Task for Leitrim is to deliver on the potential in their ranks in Allianz NFL Division 4 campaign

Another Allianz NFL League rolls around and once again, Leitrim footballers are setting their sights on a promotion campaign from Division 4 when they host Waterford in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada next Sunday, January 29, for the opening round of this year’s competition.

For Leitrim fans, it is almost like a groundhog day as Andy Moran’s troops start yet another League odyssey with the stated aim of escaping the confines of Division 4, something only Terry Hyland achieved back in 2019 since the Leagues were reorganised back in 2008.

Again there is that curious mix of optimism and caution that seems to greet the start of every League campaign - Andy Moran’s arrival, the lack of what would be considered a Division 4 heavyweight and a positive 2022 explain the optimism.

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The caution comes from hard won experience - a heavy loss to All-Ireland finalists Galway in the FBD League probably shook a few and while the run of fixtures seem kinder this year, there is the hard won knowledge that six out of the eight teams would have the exact same ambitions as Leitrim.

Wexford tested Leitrim to the limit last year, Sligo have proven to a bogey team in recent years, a young Carlow butchered five or six goal chances down in Netwatch Cullen Park, we don’t know what Laois are going to turn up while London will want to repeat their 2022 victory at home in Ruislip.

All we really know is that these League runs take on a life of their own and even pre-season form is no guarantee of anything - in 2020, in Leitrim’s first outing in Division 3, the Green & Gold drew with Derry in Celtic Park and that was just a few weeks after a hammering inflicted by Roscommon in the FBD.

Take Waterford, next Sunday’s opponents - over the past few years, they always have one big result in them where they shock an opponent and while playing at home is a huge advantage, those with long memories certainly won’t take the Deise for granted.

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The Waterford men have twice ended promising Leitrim campaigns down in Dungarvan and they’ve won in Ballinamore when they got promotion from the Division some years ago. Their manager Ephie Fitzgerald comes highly regarded and Waterford will test Leitrim more than most people would expect.

For Andy Moran, keeping Keith Beirne on the field is the big concern - with the mercurial Ryan O’Rourke missing time with an injury, much of the burden falls on the Mohill man. 

Thankfully, he has risen consistently to the challenge and if he stays in good form, Leitrim’s promotion push will be in good shape.

The loss of last year’s captain David Bruen, Dean McGovern and Brendan Flynn is a blow while a number of other players have stepped away but Moran is enthusiastic about the young players who have come into the squad. 

Time is a factor for this Leitrim team backboned by two underage squads who made big splashes back in 2014 - the U21 side who reached a Connacht Final that year has provided the likes of Shane Quinn, Domhnaill Flynn, Donal Wrynn, Shane Moran, Brendan Flynn, Niall Brady & Alan McLoughlin to senior teams for the years since. 

The more star studded Connacht Minor League winning team of the same year featured Keith Beirne, Ryan O’Rourke, Dean McGovern, David Bruen, Mark Plunkett, Conor Cullen, Keith Keegan, Conor Gaffney, Jack Heslin, Oisin Madden, Pearce Dolan & Niall McGovern and it is fair to say that Leitrim have built the current senior squad around that crop.

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Not all of those players are still lining out for the Green & Gold but it is staggering to think that both those teams first burst into our consciousness nine years ago. 

The addition of one or two quality young players over the years have strengthened Leitrim’s hand but those players are the backbone of this squad.

2022 will be remembered for missed chances, losing to London in the League put a hole in Andy Moran’s ship and a penalty shootout defeat in the Tailteann Cup brought a lot of regrets. The task is delivering on the potential Leitrim fans believe is in their ranks in this campaign.

Wariness aside, Leitrim should start with a victory over Waterford next Sunday - win well and the confidence will start to flow and we’ll never know where we might end up if the Leitrim bandwagon really gets rolling!

