Regrets for defiant Leitrim as they push Galway to the limit in pulsating Connacht SFC Semi-Final
CONNACHT SFC SEMI-FINAL: LEITRIM 2-12 GALWAY 1-20
Leitrim players and fans must have felt they had split personalities on Saturday evening as their joy at pushing defending Connacht SFC champions Galway to the limit was mixed with the dreaded ‘what if’ of missed chances that plagued their defiant and inspiring performance in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.
After the wild joy of the victory over Sligo, hope mixed liberally with trepidation in the run up to this encounter but in putting superb performances back to back for almost the first time in Steven Poacher’s reign, a young Leitrim team look to have taken a very big step towards a brighter future for the Green & Gold.
Looking back on this game, there will be plenty of regrets with missed chances in both halves plaguing the home side as they chased their vaunted opponents with a venom and self-belief that defied their Division 4 status as they tread a fine line between boom and bust.
There were plenty of times when it looked as if Galway would fulfill the bookies’ predictions and run away to a comfortable victory, leading by seven points at halftime and ten with six minutes of normal time left on the clock but each time, Leitrim somehow found a way to force their way back into contention.
Perhaps the championship has liberated them from the pressure of chasing promotion, maybe the harder ground of championship fare suits this young, fast moving Leitrim team better than slogging through winter games but whatever the reason, this was easily the county’s best display against one of the province’s big three since 2008.
It seemed strange to see Leitrim fans so happy after a five point loss at home but given the opposition, their lofty reputation among the contenders for Sam, and Leitrim’s trials in the championship over the past 15 years, it was understandable that the smiles were so broad, more so after the struggles of the past two Leagues.
Galway had done their homework on Leitrim - Barry McNulty was closely watched, although the inspirational Glencar Manorhamilton man did chances in the first half that would have left the game far closer had they been converted but, in all honesty, Galway demonstrated an ease and efficiency in scoring that Leitrim struggled to match.
The Tribesmen’s tally of 1-20 is startling, even more so considering that, between wides, missed goal opportunities and efforts that hit the woodwork or dropped shot, they had just one less missed scoring opportunity that the Green & Gold, albeit two of them were missed goal chances.
The Leitrim team that was defeated by Galway in the Connacht SFC Semi-Final Picture: Willie Donnellan
For all the hard analysis of what went right and what went wrong for Leitrim, there is no disguising the lift Saturday’s performance has given the county, many now looking forward to the Tailteann Cup with genuine optimism and real belief, a complete turnaround from the conclusion of the League just over a month ago.
For a game that burned with championship intensity, it was slow to get going with just two points in the opening ten minutes from a well worked John Daly effort and a Rob Finnerty free. There were more misses, three for Galway and three for Barry McNulty, one a two point free attempt.
Galway’s Finnian O Laoi had his team’s third before Riordan O’Rourke landed Leitrim’s first on 13 minutes. Liam O Conghaile pointed after Galway pounced on a rare errant kickout from Killian Gaffey but with Galway becoming more wasteful, missing three good chances while McNulty was unlucky to see a free come off the post, Leitrim were grateful that the Tribesmen weren’t more accuracy with the wind.
The benefit of the wind was illustrated when Paul Conroy launched a monster 50 yard snap shot for a two point but Leitrim hit back straight away, Killian Gaffey taking over the freetaking duties to land a two pointer of their own.
Leitrim had a fortunate escape on 23 minutes on the double, Liam Silke driving a good goal chance inches wide while a Finnerty two point free, awarded for a foul on Paul Conroy that saw Tom Prior booked, went wide.
Finnerty made amends two minutes later in spectacular fashion, Galway forcing a turnover from Mark Diffley before the Salthill Knocknacarra clubman checked his foot placement on the two point arc, stepped back and thumped a tremendous shot over the Letirim crossbar.
The Galway team that defeated Leitrim in the Connacht SFC Semi-Final Picture: Willie Donnellan
Gaffey put a free wide, Sean Harkin dropped a shot short and McNulty had a poor shot after Leitrim forced a turnover. Oisin Mac Donnacha hit a wide for Galway but with the Tribesmen keeping an eye on the clock, the visitors took their time before O Conghaile landed a third two pointer of the half for Galway.
That left Leitrim trailing 0-11 to 0-4 at the break but an immediate chance to reduce the gap saw Gaffey leave a two point free short and Galway made it look easy when they set up McDaid for a point three minutes into the half.
Galway then made an early double change, Shane Walsh and Shane McGrath entering the fray as Padraic Joyce’s team looked as if they would pull away, Gaffey making a good save with his free from Rob Finnerty who broke through with alarming ease from deep.
