Leitrim remain unbeaten after dramatic league victory over Offaly

Leitrim took a step closer to a long-sought promotion to Division Three with a three-point victory over Offaly in the Lidl Division Four League in Pairc Seán MacDiarmada.

Both teams came into the match off the back of comprehensive victories last week on the opening day of the season, but it was a second-half takeover and some good last-ditch defending that kept Leitrim in front.

Offaly experienced their first loss in Division Four after suffering relegation last season, but will have plenty of positives to take from a close match that they played without their captain, Michelle Mann.

Leitrim, on the other hand, will be pleased with the win in the type of competitive game that they struggled to see out this time last year. 

Leitrim's opening goal came just two minutes in. A short kickout was turned over, and fast hands from Shylyn Ward and Michelle Guckian played in Kate Gormley for a simple palm in goal that marked the newcomers' second in two weeks.

READ MORE: ‘Opens the door to a lot of new players': Leitrim player reacts after first game with new rules

Neither team looked particularly comfortable in the opening stages, especially off their kickouts, with both coughing up goals after losing possession off their own restart.

Offaly took a few minutes to settle into the game and get a score thanks to the defensive exploits of Jasmine Maye, who was the home side's most important defensive presence in the game.

Offaly’s Emma Hand opened their scoring five minutes in, kicking a point past the diving body of Maye.

Hand almost rocked Leitrim a minute later when her shot from 20 metres bounced dangerously off the crossbar.

Neither team will be pleased with the shooting accuracy in the game, with both racking up the wides throughout the game, though Offaly were more clinical in the first half.

The visitors had a free move up for dissent, and Caoimhe Lynam tapped it over. 

Michelle Guckian scored from a free kick inside the arch to extend their lead before Aoife Gilmartin did the same after darting through a gap in the Offaly defence and popped over a left-footed point. 

Offaly had their strongest patch of the game before the break, starting with a Caoimhe Lynam goal off the back of an intercepted short kickout. The full forward’s rocket to the net was followed up with a point from her attack partner, Marie Byrne, a minute later.

Lynman linked up with Byrne again a minute later to work a chance inside the Leitrim arch, which she slotted over to put the Faithful county two ahead.

Michelle Guckian missed a free but had the chance to redeem herself a minute later with another from just inside the arch, which she took well to close the gap. 

That would be Guckian’s final contribution of the day as she was replaced at the break following a dead leg.

READ MORE: Drumshanbo VS Girls shoot into All Ireland final making more history 

Leitrim found sme form at the end of the half, and some determined work from Rachel McIntrye kept an attack alive in front of the Offaly goal before she set up the oncoming Aoife Gilmartin to finish smartly and level the game before half-time.

Leitrim made a raft of changes at the break, bringing on the trio of Muireann Devaney, Ailbhe Clancy, and Laura O’Dowd. 

O’Dowd made her presence known straight away as she sent over a high looping point two minutes into the half to restore Leitrim’s lead.

Offaly’s Emma Hand missed a shot on goal down the other end, but got a chance again and swung over with her left foot to level the game again eight minutes into the half.

Leitrim looked far more assured on the ball after the break, carrying out of defence more cleanly, aided by the option of delivering a long ball into Muireann Devaney and Laura O’Dowd up front.

The home side had a glut of chances that went astray in the second half with three frees going wide before Leah Fox hit a point after a free kick fell short.

Offaly looked like they might score a goal off a wonderful individual effort from wing forward Eve Kelly when she took off through along the touch line with a group of Leitrim defenders swarming her. 

The wing forward saw her effort come off the post, but she had the consolation of earning a free kick for her team, which was converted by Emma Hand. 

O’Dowd replied with a point down the other end after taking an intelligent solo and go that found her a chance inside the Offaly defence. 

That was followed up by Rachel McIntyre topping off her impressive performance with a point after she snuck towards the Offaly goal.   

The Leitrim goal came under siege in the final ten minutes. Charlene Tyrell made a solid block on the 13-metre line. Then, Martina Gallagher saved a shot on goal after an Emma Hand shot rebounded to an Offaly player inside the square.

Ailbhe Clancy got her first score in what was a difficult game for the former Manorhamilton player when she hit over a free from inside the arch to put Leitrim three ahead.

Despite taking control of the game, it looked like Leitrim might let this determined Offaly side back into the game as captain for the day, Roisin Mealiff found a gap, beating two Leitrim defenders before knocking over a point from 25 metres.

Gallagher was called into action again with five minutes to go when Una O’Brien managed to get a low soccer-style shot away from the Leitrim 20 metre line that would have crept in at the base of the post without some quick reactions from the Drumkerrin woman.

Muireann Devaney had a one-on-one saved down the other end a minute later by Aoife Corcoran, who did well to deny her.

Two points down but still looking dangerous. Offaly were scrambling to get one more attack going in added time, but Ailbhe Clancy and Aoife Gilmartin joined up to swarm an Offaly player carrying the ball out for an energy-sapping turnover that killed any notion of a late surge.

Leitrim kept Offaly pressed inside their half and got two more points from Muireann Devaney frees to seal their second win of the league campaign.

Leitrim 

Team

Martina Gallagher; Jasmine Maye; Charlene Tyrell; Niamh Morahan; Dearbhaile Beirne; Lauren Devaney; Rachel McIntyre; Niamh Tighe; Anna Devaney; Aoife Gilmartin; Leah Fox; Michelle Guckian; Shaylyn Ward; Kate Gormley; Emma Guckian. Subs: Muireann Devaney for Shylyn Ward (30); Ailbhe Clancy for Michelle Guckian (30); Laura O’Dowd for Emma Guckian (30); Chloe Dolan for Anna Devaney (34); Vivianne Egan for Anne Devaney (47); Dearbhaile Rooney for Niamh Tighe (61).

Scorers

 Muireann Devaney 0-3,2f; Aoife Gilmartin 0-2; Michelle Guckian 0-2,2f; Kate Gormley 1-0; Leah Fox 0-1; Rachel McIntyre 0-1.

Offaly

Team

Aoife Corcoran; Saoirse McGuiness; Anna Grehan; Nicole Buckley; Fiona Dempsey; Emma Maher; Meabh Rouse; Roisin Mealiff; Roisin Ennis; Una O’Brien; Emma Hand; Faith McDermott; Maire Byrne; Caoimhe Lynam; Sarah Fitzgerald. Subs: Eve Kelly for Sarah Fitzgerald (20); Aoife Carey for Faith McDermott (39); Alex Leonard for Caoimhe Lynam (61)

Scorers

Emma Hand 0-4,1f; Caoimhe Lynam 1-2; Maire Byrne 0-1; Roisin Mealiff 0-1.