Match Report – Leitrim v London 05/02/2023

London is a special place for me. In 1982  (41 years ago)  I was on the first Leitrim team to play London in London in the Connacht Championship. We won 1-13 to 0-4. In the intervening years London have improved dramatically and yesterday in London I was hugely impressed with London’s performance. Make no mistake about it this game went right to the wire and had the huge crowd on the edge of their seats in what was a championship atmosphere.

In the first half London were finding it easier to get into scoring positions and kicked a number of bad wides. Leitrim were struggling to break down the London defence and were more economical and the first half ended 0-6 to 0-3 in Leitrim’s favour undeservedly so.

The second half went one way then the other  and when Keith Beirne scored a goal it looked comfortable at 1-7 to 0-5. Another goal from Donal Wrynn followed and at 2-9 to 0-7 it looked done and dusted with fifteen minutes of normal time to go. When London had Henry Walsh red carded in the 56th minute it appeared Leitrim’s job was done. With London really piling on the pressure and scoring five points in a row the game exploded in the 65th minute when London scored a goal from a loose ball to bring the score to 2-10 to 1-13.  Three points in it as we approached the last five minutes it was squeaky bum time. Leitrim worked the ball up the field past the London defence line  and within the minute Tom Prior got the goal that would make the game safe notwithstanding a few anxious moments before the final whistle.

The match was a serious test for the Leitrim team. Travelling by bus, going through airports, getting buses when you arrive and trying to ensure it does not affect performance is really hard to do. That Leitrim won against a serious London team and will do wonders for the players confidence. Certainly London scoring five points  in a row with a man down at a crucial time in the match needs examination. London will win a few matches at home in London and could impact on the final league placings for a few teams.  The Leitrim team are a unit and their preparation is very professional under Andy and his management team. In all the circumstances it was a great victory.

Next up Wexford…..

 

Eamonn Duignan

Leitrim GAA are delighted to announce the appointment tonight of Karl Foley as the U17 Minor team Manager for 2023. Karl who lives in and is a native of Kilmore has huge coaching and managerial experience. Karl is a very experienced coach and manager, with spells at Clan na Gael, Carrickedmond, Kilmore, Shannon Gaels and in Leitrim with Leitrim Gaels and Annaduff. Karl also bring vast experience at the Minor Inter County age-group having  managed and coached  Roscommon Minors for 5 years and winning a Connacht title in that period. We would like to wish Karl the very best of luck in the role and look forward to announcing the remaining members of his backroom team very soon.

Leitrim completed their Fr Manning Cup campaign with a hard fought win over Wicklow  in Abbotstown on a score 3- 5  to 1- 9 on Saturday 13th August.

