Leitrim Takes Tight Contest

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Irish Voice Sport

Leitrim Takes Tight Contest

July 4, 2007

By Eugene Kyne

Leitrim 2-13 Derry 0-12

FOR the second time on Sunday it was a late burst that secured the points for the winners, with Leitrim scoring 1-3 without reply in the last 10 minutes of an uncompromising senior football contest.

Derry are to be commended. They went down to 14 men but fought hard to get a result. It was a combination of lost legs and the over lap that gave Leitrim the impetus for the win.

Leitrim are now in position to make their games against Cavan and Four Provinces critical for seeding when the playoffs arrive.

The game began in a niggling fashion, as the players knew each other from a KO meeting earlier in the year. It did not stop four points arriving, two each, but it set the tone for the day.

Derry took the first standing eight when Deon Gallagher was set free on the right by Robbie Moran, and Gallagher sent a bullet to the net from 25 yards out. Goal of the year so far.

The reply from Derry was honest. They had a point from Oisin Doherty and they settled down to the task at hand.

Matt Mitchell and Kevin Lilly swapped scores, but the game again took an underhanded tone with both sides guilty. When concentrating on the game, Kevin Bradley and Doherty were outstanding. They were scurrying throughout the field, and at this juncture they were unmarkable.

At the Leitrim end Mitchell, Fergal O’Reilly and John Goldrick were the most active, but the St. Mary’s man O’Reilly had to leave the field with an ankle injury with 25 minutes on the clock and his team up 1-5 to 0-6.

Leitrim reacted to the adversity with scores from Moran (a free), and the recently introduced Danny O’Sullivan. They could have drove a stake in the heart but Kenny O’Connor hit the foot of the post when released by Goldrick, and Derry cleared the danger. Derry took the escape and had the last score of the half, a point from Killian Morgan who was having his best day this year.

The second half started slowly, with both sides again playing the man instead of the ball. Not maliciously, just pull drag, and late tag stuff.

Donal Hartnett made it a one goal lead with a good chipped score, and as the 15th minute of the second half approached that was the extent of the scoring. When Goldrick went into the corner after a loose ball he was fouled, but in the aftermath a scrimmage ensued and Paul Mulhern was shown a red. Moran tapped over the free and it was four to spare.

One would have thought that Leitrim would coast, but Derry had their best period of the game with three points in a row with Lilly, Morgan’s delightful effort, and Conor Downey (a free) the scorers.

They were within one, but Leitrim had the best move of the day when a four man move set Mitchell free and he shot low to the net. It was the end for Derry as Leitrim added three points on the run and they were home.

Leitrim had the best performers in Gary Cornyn, Aidan Power, Martin Slowey, Robbie Moran (second half), Kevin Mitchell and Donal Hartnett.

Derry will call Joe Bell, Steve Keating, Darren Doherty, Killian Morgan and Oisin Doherty (first half) their best players.

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