St Mary's Kiltoghert in bonus territory ahead of Tourlestrane test after Ruislip victory

The pressure isn't quite off but St Mary's Kiltoghert will head into Saturday's AIB Connacht Club Senior Semi Final against Tourlestrane in a much different frame of mind after they came through a tough encounter in Ruislip last weekend.

Tourlestrane will start as red hot favourites and that's understandable - they are seven in a row Sligo champions and have matched some of the province's powerhouse sides in that run, losing narrowly to both Knockmore and Ballintubber in recent years.

Two left standing as St Mary's & Aughnasheelin bid for Connacht glory

What they haven't done is reach a provincial final and for a team who have what looks like an iron grip on the Sligo title, that is the next step - they'll regard next Saturday's clash with St Mary's as the perfect chance to put that statistic right.

As St Mary's know all too well after last weekend in Ruislip, expectation brings pressure so the Sligo men, well versed as they are in performing in championship football, will be under a bit of pressure.

St Mary's, on the other hand, definitely won't be - in fact the pressure is off after their last gasp victory over St Kiernan's. That it was only secured very late with Paul Keaney's levelling point in added time followed by goals from Jack Barnes and Nicholas McWeeney doesn't take away from the main point of the exercise - a Leitrim win at provincial level!

Incredibly, the win was Leitrim's first at this level since Aughawillan beat Tubbercurry back in 2014 and only the second since Kiltubrid beat Coolera Strandhill way back in 2005.

Late injury time goal blast sees St Mary's through St Kiernan's scare in Ruislip

ST KIERNAN'S 1-8 ST MARY'S KILTOGHERT 3-8

Plus St Mary's were under severe pressure - St Kiernan's were looking for a first ever win for a London club team in this competition and had the players to do so while Leitrim, rightly or wrongly, are regarded as the weakest of the five Connacht counties while  the thought of the  ridicule that would have followed, rightly or wrongly, is something that can get inside the heads of a team before a game like this.

So apart from the hassle of travelling (a not inconsiderable factor it has to be said), this young St Mary's side were under immense pressure last Saturday and it would have not been a major surprise had the Carrick men lost.

 That they didn't again reinforces the growing notion that this St Mary's team are a resilient team who know how to win and you can't buy that sort of self-belief when the pressure is on in a tight game.

Consider how they did it - trailing by four points in the first half and three points midway through the second, St Mary's withstood fierce Kiernan's pressure and struck killer blows when the Londoners simply didn't have the time to hit back.

You can't teach that sort of cold bloodedness  - St Mary's hung on in a game where Kiernan's were dominating and found a way to win. Of course, they had a bit of luck but I've yet to see a team win any competition who didn't enjoy the rub of the green at least once in their march to glory.

But what Alan Flynn and his management team will undoubtedly be stressing is the resilience their players showed under pressure in Ruislip.  They'll need every bit of that resilience next Saturday if they are to overcome Tourlestrane because the south Sligo men are a formidable side.

You wonder if former Roscommon boss  Fergal O'Donnell will ask Eamonn O'Hara for insight into St Mary's, the Mohill manager a former Tourlestrane player and manager so you'd imagine O'Donnell and his backroom team  won't lack for knowledge on what St Mary's bring to the table.

Conan Marren, Kenny Gavigan, Oisin Kennedy and Brian Egan were all members of the Sligo team who beat Leitrim in the Tailteann Cup Final while Liam Gaughan, man of the match in the Sligo Final victory over St Mary’s, is another of the former Yeatsmen players in their ranks.

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Tourlestrane had to work very hard to overcome the challenge of the Sligo town team, featuring Leitrim's Emlyn Mulligan, in the County Final, their 0-15 to 0-13 victory coming after extra-time with the eventual champions needing two points in added time to force the game to an extra 20 minutes.

Perhaps that stat illustrates the kind of team Tourlestrane are - they are older and more experienced than St Mary's but both teams have shown an ability to win close games. Many might expect the grizzled veterans from Tourlestrane to hold a physical advantage but this St Mary's team have answered each and every challenge so far this year and they'll not be afraid of the Sligo champions.

Tourlestrane are favourites and this is a very young St Mary's team but with the prize of a Connacht Final waiting, if the game is close nearing the finish, put your money on Mary's!