Playing in testing heat conditions Leitrim ,who were favourites to win following their unlucky last minute defeat to Wexford, were made to fight all the way  by a strong Wicklow panel.
Leitrim ,who used all of their panel of 24, got off to a strong start and lead 2  -2 to 2pts at the end of the first 20 minute break with the goals coming from Adam Reynolds and James Gilheaney -from a penalty.Gilheaney from Fenagh had a fantastic game through out.
Wicklow were stronger in the 2nd period and added  4 points, with Leitrim’s sole score coming from Josh Mc Namee -a difficult one following a brilliant mark .
The final period was end to end stuff and Leitrim were looking good until a Wicklow goal put them a point in front at 1-7  to 2-3. Leitrim stormed back with several good attacks and Brian Keaney, a younger brother of Paul  the St Marys and Leitrim player, finally crashed home a great goal from a rebound. Dara Greenan  added a point  which  was followed by a Wicklow  point .
Brian  Keaney completed the Leitrim scoring with a fine point. A late Wicklow point wasn’t enough and Leitrim held out for a thoroughly deserving win.
Afterwards the team management and panel reviewed the game and despite a number of key players being absent due to injuries there was great satisfaction that they won the game, while not playing as well as in some of the earlier matches. The key learning from the Wexford game was not to put all efforts into defending when ahead and it paid off.
It was good to talk to Sean Reynolds the St Mary’s goalie who is one of the team mentors and physio. Isn’t it great to see a young player giving his expertise to a younger Leitrim generation. Brendan Delaney, the enthusiastic GDA is full of  hope  for the Leitrim panels.
 It was good to hear more about the revised coaching structures in Leitrim and to learn that in addition to the U16s, the U15’s were playing in the Humphrey Kelleher Shield in Longford  while the U 14’s were playing in a Connacht blitz in Ballyhaunis. So in total up to 80 Leitrim underage players were  involved in matches on the one day.
The full Leitrim panel was-
1 Liam Crowe MacDiarmada Gaels
2 Frank Cullen Leitrim Gaels
3  Eanna McNamara St Josephs
4 Thomas Maycock  St Josephs
5 David li Doyle Gortletteragh
6 Colm McLoughlin Fenagh
7 Cian Reynolds St Mary’s
8 Paul Honeyman  MacDiarmada Gaels ( Paul was injured and didn’t play)
9 Dara Greenan  Fenagh
10 Adam reynolds Fenagh
11 Senan Mooney Annaduff
12 Evan Kilrane Mohill
13 James Shanley Leitrim Gaels
14 James Gilheaney Fenagh
15 Cathal McCarthy MacDiarmada Gaels
16 Darragh Lee MacDiarmada Gaels
17 Aaron Gardiner St Mary’s
18 Darragh Gardiner St Mary’s
19 Josh McNamee  Leitrim Gaels
20 Noah McNulty Gortletteragh
21 Tommy Reen Gortletteragh
22 Dessie Wisley MacDiarmada Gaels
23 Josh Maye St Mary’s
24 Alan Gethins Dromahair
25 Brian Keaney St Mary’s
See photos below
1- The Leitrim players in a huddle during one of the breaks
2- Coaches Sean Reynolds, Ray McBrien and Martin McGowan
3- A happy Brendan Delaney, the GDA with responsibility for the team
SUCCESSFUL DAY AT CONNACHT BLITZES FOR COUNTY’S UNDERAGE SQUADS
 
