Leitrim 1-16; London 0-8 Leitrim's below-par performance against the minnows of the National League will provide them with little comfort when they face the same opposition in the provincial championship at Ruislip on May 26th.
Although the result was never in doubt, Leitrim struggled to find their rhythm. Their best forward, Jimmy Guckian, was subjected to intense scrutiny by the London defence who were regularly punished for their misdemeanours by top scorer Ollie Maguire.
Leitrim should have gone on a scoring spree such was their dominance of the exchanges, with Shane Canning, Paul McDermott, Gary McCloskey and Guckian controlling the middle of the field. However, inaccurate passes and poor finishing left them just four points ahead at the interval, 0-8 to 0-4.
Eight minutes from time, Ollie Maguire punished a lax London defence by volleying to the net from close in to put the game beyond the exiles.
LEITRIM: E Lyons: F Reynolds; J McKeon; T Kelleher; S Foley(0-1), T Guinness, M Greene; S Canning(0-1); G McCloskey; P McDermott (0-1); J Guckian (0-3); M Maguire; D Brennan; O Maguire (1-9 6f), G Bohan (0-1). Subs: P McLoughlin for M Maguire; G Foley for M Greene; J Holohan for G.Bohan; J Cullen for D Brennan; E Lee for TKelleher.
LONDON: E Brown; P McDonagh; K McCarty; K Scanlon; B Shorthall; C Byrne; M Donaghy; C McHugh (0-1); K Waldron; C Foody; T Murphy (0-1); R Quinn (0-1); N Barry; C Heaney; S Lynch (0-5f). Subs: T Donovan for T Murphy; V Murphy for C Heaney; F Grennan for K Scanlon; M Gillespie for N.Barry
Referee: P O'Reilly (Longford).
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