Something for everyone as Gaels hold off Manor

They fought as if their lives depended on it but at the end of Saturday's entertaining Connacht Gold SFC clash in Leitrim village, Leitrim Gaels surge in the final ten minutes was enough to see them home against Glencar Manorhamilton.

The Gaels had to come from behind to secure their win in the crucial match as Glencar Manor had enjoyed a two point advantage with just over eight minutes left on the clock, Donal Casey's goal on 53 minutes killing off the visitors' challenge.

It left supporters from Glencar Manorhamilton anxiously checking their phones to see if Aughawillan had overhauled their scoring advantage, both teams finishing on three points each but despite a 13 point victory for the Willies, it was the north Leitrim side who grabbed the final spot in the quarter-finals.

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Leitrim star Evan Sweeney opened the scoring in the game when he fired over a 2nd minute point for Glencar Manor. A minute later Glencar Manor keeper Shaun Sheridan made a save from Shane Rynn's goal bound  effort. Glencar Manor went two up on the five minute mark when Evan Sweeney whipped over his second. 

Leitrim Gaels were  on the back foot in the opening eight minutes but that all changed when Shane Rynn split the posts nine minutes into the action. Three minutes later Colm Moreton put Leitrim Gaels on level terms when he fired over but Manor restored the two points gap thanks to frees from Barry McNulty and Aaron Hickey.

Aidan Flynn reduced the lead to the minimum when he hit over a 20th minute point but Paddy Maguire hit back to restore Glencar Manor's advantage. Shane Rynn brought Leitrim Gaels right back into the hunt when he converted a 26th minute free. 

Before the break Shane Rynn levelled matters at 0-5 all for the first half of the action when he tapped over a  free. After the restart it continued in tit for tat fashion as Leitrim Gaels' David Bruen and Glencar Manor's Barry McNulty traded a point apiece.

Leitrim Gaels got into the driving seat for the first time in the contest when David Regan hammered home a 37th minute goal that gave his side the lead.

Glencar Manor's Barry McNulty answered with a pointed free three minutes later. The North Leitrim side got back on top again when they put together a defence splitting move on the 44th minute mark which ended with Conor Dolan palming home a well executed goal after James Rooney's pass.

Some four minutes later Evan Sweeney stretched Manor's advantage to two points with a well taken point but five minutes later, the Gaels struck for the decisive score when Conor Guckian fielded a high ball into the Glencar Manor danger area. Guckian  immediately passed it to Donal Casey who blasted a piledriver to the back of the Manor net from close range.

Casey's goal lifted the Leitrim Gaels' effort to a new level for the closing minutes of the action and they increased their advantage to three points in the game's closing exchanges with Jack Flynn and Eunan Tracey (free) whipping over a point apiece.

However the contest produced some more drama before the end when a great block by Leitrim Gaels David Bruen denied what would have been a levelling 58th minute Conor Dolan goal chance for Glencar Manor. Before the end Aaron Hickey hit over a consolation point for Glencar Manorhamilton from a placed ball and Leitrim Gaels held out for the win.

Grounds for congratulations!

THE LAST POINT

LEITRIM GAELS

Scorers: David Regan & Donal Casey 1-0 each; Shane Rynn 0-3, 3f; Aidan Flynn 0-2; Colm Moreton, David Bruen, Jack Flynn, Eunan Tracey (f) 0-1 each

Team: Brian Cull; Stephen McDermott, Aaron Aldridge, Aaron McLoughlin; Shane Finn, Shaun Chandler, Aidan Flynn; Colm Moreton, David Bruen; Conor Guckian; Brian Goldrick, Jack Flynn; David Regan, Shane Rynn, Eunan Treacy. Subs: Donal Casey for Aldridge (HT)

GLENCAR MANORHAMILTON

Scorers: Evan Sweeney 0-4; Conor Dolan 1-0; Barry McNulty (f) & Aaron Hickey (2f) 0-2 each; Paddy Maguire 0-1

Team: Shaun Sheridan; Tom Hughes, Paddy Maguire, Brendan Byrne; James Rooney, Brian McDonald, Mark McHugh; Stephen Irwin, Barry McNulty; Darren Gilmartin, Evan Sweeney, Cathal Óg O'Connell; Donnacha Devaney, Conor Dolan, Aaron Hickey. Subs: Darren Sweeney for Gilmartin (40); Killian McGriskin for Byrne (56); Peter Poniard for McHugh (58)

REFEREE: Michael McGirl