Leitrim’s County’s U15 and U16 squads had a successful outing at Day 2 of the  Connacht GAA Blitzes in Bekan on Saturday last.   The U15 squad continued their winning ways with 2 victories over Sligo and Roscommon which leaves them with 3 wins from 3 in the Dermot Earley competition. The U16s, on the other hand, got their Ted Webb campaign back on track with wins over Mayo and Roscommon.
U15: LEITRIM 2-10  SLIGO 0-10
Leitrim U15s got off to a winning start on Saturday when they accounted for a game Sligo outfit.   Leitrim came out of the blocks early with points from Gavin Gallagher and Ruairi O’Rourke. Sligo responded with 2 points of their own before Joey McBrien found the net for Leitrim. This was followed by another Ruairi O’Rourke point sandwiched between 2 Sligo points to leave Leitrim 2 points to the good.   The first half ended with Leitrim points from Tadhg Regan and Gavin Gallagher in response to 3 Sligo efforts to leave the minimum between the sides at the break.   The 2nd half was just as competitive as the 1st but Leitrim maintained their advantage throughout.   Jack Kelly, Gavin Gallagher and Ruairi O’Rourke added early points for Leitrim as Sligo added 2 of their own.   Leitrim took control of the game in the final quarter as an Oisin Conlon goal and points from Ruairi O’Rourke and Gavin Gallagher were enough to see off the final effort from Sligo.   Team and Scorers: Josh Sheridan; Kevin Faughnan; Killian Mulvey; James Hughes; Niall Torsney; Niall Stenson; Luke Farrell; Gavin Gallagher (0-3); Bailey McBride; Tadhg Regan (0-2); Sean Carolan Morris; Mark Ahearne; Jack Kelly (0-1); Joey McBrien (1-0); Ruairi O’Rourke (0-4). Subs: Daire Shannon; Luke Fitzsimons; Peter Moran, Oisin Conlon (1-0); Senan Bohan; Cillian Downes.
U15: Leitrim 7-14  Roscommon 1-2
Leitrim’s 2nd outing on Saturday was a very one-sided affair as they made short work of one of the 2 Roscommon teams participating in the Dermot Earley competition.   All aspects of Leitrim’s play in this game were firing on all cylinders as they put in a complete performance.   Defensively Leitrim were solid, turning Roscommon over time and again with some stout tackling from Luke Farrell and Killian Mulvey in particular.   Niall Torsney and Peter Moran drove forward from the half back line with both players contributing to the scoreline.   In midfield Sean Carolan Morris and Luke Fitzsimons gave their forward line a platform from which they reaped the benefits of fast attacking football.  Up front the Leitrim forwards played some great free flowing football and all players played their part as Oisin Conlon, Jack Kelly, Joey McBrien and sub Ruairi O’Rourke finding their range on a regular basis.   Leitrim led 3-8 to 1-0 at half time and the introduction of all the Leitrim subs didn’t make a dent in their dominance in the 2nd half as they added a further 4-6 to their tally.  Roscommon will know that better days are to come when their 2 regional teams amalgamate for the Ted Webb competition in 2023 but that shouldn’t diminish a fine effort by the Leitrim youngsters.
Team and Scorers: Daire Shannon; Kevin Faughnan; Killian Mulvey; James Hughes; Niall Torsney(1-0); Luke Farrell; Peter Moran(0-1); Sean Carolan Morris; Luke Fitzsimons; Oisin Conlon(2-3); Cillian Downes; Mark Ahearne(0-1); Jack Kelly(0-5); Joey McBrien(1-2); Senan Bohan(0-2); Subs: Josh Sheridan, Bailey McBride; Ruairi O’Rourke(3-0); Niall Stenson; Tadhg Regan; Gavin Gallagher.
U16: LEITRIM  4-12  MAYO 2-9
Leitrim U16s got back to winning ways with a convincing 9 point victory over a dogged Mayo selection. An early Senan Mooney goal followed by an Evan Kilrane point gave Leitrim the perfect start. Mayo responded with a goal of their own and their next score came courtesy of a pointed free. This score was sandwiched between points from Dara Greenan and Cathal McCarthy. David Liu Doyle made a telling interception that ended up in the hands of a marauding Cian Reynolds who calmly finished to the net to give Leitrim a healthy advantage. 3 Mayo points were matched by Leitrim, the points coming courtesy of Cian Reynolds, Adam Reynolds and Josh Maye. Leitrim initially failed to build on their 5 point advantage in the 2nd half as Mayo added 1-3 to their score to grab the lead for the first and only time in the game. The Leitrim response was swift and sure as Eanna McNamara and Josh Maye started the Leitrim onslaught with well taken points. Senan Mooney added his 2nd goal to restore Leitrim’s 5 point lead. Mayo’s final 2 points were breakaway efforts as Leitrim added 4 points of their own through Evan Kilrane, Senan Mooney, Brian Keaney and Josh Maye. Leitrim ended the game with a wonderful move that saw Colm McLoughlin finish to the net to leave Leitrim as easy winners on the day. Team and Scorers: Darragh Lee; Eanna McNamara(0-1); Frank Cullen; Tomàs Mayock; David Liu Doyle, Darragh Gardiner; Cian Reynolds(1-1); Colm McLoughlin(1-0); Dara Greenan(0-1); Evan Kilrane(0-2); Josh Maye(0-3); Adam Reynolds(0-1); Noah McNulty; Cathal McCarthy(0-1); Senan Mooney(2-1). Subs: Liam Crowe; Aaron Gardiner; Brian Keaney(0-1).
LEITRIM 1-13  ROSCOMMON 3-5
If ever a game could be described as a game of 2 halves, this was surely it. Roscommon made a whirlwind start scoring 2-1 inside the first 5 minutes of the game. Leitrim started to get a grip on the game with a point from Josh Maye. Noah McNulty added another point before a collision with one his own players took Eanna McNamara out of the game with an injury. While he was incapacitated on the ground Roscommon seized on the numerical advantage to score their 3rd goal of the game. Their final point of the half was sandwiched between 2 Leitrim efforts from Noah McNulty and Brian Keaney to leave the half time score Leirim 0-4 Roscommon 3-2. Leitrim set about reducing the deficit immediately in the 2nd half as they rattled off 8 consecutive points without reply courtesy of Josh Maye(3), Cian Reynolds(2), Brian Keaney, Darragh Gardiner and Dara Greenan. Roscommon’s next point levelled the tie before Senan Mooney stole in behind the Roscommon defence and expertly finished to the net. Brian Keaney completed Leitrim’s scoring for the day with a wonderful long range point. Roscommon rallied in the final few minutes with 2 late points but Leitrim held on for an encouraging comeback victory. Team and Scorers: Liam Crowe; Aaron Gardiner; Frank Cullen, Tomàs Mayock, David Liu Doyle, Darragh Gardiner(0-1); Eanna McNamara; Colm McLoughlin; Dara Greenan(0-1); Brian Keaney(0-3); Josh Maye(0-4); Cian Reynolds(0-2); Noah McNulty(0-2); Cathal McCarthy; Senan Mooney(1-0). Subs: Darragh Lee; Evan Kilrane; Adam Reynolds.