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A brief look at Leitrim's opponents in Division 4 for the 2023 Allianz NFL campaign:

WATERFORD

Manager: Ephie Fitzgerald (2nd season)

Last meeting: Waterford 1-13 Leitrim 2-17 (2022)

Overall record 2022: Played 9, won 0, drew 1, lost 8; eighth in Division 4

Bottom of the table in 2022, the only way is up for Waterford. Ephie Fitzgerald has a serious reputation and the Deise men always pull one big result out of the hat, as they did when drawing with Tipperary last year. Hard to know what to expect from the Munster men, they are capable of testing Leitrim and even last year, in the midst of a poor run, they really tested Andy Moran’s side. Yet you have to expect a Leitrim win here.

LONDON

Manager: Michael Maher (fourth season)

Last meeting: Leitrim 0-9 London 2-5 (2022)

Overall record 2022: Played 9, won 3, lost 6; fifth in Division 4

This will be a tight one and London may fancy their chances of a promotion push. They beat Leitrim in Bekan and a narrow enough loss in the championship will mean the Exiles will definitely be up for this one. Powerful and well organised, if Maher can induce some of the St Kiernan’s players who weren’t part of his set-up last year to throw their lot in with his team, London will be serious contenders for the top two.

CARLOW 

Manager: Niall Carew (third season)

Last meeting: Carlow 1-10 Leitrim 2-14 (2022)

Overall record 2022: Played 10, won 2, drew 1, lost 7; seventh in Division 4

Carlow beat Tipperary in the Tailteann Cup in their one big result of 2022 but anyone who was in Netwatch Cullen Park last March will know how close Leitrim came to a defeat against an inexperienced and young Carlow - if Carew gets the right buy-in from players in a county unused to focusing on county football, the Barrowsiders may prove tougher opposition than Leitrim will want

WEXFORD

Manager: John Hegarty (first season)

Last meeting: Leitrim 3-9 Wexford 1-11 (2022)

Overall record 2022: Played 10, won 3, drew 1, lost 6; sixth in Division 3 (relegated)

Another big conundrum here for Leitrim - a struggling Wexford caught Leitrim no end of bother last year in the League and under John Hegarty, they look as if they might be something of a rejuvenated outfit. Playing at home in Chadwick’s Wexford Park, they’ll be more than confident of a positive result - this could be a very difficult game for Leitrim and one that will take a supreme effort to get a result in.

WICKLOW

Manager: Oisin McConville (first season)

Last meeting: Wicklow 1-12 Leitrim 1-16 (2019)

Overall record 2022: Played 11, won 3, drew 1, lost 7; eighth in Division 3 (relegated)

Aughrim is not a place team’s particularly like to go but Leitrim’s last visit there was a special one as it was the first sign that Terry Hyland’s team was one to something, winning a classic match with a late effort. Wicklow have a big new name in Oisin McConville, it will be interesting to see what the Armagh legend can make of the Garden county - they certainly have the players and potential to make an impact, this could be a decisive tie for the Green & Gold in this campaign.

LAOIS

Manager: Billy Sheehan (second season)

Last meeting: Leitrim 3-10 Laois 3-16 (2018)

Overall record 2022: Played 9, won 2, drew 1, lost 6; seventh in Division 3 (relegated)

When Laois are focused and motivated, Leitrim always struggle against them and in Evan O’Carroll, they have a quality forward. They had a bad year last year, losing to Wicklow in the championship and their start to 2023 doesn’t suggest a strong reaction yet. But if they build momentum and are pushing for promotion towards the end of the campaign, they’ll be favoured for one of the promotion spots.

SLIGO

Manager: Tony McEntee (third season)

Last meeting: Sligo 2-16 Leitrim 2-10 (2022)

Overall record 2022: Played 12, won 8, lost 4; third in Division 4

This is becoming a grudge match over the past three seasons and while Sligo have prevailed in all the contests, the gap appears to be closing. Tony McEntee’s side were desperately unlucky not to gain promotion last year and doubly unlucky not to reach the Tailteann Cup Final after a tight semi-final against Cavan. There may be more pressure on them but with quality young players coming through, they’ll fancy their chances of finally escaping the division.