McGovern getting the Green & Gold’s first score after 36 minutes of the game. Roscommon continued to press for scores while Matthew Speers’ ambitious two point effort went wide.

Roscommon’s last score of the game came after 44 minutes, Sean Duggan underlining his claims for a spot in the Rossie’s starting line-up with a seventh point of the contest.

Leitrim kept trying but Sean Keaney saw a two point free attempt drift wide while Senan Kelly saw a placed ball hit the woodwork before going wide. The Glencar Manorhamilton man got the final score of the game on 49 minutes from a free, to leave Leitrim 14 points adrift at the end.

Roscommon almost had a second goal but Donnchadh O’Dwyer just missed connecting with a cross. Leitrim had a few late chances, Keaney putting a two point free wide while Joshua Bosquette had two efforts halted by intense Roscommon pressure on a rough day for the Minors.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Senan Kelly (f) & Hugh McGovern 0-1 each

Team: Elvis Shehaj, Dylan Murphy, Tadhg Crowe, Conor Reynolds, Harry Newcombe, Adam McCormack, Michael O’Grady, Hugh McGovern, Jack Guckian, Matthew Speers, Sean Keaney, Ryan Kelly, Colm McLaughlin, Joshua Bosquette, Senan Kelly. Subs: Senan Lee & Conor McCabe for Newcombe & Speers (44); Caoimhin O’Sullivan & Aaron Gallogly for R Kelly & Murphy (53); Conor Quinn Kelly for McLaughlin (57)

ROSCOMMON

Scorers: Sean Duggan 0-7, 2 tp; Conor Cryan 1-1; Cronan McLoughlin 0-2; Cillian McGowan, James O’Brien & Dylan Goode 0-1 each

Team: Shane Carroll, Conor Tighe, Daniel Nerney, Jack Sammon, Aaron Martin, Mikey McTeigue, Conor Cryan, Joseph McSharry, Cillian McGowan, James O’Brien, Donnchadh O’Dwyer, Cronan McLoughlin, Luke Glennon, Sean Duggan, Dylan Goode. Subs: Darragh Killeen & Sean Walsh for Martin & Glennon (HT); Rossa O’Dowd for McLoughlin (38); Eoin Naughton for O’Brien (44); Jamie Doyle for Tighe (54)

Referee: Paul Lydon (Mayo)