Leitrim GAA Management Committee at its meeting tonight decided that it would be recommending to its July County Committee meeting that Andy Moran’s current two-year term as Leitrim GAA Senior Football Team Manager would be extended to include the next two seasons that is 2023 and 2024.

We are delighted to announce that Andy Moran has accepted the terms of this recommendation, subject to its acceptance at the County Committee meeting, and we look forward to the continued progress of the Leitrim Senior Footballers over the next two years.

Leitrim GAA is very disappointed to announce that Minor Football Manager Adrian Dockery has decided to step away from the role, following the conclusion of this year’s Connacht Minor Football Championship. The Roscommon native has been in charge of the county’s fortunes at this level over the past two seasons but has decided to relinquish the role, primarily due to an increased workload in his professional capacity.

Taking on the role of County Minor Manager in January 2021, in the midst of a nationwide Covid Lockdown was an arduous task for Adrian and his Management team and it wasn’t until late April that they could meet their prospective charges in person. Despite this, he and his coaching staff successfully moulded a team together to be very competitive in the 2021 Connacht MFC v Sligo in late July, which was played on a knock-out basis. Ultimately, Sligo went on to claim the title.

This season in which, thankfully, normality resumed, Adrian and his backroom team put together a squad of players that was one of the more competitive Minor Squads in recent times, resulting in performances that yielded a late draw with Roscommon and a first Connacht MFC victory over current All-Ireland Minor Semi-Finalists Galway, the first victory at this level over the Tribesmen since 1998. The campaign ended with a Shield Final loss to Roscommon on June 3.

Adrian has been a model of professionalism in his role as Leitrim Minor Manager and we thank him for taking on the role, first and foremost, and also for the attention to detail and marked improvement in performance level that he has been responsible for bringing to this group of players. He assembled an excellent backroom team to assist him in his role and Leitrim GAA wishes to acknowledge the significant contributions made by the following over the past two seasons:

Coaches – Shane King, Ray McBrien, Conor Harte, Denis Dolan (Goalkeepers), Alan Doherty
Stats & Analysis – James Boyle
Athletic development – James Mitchell
Physio – Ronan O’Rourke
Nutrition – Denise Stenson
Sports Psychology – David McHugh
Brian Mulvey and Colin Finneran were part of the 2021 Management Team also.

In tendering his resignation, Adrian went on to state: “I wish to express my gratitude for having been given the opportunity to manage the Leitrim Under 17 team for the last two seasons. It was an absolute privilege & a fantastic experience. I would like to thank our backroom team, Coaching & Games Staff, and Leitrim GAA County Board. Their work and support, often unseen, were enormously appreciated. Above all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players & their families for their commitment & efforts this past two years. I hope this outstanding group of young men enjoyed the experience and will continue to represent themselves, their families, clubs & county with distinction in the future. Thank you all.”

Leitrim GAA wishes Adrian and the members of his backroom team the very best of luck in his future endeavours.

