Glencar Manorhamilton avoid the drop with second half demolition of Annaduff

A strong second half showing from Glencar Manorhamilton saw them outscore Annaduff eight points to two to cement their places in the Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC for another year, meanwhile, Annaduff tumble back to the intermediate championship that they won last season.

As a rule, relegation finals are grim affairs; two teams battle it out with nothing material to win but everything to lose. As another rule, staring the prospect of relegation in the face is a nasty business at the best of times. This year even more so with three senior teams taking the plunge to intermediate, the second tier of Leitrim football is set to become much more competitive next season. A better watch for the fans, but a much harder arena for teams to claw their way out of.  

The first half of this game had all the intensity you would expect from a relegation final, it was a dog fight, with both teams trading points and players showing real aggression in the tackle with tensions looking like they might spill over in moments. 

Annaduff got the best of the early exchanges with points from Jason ward, Frank McNabola and their talisman Darren Cox putting them three ahead in the first ten minutes.

Barry McNulty eventually put Glencar Manorhamilton on the scoreboard with a point on ten minutes, and a minute later, he was on the ball again, setting up Evan Sweeney to slot over another for the north Leitrim men. Both teams dropped shots short in the next few minutes before Senan Mooney fired back for Annaduff after winning a mark with a sliding catch close to the Manorhamilton goal. 

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Barry McNulty missed the chance to add another to his tally for Manorhamilton, dropping a free kick short into Annaduff hands. Manorhamilton won the ball back however and corner-back Paddy Maguire came barreling forward to stroke a point over and put them within one. Evan Sweeney kicked them level a minute later after Manorhamilton swept up a poor Annaduff kickout.

Despite committing men back inside their 45 to defend, neither team looked solid at the back with chances coming thick and fast. Aaron Hickey and Evan Sweeney both kicked two points a piece for Manor before the break, while Eoin Gill ran through Manorhamilton's defence to kick his first point of the game for Annaduff, and Darren Cox shot a beautiful point from a nasty angle which he followed up with two more from frees to leave the game level at half time. 

It nearly wasn't, however, as Glencar Manorhamilton blundered a goal opportunity just before halftime when Barry McNulty found himself bearing down on the goal The Leitrim star opted to handpass the across the goal but the recipient's palmed effort bounced off the post and Cian McManus’s rebounded shot was deflected out for a 45 that amounted to nothing.

During the break, the weather changed with summer rains teaming down making the Ballinaglera field slick and heavy to play on. Though Annaduff arguably were the ones setting the tone in the first 30 minutes, the second half was all Glencar Manorhamilton. They looked the fitter side and set the pace; breaking with speed, dominating the ball around the middle of the field, winning kickouts, and running through a crumbling Annaduff defense. Meanwhile, Annaduff looked out of energy and out of ideas.

Barry McNulty, James Rooney and Cian McManus put three unanswered points on the board in the opening ten minutes to the half, whereas Annaduff struggled to come to terms with the wet conditions and move the ball safely out of their defense. 

The south Leitrim men only kicked two points in the second half, both from Darren Cox frees, though they were not without their chances but racking up seven misses when they desperately needed scores to stem Glencar Manorhamilton's momentum sealed their fate.

With ten minutes gone in the second half, Darren Cox got Annaduff’s first point of the game from a free, he scored another four minutes later, in the meantime, Aaron Hickey had returned one on the other end for Manorhamilton. 

From there Manorhamilton took complete control kicking six unanswered points from Ruairi Sheridan, James Rooney, Paddy Maguire, and Evan Sweeney to secure their survival in senior football for another year. 

GLENCAR MANORHAMILTON

Scorers: Evan Sweeney & Aaron Hickey 0-3 each; Barry McNulty, Ruairi Sheridan (f), James Rooney & Paddy McGuire 0-2 each; Cian McManus & Declan Byrne 0-1 each

Team: Shaun Sheridan; Paddy McGuire; Tom Hughes; Mark McHughs; Patrick Mongomery; James Rooney; Sean Markham; Barry McNulty; Ruairi Sheridan; Declan Byrne; Aaron Hickey; Dylan McDermott; Cian McManus; Brian McDonald; Evan McSweeney. Subs: Cathal Og O’Connell for Declan Byrne (49); Killian McGriskin for Aaron Hickey (26)

ANNADUFF

Scorers: Darren Cox 0-6, 3f; Eoghan Ridge; Eoin Gill; Senan Mooney (f) & Frank McNabola 0-1 each

Team: Sean McNabola; Hugh Moylan; Dillon Keane; Conor Reynolds; Eoin Gill; Tommie Taylor; Eoghan Ridge; Shane Morrison; Dan Bosquette; Alan Glancy; Darren Cox; Jason Ward; Senan Mooney; Kenny Cox; Frank McNabola. Subs: Frank Shanley for Jason Ward (59)

Referee: Seamus Mulhern