| All aboard as Leitrim rollercoaster
ride continues  It’s
been a rollercoaster year for Leitrim and we’re only in April! Off
the pitch the county side has been embroiled in the Ruislip saga but on
the field of play they’re starting to get their act together.
The Westerners had little difficulty in overcoming a poor and disorganised
Carlow outfit at Cloone on Sunday.
The Barrowsiders were rocked on Friday by the resignation of manager Andy
Shorthall and the uncertainty fed through to the Carlow players who looked
lifeless and lacking in quality.
The sides traded points in the opening quarter but Leitrim’s greater
quality and belief was starting to tell. James Glancy’s goal and
a flurry of points from Declan Maxwell and Fintan McBrien formed part
of a tally of 1-5 without reply at the end of the first-half.
Ciaran Duignan added two pointed frees to stretch Leitrim’s lead
further at the start of the second-half before Carlow’s best player
Brian Kelly started a mini-revival for the Leinster minnows.
A Mark Carpenter-goal seemed to offer some hope for the Barrowsiders but
it would prove to be their last score of the game while Leitrim hit 2-6
in the same period.
Those scores came courtesy of goals from Damien Brennan and substitute
Pat McGuiness while Duignan continued his fine form from dead balls.
Managerless and pointless in the League Carlow football has never been
at a lower ebb while Leitrim should do enough to finish in the top four
and secure a place in this division next year.
Carlow’s misery was completed when Brian Leonard was dismissed for
a second yellow card offence near the end. With the county side in disarray
the chances of London picking up League points against the Leinster men
seems more likely by the week.
As the league enters its final weeks the rescheduled London v Leitrim
clash could become a hugely-important tie for Dessie Dolan’s side.
The Leitrim County Board has remained tight-lipped about when they want
the rearranged game to take place with April 15 looking like the most
likely date. |
