LEITRIM 2-06
OFFALY 1-08
A LEITRIM goal two minutes into injury-time ended Offaly's unbeaten run and gave the Cinderella county their first points of the current league campaign in a poor game at Pairc Sean Mhic Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon yesterday.
Offaly were brighter in the opening half and found the net in the 19th minute when Pascal Kellaghan ended an excellent move to the net. The visitors continued to dominate the exchanges for the remainder of the half and led 1-5 to 0-3 at the break.
Leitrim were back in contention within four minutes of the restart, as first, Declan Maxwell pointed from play followed by the best move of the match as five Leitrim players combined to sweep past a feeble Offaly defence and set up substitute Micheal Duignan to fire to the net from 15 metres.
Padraig McLoughlin levelled but five minutes later he was sent off for a second bookable offence and Offaly, taking advantage of the extra man, restored their lead with a sequence of pointed frees from Kellaghan.
Leitrim reshuffled their attack and introduced several subs resulting in a 28th minute point from play by
Brendan Brennan.
As the game entered its final stages, Offaly lost their rhythm as Leitrim pressed forward and just when it looked like the visitors had maintained their unbeaten record, a final Leitrim attack was parried by keeper Colin McNamara, but the loose ball came to the unmarked Niall Gilbane and he sent it to the back of the net.
MAN OF THE MATCH Dermot Reynolds (Leitrim).
SCORERS Leitrim: N Gilbane (1-0), M Duignan (1-0), P McLoughlin (0-3) B Brennan (0-1), D Maxwell (0-1), E McGreevey (0-1). Offaly: P Kellaghan (1-6), A McNamee (0-1), P Mulhan (0-1).
LEITRIM G Phelan; J McKeon, A Charles, M McGuinness; N Gilbane,
J Phelan, D Reynolds; S Canning, D Maxwell; C Regan, S Quinn, P McLoughlin; J Holohan, M McCawley, I McGreevey; Subs: M Duignan for S Canning,
B Brennan for M McCawley, D Brennan for J Holohan, S Foley for I McGreevey, O McGuire for C Regan.
OFFALY C McNamara; J Hurst, C Daly, M Mitchell; N Coughlan, G Rafferty, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; P Mulhan, J Kenny, N Mannion; P Kellaghan, R Malone, B Malone; Subs: M Stones for R Malone, C Evans for M Mitchell, C Farrell for B Malone.
REF G Kennedy (Roscommon).
© 2003 Irish Independent