Teams beaten by Leitrim Ladies to face off in All-Ireland final

Fermanagh and Roscommon will take to the field for the All-Ireland Intermediate final

Football math, which became so reliable for so long under the old rules, is out the window in the new game.

Across the men's and ladies' games, there have been plenty of upsets and plenty of fixtures late in the championships that no one would have predicted.

Leitrim will be looking at a perfect example of that in Croke Park on the second of August when two teams that beat well at different points of this season go toe-to-toe in the All-Ireland Intermediate final.

Fermanagh booked their place in next month's decider last weekend with a three-point victory over Ulster Neighbours Down. Fair to say some individual brilliance helped the Erne women on their way as Eimear Smyth put her team on her back, bagging 1-10 on the day.

But Fermanagh were roundly beaten by Leitrim in the pool stage of the All-Ireland series last month. Leitrim pulled off an eight-point win on the day, thanks to a blistering start that saw them score two goals in the first three minutes of their game.

That win booked Leitrim a home quarter-final against Roscommon, who also have made it to the All-Ireland Final, and who also received a beating earlier in the year from Leitrim when the sides met in the Connacht B final, where Leitrim, flying high, ran to a 4-18 to 0-08 victory over their southern neighbours on the day.

On paper, their Quarter-Final match should have gone Leitrim’s way again, but the Rossies won an impressive 2-12 to 2-08 victory on the day.

It makes for exciting storylines and a lesson that poor results do not define a season; you never know when a team will catch fire. It is a curious quirk of modern football that anyone can beat anyone on the right day. Past results are a less reliable guide to what will happen in the future.