Leitrim 6-9     Longford 2-8

Leitrim U-16s advanced to the Fr. Manning Cup Semi Final with a comfortable victory over Longford on Saturday last at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence.   Playing against a gale force breeze in the first half, Leitrim started the game in dramatic fashion with Paul Honeyman finishing a great Leitrim move to the net inside 3 minutes.   It could have been so much better for Leitrim as an earlier goal chance went a begging after some great build up play carved the Longford defence open.   Indeed, this was to be a recurring feature of the game and something that will undoubtedly need addressing going forward as Leitrim continually created chances throughout the game without capitalising.   By the 11th minute Leitrim had added a further goal from Fionn Curley and 2 points from Josh Maye and a Paul Honeyman free.   Longford eventually got on the scoreboard with a free kick and this was followed with 2 points from play to reduce the gap to 5 points.   Dara Greenan then got the score of the game when after claiming a kickout with a fine catch, he proceeded to carry the ball 60 yards through the heart of Longford defence and finish expertly to the roof of the net to restore Leitrim’s 8 point lead.   Josh Maye added a further point for Leitrim and this score was sandwiched between 2 Longford points to leave the half time score Leitrim 3-3 Longford 0-5.

Longford started the 2nd half in much better fashion adding a goal and a point inside the first 4 minutes.   Leitrim responded themselves with a well taken Senan Mooney goal and points from Brian Keaney and Paul Honeyman but Longford added another goal and 2 points of their own which proved to be their last scores in the match on 10 minutes.   Leading by 3 points, Leitrim completely dominated the rest of the game adding a further 2-4 to their tally with the scores coming from Paul Honeyman (2-2), Josh Maye and sub Cian Reynolds (0-1 apiece).   As Leitrim emptied their bench, the chances kept coming their way without much threat to their own defence.   Throughout the game, Leitrim created numerous chances but had 15 wides and will want to improve on their accuracy going into the remainder of their season.   All in all it was a satisfactory outcome for Leitrim as their intensity and general play was very good.   They can now look forward to a Fr. Manning Cup semi-final on July 23rd with as yet unknown opposition.

LEITRIM: Darragh Lee, Aaron Gardiner, Darragh Gardiner, Eanna McNamara, Dessie Wisley, Colm McLoughlin, Josh McNamee, Dara Greenan (1-0), James Gilheaney, Fionn Curley (1-0), Josh McNamee (0-3), Brian Keaney (0-1), Noah McNulty, Paul Honeyman (3-4), Senan Mooney (1-0). Subs: Liam Crowe, James Shanley, Frank Cullen, Adam Reynolds, Cian Reynolds (0-1), Cathal McCarthy, Tommy Reen, David Liu Doyle.

 

HUMPHREY KELLIHER CUP

Leitrim 4-11   Longford 3-7

Leitrim U15s completed a double for the county’s underage squads on Saturday when they accounted for a game Longford team on Saturday at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence.   Also playing against the stiff breeze in the 1st half, Leitrim started very well and probably shaded the contest in that first half despite trailing narrowly at half time.   The second half saw Leitrim come flying out of the blocks and quickly gained an advantage that they never surrendered.   This was an impressive all round display from the U15s who got back to winning ways after 2 narrow defeats earlier in the competition.   They now progress to the Shield semi finals of this competition which will also be held on July 23rd.

LEITRIM: Daire Shannon, Aodh Gavin, Oran Foley, Killian Mulvey, Niall Torsney, Niall Stenson, Cormac Moran, Luke Fitzsimons, Bailey McBride, Peter Moran, Sean Carolan Morris, Cillian Downes, Senan Bohan, Andrew Lee, Ruairi O’Rourke. Subs: Josh Sheridan, Gavin Gallagher, Joey McBrien, Mark Ahearne, Jack Kelly, Oisin Conlon

 

Note: The next outing for both these squads will be at the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan for their respective Connacht Blitz days on 9th July.

Tickets for the Tailteann Cup Quarter Final Leitrim versus Sligo on Sunday 5th June Must be purchaced in advance.

Adult €20

Students/OAP’s €15

Under 16’s €5

Tickets Available Online At https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/leitrimsligotc  or in selected Centra and SuperValu Stores.

40 Years Ago This Year Leitrim Went To London For the First Time.

It was a very nervous Leitrim team that went to play London  almost forty years ago on the 23rd May 1982. Leitrim had reason to be nervous as in 1977 London caused a sensation by beating Leitrim in 1977 in Carrick on Shannon by 0-9 to 0-6. 1982 was the first time Leitrim played in the Connacht Championship outside Ireland and made a piece of history. Leitrim had prepared well this time. The Dublin based players trained at UCD with the Dublin based Kerry players under the watchful eye of the Master, Micheal  O Muircheartaigh. The Leitrim team were flying.

