Leitrim face the unknown as New York aim for history

Forewarned may very well be forearmed but the trouble for Leitrim as they make the trek across the Atlantic for the opening round of the Connacht Senior Championship is that an air of mystery surrounds who and what exactly they may be facing on Saturday in Gaelic Park.

I'm sure Andy Moran and the Leitrim set-up will have an army of scouts keeping a close eye on what New York and who they'll have available for Saturday's encounter (11 pm throw-in Irish time) but for the last few months, the rumour mill has been going into overdrive.

There have been plenty of rumours flying around over who New York might spring in recent weeks with 2016 All Star  Michael Quinlivan's name mentioned quite a lot in dispatches, probably due to the fact that the Clonmel man played out in New York last Summer.

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Frank Brady's piece on page 82 lays out better who might face Leitrim but what we do know for certain is that over the last month alone, eight players have transferred into New York including former Kerry footballer Gavin O’Brien and former Galway footballer Eoghan Kerin who won Connacht titles with Tribesmen in 2016 and 2018.

All Star nominee and Munster SFC winner Bill Maher has signed up as  did Cian McArdle from Kingscourt Stars, Crossmaglen Rangers' Padraig Studdard; former Laois U20 captain Shane Bolger and Cathair Quinn of Tyrone club Errigal Ciaran.

Having those players at their disposal has got to improve New York's chances and no doubt the Stateside exiles believe that Leitrim represent their best chance of winning their first ever Connacht Championship tie, particularly given that they've twice taken the Green & Gold to extra-time.

Five years ago, Armagh's Jamie Clarke was New York's not so secret weapon and it took everything Brendan Guckian's side had to emerge on the right side of the 0-19 to 1-15 scoreline while New York really put it up to Sligo last year in Gaelic Park, Tony McEntee's men winning 1-16 to 0-15.

The question for Leitrim is dealing with the pressure - the history of close shaves and tight games in this fixture means Leitrim won't be taking this game for granted and they have built-in advantages that the New York just won't have.

First and foremost is that Leitrim have been playing League games up until two weeks before Saturday's encounter, games that were played with all the fervour and drama of the championship so even while the Green & Gold didn't get the outcome they wanted, those games should stand to Andy Moran's side.

Other than challenge games, New York can't have the same sharpness or match practice - they'll be fit but there is fit and there is match fit, the ability to keep making those runs when your lungs are burning and an opponent is hanging out of you. Leitrim have an advantage there and a reservoir of fitness that they've got to exploit.

A good start doesn't guarantee anything but if Leitrim  start strongly and maintain   a blistering pace, their reservoirs in fitness and strength in depth should test the physical conditioning of the New York players.

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Playing on astroturf seems like an advantage for the home side but for quality footballers, playing on an artificial surface exaggerates differences in skill and conditioning - of course it will take a bit out of Leitrim legs but it  also enables Andy Moran's side to make full use of their repertoire of footballing skills.

In Keith Beirne, Leitrim have an out and out scorer and that is a priceless commodity - it is the area where London and New York traditionally struggle to match, someone with a natural eye for a score and a killer instinct. And you just know that Beirne will be itching to put right what was a low-key performance from him against Sligo.

Andy Moran has some tough choices to make - the Leitrim manager is hoping Jordan Reynolds will be back but in his absence, his big decision is whether to start Tom Prior or hold the Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins attacker in reserve. In each of the games where he has come on, Prior has drastically altered Leitrim's attacking threat and he must be close to a starting berth.

Conor Farrell probably did enough in the Sligo game to regain his starting spot but who loses out? Nevin O'Donnell looks secure in the number one jersey but Moran may have a decision to make about where to situate Paul Keaney and Donal Wrynn.

Leitrim's captain made a big impact against Laois when switched to full forward but the midfield duo probably struggled a bit against Sligo and Wrynn could find himself rotating with Keaney, Mark Plunkett and Pearce Dolan.

Even the difficulty of travelling can be turned into a positive - building and reinforcing the team bonds, driving home the message from the management even if the jet lag has got to be a concern.

But the biggest challenge is dealing with the pressure and with hundreds of Leitrim fans in New York, there will be lots of hype  - we've traditionally struggled to put away New York or London and all the players will hear this week is tales of who they will be facing and how difficult it is going to be.

Does that become a self fulfilling prophecy, contributing to the Green & Gold not playing with their usual fluency? Hard to know but if all you hear is dire warnings, it has got to play a part, however subliminal. Focusing on the act of playing rather than the bigger picture will serve Leitrim much better rather than worrying about consequences.

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THE LAST POINT

There are going to be times when New York will have the upper hand and it may feel as if Gaelic Park is a cauldron but concentrating on the simple tasks in front of you is the key ingredient in successful teams - and that is what Leitrim have got to do on Saturday evening.

We know Leitrim have the ability, the task is to drown out all the noise around the game and simply concentrate on the task in hand. That won't be easy with hundreds of Leitrim fans in Gaelic Park but if they get that right, they should book their place in the Connacht Semi-Final.