McNulty put a free wide but then landed a two point free on ten minutes, the game taking a major turn with a bit of good fortune shining on Leitrim. Tom Prior’s free hit the woodwork and fell nicely for Fergal McLoughlin who charged straight at goal and keeper Conor Flaherty.
The subsequent collision saw both go to ground, the Galway keeper claiming the Fenagh man barged into him but referee Niall Cullen saw it differently, brandishing a harsh black card and signalling a penalty. That meant a change of keeper with Conor Gleeson taking his time to come in.
The delaying tactics seemed to pay off as the Dunmore McHales clubman made a great save but Oisin McLoughlin reacted quickest as he rushed in and drove the ball to the far corner of the net, cutting Galway’s six point lead in half.
Galway, a man down, reacted well as Shane Walsh set up John Maher for a point. Oisin McLoughlin responded with a lovely curling point, set up by his brother Fergal, but a Cillian McGloin pull and subsequent Leitrim complaints saw the free moved in, Walsh tapping over.
The harshness of Galway’s black card was felt by Leitrim fans when Mark Diffley got the same reward as he dragged a Galway player to the ground on 54 minutes, leaving both players down to 14 for a time and the Tribesmen made the most of it with Shane McGrath and Paul Conroy both added points with eight minutes of normal time remaining, Conroy’s point set up by an outrageous dummy from Shane Walsh.
A partially hidden Oisin McLoughlin scores Leitrim's first goal against Galway Picture: Willie Donnellan
Seconds later, Kelly scored from a tight angle and suddenly, Leitrim were ten points in arrears but they refused to feel sorry for themselves, Riordan O’Rourke scoring a lovely point on the run. From that kickout, Leitrim pounced on a poor restart, Oisin McLoughlin charging into the corner before floating the ball across the goal for sub Jack Kelly to force to the net.
A rattled Galway went close to conceding a third goal second slater, the kickout again turned over and Tom Prior breaking clear only to collide with a charging Conor Gleeson, the Galway replacement keeper lucky to avoid a card or a free, the ball breaking for a snap shot that a Galway defender cleared out for a fifty that Gaffey converted.
That got the gap back to five points and suddenly the Leitrim crowd were roaring when Paul Honeyman launched a huge two pointer to cut the gap back to three points.
But unfortunately, that was as close as Leitrim got - Walsh converted a free after a foul on Comer. Ryan O’Rourke tapped over a close range free after Conor Quinn made a high catch in the area, a fortunate enough free as the Mohill man was surrounded by Galway defenders.
Tom Prior saw a shot hit woodwork and Jack Kelly left a follow-up short before Walsh, in a devastating cameo, killed off the Leitrim challenge and then a wonderful point on the run, Damian Comer seeing a late, dippy shot saved by Killian Gaffey as Galway emerged with a five point victory.
LEITRIM
Scorers: Oisin McLoughlin 1-1; Killian Gaffey 0-3, 3f; Jack Kelly 1-0; Barry McNulty (tpf), Paul Honeyman (tp) & Riordan O’Rourke 0-2 each; Ben Guckian (f) & Ryan O’Rourke (f) 0-1 each
Team: Killian Gaffey; Cillian McGloin; Conor Reynolds; Seán Harkin; Eoin McLoughlin; Mark Diffley; Keith Keegan; Conor Quinn; Barry McNulty; Fergal McLoughlin; Riordan O'Rourke; Tom Prior; Ben Guckian; Ryan O'Rourke; Oisín McLoughlin. Subs: Paul Honeyman for Guckian (44); Jack Kelly for F McLoughlin (54); Kieran Clancy for Harkin (57); Eanna McNamara for McGloin (60); Michael McKiernan for Quinn (75)
GALWAY
Scorers: Shane Walsh 0-4, 3f; Paul Conroy (tp), Liam O Conghaile (tp) & Rob Finnerty (tp & f) 0-3 each; Dylan McHugh 1-0; Cillian McDaid 0-2; John Daly, John Maher, Finian O’Laoi, Sean Kelly & Shane McGrath 0-1 each
Team: Conor Flaherty, Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin, Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Liam Silke, Paul Conroy, John Maher, Finnian Ó Laoí, Liam Ó Conghaile, Cillian McDaid, Robert Finnerty, Céin D’Arcy, Oisín Mac Donnacha. Subs: Shane Walsh & Shane McGrath for Mac Donnacha & O’Laoi (40); Conor Gleeson for O Conghaile (47); Sean Kelly for McGrath (61); Damian Comer for Flaherty (63); Maitias Bairead for McDaid (69)
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)