Forty years ago it was  a novelty flying to any match. The travel arrangements were published in the Leitrim Observer. The Leitrim panel departed Dublin Airport at 11.15 am on Saturday morning and were met at Heathrow Airport by members of the Leitrim Peoples Association and members of the London County Board.  From the airport we travelled to Ruislip for a light training session followed by a lunch organised by the London Board. After the lunch the team travelled to their hotel, the Tara Hotel , where the team would relax and watch television. There was great excitement in the lobby when Jimmy White the well known snooker player  appeared  and signed a few autographs for Leitrim people  on the back of Carrolls cigarette boxes. On Sunday the team left the hotel at 1.00pm for Ruislip . After the match the team were the guests of honour at a function jointly organised by the Leitrim Peoples Association and the London Co Board in the Irish Centre in Camden town.

At the time Big Tom was the King of Country Music in Ireland. On the Saturday evening some of the  music heads in the team went to a concert by the other King, BB King. They just got back in time for the roll call .

Before we left the TARA HOTEL for the match we posed for a photo taken by Willie Donnellan. We were joined in the photo by Tony Ward the former rugby star who played with Munster Leinster Ireland and the British Irish Lions and was also European Rugby player of the year in 1979.  Tony was over in London for the FA Cup Final. Leitrim were moving up in the sporting world.

On match day the teams paraded around the pitch led by London Irish Girls Pipers Band.  A member of that band had big Leitrim connections, Susan McGarty ,daughter of Willie McGarty and niece  of Packie Mc Garty. Susan moved to Leitrim many years ago and  now lives in Mohill. The Leitrim team showed one change from the match programme. Tom Reilly (Glenfarne) picked up an injury and Pat Flynn (Gortletteragh) replaced him at left corner back. Michael Oates in the Observer stated, Sean Creamer and Gerry Logan qualify for the joint title of ‘surprise omissions’. It was an exceptional Leitrim team built on the U-21 success of 1977 and included five players who were selected on the Leitrim team of the Millennium, Noel Crossan, Mickey Quinn, Ollie Honeyman, Mickey Martin and Frank Holohan. The team were good enough to win a Connacht Championship, it was a great shame that they didn’t.

The attendance was 3,000 and the match report stated ‘Leitrim overcame the feeble challenge of an outclassed London side. The final score was Leitrim 1-13 London 0-5 .Frank Smith was the pick of the Leitrim attack with five points all from play. Mickey Martin showed his class with a polished performance at centre half forward. He was the games outstanding player and hardly put a foot wrong the whole afternoon. Leitrim’s goal was scored by Seamus Mulhern’.

The Leitrim team celebrated well into Sunday night and a few lads just about made the plane home on Monday.

Leitrim played Mayo next on 13th June in Carrick on Shannon without their top scorer Frank Smith(injured)  and lost on a score-line of  2-7 to 1-7.  Losing by three points after shooting 20 wides (Mayo had eight) the Irish Press headline was’ Leitrim footballers literally kicked Mayo into the Connacht final by their own inability to put the ball between the posts’.

The Leitrim team of the 80’s  was the springboard for setting up the Leitrim Supporters Club to help finance the preparations of county teams and the Supporters Club is still going strong.

Forty years later Leitrim go to play London next Sunday.  London beat Leitrim in this years National Football League. London are a lot better organised than all those years ago but Leitrim should be good enough to win and qualify to play either Mayo or Galway in the next round.  Should Leitrim win and Mayo beat Galway then history will be repeated and Leitrim will take on Mayo again as they did almost 40 years ago.

Eamonn Duignan

 

On Sunday 27th March 2022 Emlyn Mulligan made his 100th Appearance for Leitrim in Markievicz Park versus Sligo. He made his senior debut for Leitrim versus neighbours Donegal in 2006 and between league and championship in those 16 years he has clocked up 100 appearances. Pictured below is Leitrim’s Captain David Bruen and Vice Captain Donal Wrynn together with the current squad and management presenting Emlyn with a framed signed Leitrim Jersey as a momentum of this wonderful achievement.

