Leitrim have nothing to lose and everything to gain​ against Tribesmen

For many, Leitrim take on Connacht’s version of Mission Impossible as they host champions Galway next Saturday in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada (3.30 pm throw-in) in a game where the Tribesmen are overwhelming favourites and the Green & Gold very much the underdogs.

​For probably only the second time this year, Steven Poacher’s team face into a match where the pressure is off, expectations are low and if there is any pressure, it is all on Galway who have gone a month without a game and need a good workout ahead of an expected Connacht Final against either Mayo or Roscommon.

The first time the pressure was off Leitrim? That was against Longford when Leitrim’s neighbours also arrived in Pairc Sean seeking a final place, the Allianz NFL Division 4 Final that is, and Leitrim stormed to a 10 point victory that nobody but the most optimistic Leitrim fan was predicting.

Before anyone loses the run of themselves, not for one second am I predicting a repeat – first of all, Galway are a different beast altogether, one of a few counties who are genuine contenders for the All-Ireland with a strength in depth, experience and raw talent that is the envy of many counties. ​But it also bears repeating that this is a free shot for Leitrim in the way that last year’s visit of Mayo to Pairc Sean was – a game where one team is an outright favourite and Leitrim the plucky underdogs that nobody expects anything of.

Reasons for caution are also abundant – Steven Poacher has been the first to admit that his charges have struggled to put back-to-back performances together and if that is the case, well Saturday could be a tough one. The Leitrim manager has been preaching a mantra of consistency all year and that, more than anything else, is what the Green & Gold will seeking next Saturday.

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Galway’s physicality is another concern – the teams Leitrim have struggled against this year have all been big units with power in the middle of the park and the Tribesmen have that in spades, with options that a Leitrim can only dream of. The possession battle in the middle of the park, always a key factor in gaelic football but more so under the new rules, will dictate how this game progresses.

There are whispers that Gavin Reynolds is a doubt for Saturday’s game with an injury sustained late on in Markievicz Park – that would be a big blow as the St Mary’s man is a big physical presence well able to contest the high ball against Galway’s behemoths but you'd imagine that Leitrim will try to flood the sector and stop Galway building momentum.

How both these teams approach this contest will be key – Leitrim will play with a freedom that they haven’t normally, the win over Sligo lifting the pressure giving them the equivalent of a free shot but that doesn’t mean there is pressure, the memory of Pearse Stadium in 2022 a reminder of what can go wrong in a hurry!

Galway’s approach is also important – will they see this only as a stepping stone to a Connacht Final and keep their powder dry? Or will they go out intent to shake off the cobwebs and seek to make a statement. Both approaches are equally possible – Galway have traditionally been content to do just enough and only thrice in the last ten meetings have they won by more than ten points.

But individual Galway players will be playing for their places or simply trying to gain momentum ahead of what would be regarded as tougher tests and when they are ruthless, Galway can run up a score quickly – as Leitrim found out in 2022 when a close game was turned into a procession in the blink of an eye.

What you can be sure of is that Galway will have some plan to deal with the influence Barry McNulty has on this Leitrim team. Last week’s GAA.ie Player of the Week, the Glencar Manorhamilton is probably the single most influential player in Connacht and Padraic Joyce will be well aware that quietening Leitrim’s star man will go a long way to quelling whatever challenge Leitrim can pose.

Psychologically speaking, Leitrim have nothing to lose on Saturday – beating Sligo probably exceeding the expectations of many outside the team bubble and with everyone expecting Galway to win, Steven Poacher’s charges are very much in the territory of ‘nothing to lose’ – a situation they were in last year when they put up such a defiant showing against Mayo.

Poacher will want Leitrim to follow that template and it would also help if we had the same wet, slippery day we endured last April – unfortunately, we don’t have Donal Casey to anchor the defence but Conor Reynolds had made a big impact since his return to the starting line-up and you’d hope that the defence can clog up Galway’s attacking lines.

Galway start as strong favourites for a reason and even with an injury list that rivalled Leitrim’s during the League, the manner in which Padraic Joyce’s team secured their Division 1 status against Dublin in the final game also speaks of a team well versed in the nitty gritty of championship football.

For all the optimism generated by Leitrim’s victory over Sligo, you’d imagine that Galway will  just have too much physical power and class, although I imagine that if Leitrim can make Galway sweat the way Wicklow made Dublin last Sunday, Leitrim fans will see that as genuine progress.