Hurlers maintain Leitrim's 100% start to 2023 Leagues
WARWICKSHIRE 3-6 LEITRIM 1-21
Matching their football counterparts on the mens and ladies teams, Leitrim hurlers started their 2023 Allianz League campaign off with an impressive victory as they had nine points to spare over Warwickshire last Saturday in Pairc na hEireann in Birmingham.
It has been a remarkable start to this year's National Leagues with the hurlers opening their campaign with a victory following on the back to back victories achieved by Andy Moran's men's team (Waterford & London) and Jonny Garrity's Ladies team (Derry and Kilkenny).
The hurlers will get their chance to emulate their footballing colleagues when they host Lancashire next Saturday afternoon, February 11, in Shane McGettigan Park in Drumshanbo.
Olcan Conway’s troops travelled across the Irish confident but wary of what the Birmingham based Exiles might produce and it looked ominous when the very first score of the game turned out to be a goal for the home side.
The two sides have history with Warwickshire breaking Leitrim hearts back in 2017 when they defeated the Green & Gold in the Lory Meagher Cup Final in Croke Park and the fact that the Exiles were making the drop back to Division 3B for the first time in some years added to the trepidation of what Warwickshire might thrown at them in the game.
But Leitrim dug in and despite stern and persistent resistance from Warwickshire, the Green & Gold hurlers just had too much firepower for their hosts, hitting 21 points to just six for Warwickshire.
There was very good news for the hurlers with the return of Stephen Goldrick - the Leitrim Gaels clubman suffered a severe injury in the Club Senior Football Championship Semi-Final last September but he made an amazing recovery to get back on the field for the first game of the League, even scoring a point into the bargain.
What will really please Olcan Conway was the resilience his team showed under pressure - Warwickshire retook the lead with a second goal in the first half but two points from captain Martin Feeney gave them a narrow halftime lead, 1-7 to 2-3.
Again when the Exiles struck for a third goal in the second half, Leitrim’s response was emphatic as they replied with a string of unanswered points to kill off whatever lingering hopes Warwickshire had.
Leitrim will hope to build on their strong start next Saturday when Shane McGettigan Park in Drumshanbo hosts the visit of Lancashire (2pm throw-in). Having the advantage of a game under their belts should help Leitrim against a team in their first outing but Conway’s troops will take nothing for granted.
With Cavan getting the better of Longford by two points in the Division’s other game last weekend, Leitrim sit atop the table by virtue of score difference but with games against Cavan (away) and Longford to come, they will want to build up a healthy scoring differential in the battle to qualify for the league playoffs.
Leitrim suffered an early blow when Warwickshire struck for a goal in the early minutes and soon added a point to go four points clear. Michael Dervan fired over a free to get Olcan Conway’s team on the scoreboard before the Killimor player quickly added a second.
Cluainin’s Peter Poniard closed the gap to a point with a fine score but Warwickshire hit back with their second point.
However, it looked as if Leitrim’s poor start was forgotten when Brendan Delaney found the net and quickly added a point to put the Green & Gold hurlers two to the good, a lead maintained when Dervan swapped points with Warwickshire.
However, the Birmingham based Exiles gave Leitrim a sharp reminder that they would not lie down when they struck for a second goal to retake the lead. But showing admirable resilience, Leitrim captain Martin Feeney led the fightback with two points late in the half to send the visitors into the dressing rooms with a 1-7 to 2-3 lead at the break.
Leitrim seemed to be pulling clear of the home side when they reeled off five unanswered points to start the second half. Michael Dervan got the ball rolling with two quick points, one from a free, before Sean O’Riordan added another.
Joe Murray stretched the lead five points when he found the target with a good point before O’Riordan hit his second of the afternoon, a score quickly matched by Warwickshire’s first point of the second half.
The home side added another point and, incredibly, struck for a third goal to cause the Leitrim contingent quite a bit of worry but Leitrim continued to pull away and points from Dervan (free), Feeney and Gavin O’Hagan put the Leitrim lads five points clear once more.
Dervan added another free before Warwickshire hit their final score of the game to close the gap back to five points but Leitrim would not be caught with keeper Clement Cunniffe scoring a point.
Michael Dervan continued his impressive scoring with another free before the returned Stephen Goldrick hit a late effort, the scoring rounded out by another free from Clement Cunniffe.
LEITRIM
Scorers: Michael Dervan 0-8; Brendan Delaney 1-1, Martin Feeney 0-3, Sean O’Riordan, Peter Poniard & Clement Cunniffe 0-2 each, Gavin O’Hagan, Joe Murray & Stephen Goldrick 0-1 each
Team: Clement Cunniffe (Carrick HC), Paul Lenehan (Carrick HC), Aaron McLoughlin (Carrick HC), Kevin Clerkin (Cluainin), David McGovern (St Peregrine's Dublin), Jerome Fitzgibbon (Harbour Rovers Cork), Martin Feeney (Cluainin), Conor Hackett (Carrick HC), Gavin O’Hagan (Cluainin), Sean O’Riordan (Carrick HC), Michael Dervan (Killimor Galway), Peter Poniard (Cluainin), Joe Murray (Round Towers Dublin), Conor Beirne (Carrick HC), Brendan Delaney (Carrick HC). Subs: Cian Mallon (Carrick HC) for Poniard, Stephen Goldrick (Carrick HC) for O’Riordan; Robbie Casey (Carrick HC) for Beirne
WARWICKSHIRE
Team: Paddy Hands, Dan Ryan, Sean O’Brien, Steve Clarke, Sean Dirrane, John Collins, Richie Murray, Michael Holland, Noel Lenehan, Breen Fallon, Jack Grealish, Brandon O’Sullivan, Luke Hands, Padraic Crehan, Oisin Coffey, Niall Eames
Referee: Kevin Parke (Antrim)