Under 15 Humphrey Kelliher Cup – Saturday 9th April
LEITRIM 1-8   FERMANAGH 2-8
Leitrim opened their 2022 Under 15 campaign with a narrow loss to Fermanagh at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence on Saturday.   In a game that they dominated for long periods, Leitrim will feel that this is one that got away.   In the first period, Leitrim were completely dominant, playing some great football in the process. However, it was during this period that Leitrim failed to capitalise on their dominance with a number of poorly chosen shots at goal.   They did lead at the break on a scoreline of 1-3 to 0-1 with the Leitrim scores coming from Luke Fitzsimons (goal) and points from Joey McBrien (2) and Sean Carolan Morris.
Fermanagh came thundering into the 2nd half when they added 2-4 without reply from the home side which ultimately proved to be the difference between the 2 teams.   Leitrim regained their composure and dominated the remainder of the game.   They outscored their opponents by 5 points to 1 point but time ran out as Leitrim laid siege to the Fermanagh goal.   Try as they might, Leitrim couldn’t find a much needed goal to even the scoreline but they will take away a lot of positives from this display.   The second half points for Leitrim came from the boots of Joey McBrien (2), Tadhg Regan (2) and Bailey McBride.   Leitrim play Louth on the 7th of May in the 2nd round of this competition.
LEITRIM Team and Scorers:
Daire Shannon; Killian Mulvey; Oran Foley; Niall Stenson; Niall Torsney; Cormac Moran; Bobby Hanrahan; Bailey McBride (0-1); Gavin Gallagher; Peter Moran; Sean Carolan Morris (0-1); Andrew Lee; Mark Ahearne; Joey McBrien (0-4); Luke Fitzsimons (1-0). SUBS: Kevin Faughnan, Oisin Conlon, Tadhg Regan (0-2); David Chen.
Under 16 Fr. Manning Cup Saturday 9th April

LEITRIM  4-12   CLARE  2-8

Leitrim Under 16’s kicked off their 2022 Fr. Manning Cup campaign in fine style with a convincing 10 point over the Banner County at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence on Saturday.   Key to this victory was a fast start by the home team who raced into an early lead that was never surrendered over the 60 minutes.   In a hardworking team display, Leitrim had early points through Adam Reynolds and Adam Gethins before Senan Mooney scored the first of his 3 goals to give Leitrim an early 5 point lead. Clare added 2 points to reduce the gap before Leitrim hit a purple patch adding 1-6 in 10 minutes to establish a significant lead.   Points from Noah McNulty, Adam Reynolds (2), Adam Gethins, Cian Reynolds and a goal and a point by Senan Mooney left Leitrim well clear approaching half time.   Clare staged a mini revival tagging on 4 points to their total but it was left to Adam Gethins to complete the first half scoring with a fine point leaving the half time score Leitrim 2-9 Clare 0-6.
Any hopes of a Clare comeback were quickly put to bed when Leitrim added a well taken point by Brian Keaney.   Senan Mooney then completed his hat trick with another well taken goal before Adam Gethins finished off a great team move with a composed finish to the net.   Both teams exchanged the next 4 points with Cian Reynolds (fisted effort) and Adam Gethins (well struck 45) completing Leitrim’s total for the day.   Leitrim won’t be happy how they closed out the game, missing a number of opportunities before coughing up 2 goals to Clare in the final 3 minutes.   All in all, Leitrim will be happy with their display where all players made good contributions to the team performance.   Next up for Leitrim is an away game to Sligo on Saturday the 7th of May.
LEITRIM Team and Scorers:
Darragh Lee; Tomas Mayock; Frank Cullen; Tommy Reen; David Liu Doyle; Colm McLoughlin; Cian Reynolds (0-2); Adam Gethins (1-4); Josh McNamee; Evan Kilrane; Noah McNulty (0-1); Adam Reynolds (0-3); Senan Mooney (3-1); Cathal McCarthy; Cian Casey. SUBS: Brian Keaney (0-1); Liam Crowe; James Shanley.