Leitrim's unlucky 13 defy odds to take Roscommon right to wire

NFL Division Two A/Roscommon 0-7 Leitrim 0-6: When Leitrim were reduced to 13 men five minutes into the second half of this game a neutral observer would have predicted a quick demise for the home side.

However, in a display of grit and determination, Leitrim made Roscommon fight all the way for a victory they scarcely deserved in an exciting game played in atrocious conditions at Páirc Seán Mhic Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, yesterday.

A majority of the 5,000 crowd came to witness Roscommon's impressive drive for promotion but were muted for most of the second half as they saw their team fight a rearguard action against opponents who at times played like their very lives depended upon it.

Sadly for them, the loss of two forwards coupled with some poor finishing denied Leitrim a reward for their efforts against the odds, cruelly snatched from them two minutes for time when substitute Cathal Cregg shot over the winning point.

Although Séamus O'Neill put Roscommon ahead with a point after two minutes, it was Leitrim who impressed in the opening 20 minutes, scoring four points without reply. Then in the 19th minute the home side were reduced to 14 men when Noel Doonan was red carded for a personal foul.

Roscommon came more into the game and points from Ger Heneghan, Paul Moran and Paddy O'Connor left the half-time score at 0-4 each.

There was further misfortune for Leitrim five minutes after the resumption when Michael Foley was given a second yellow card by referee Martin Sludden from Tyrone, who also handed out five yellow cards to Roscommon.

Roscommon went back into the lead three minutes later through a Derek Connellan point from play but it was Leitrim who upped their game and in an amazing sequence went ahead through points from Ciarán Duignan and Shane Foley as Roscommon failed to score for a further 17 minutes.

As the game entered its final stages, Leitrim dominated the exchanges, led by an impressive defence and midfield, where Chris Carroll and Gary McCloskey aided by Barry Prior and Johnny Goldrick kept possession and their slender lead. However, a total of five wides during this period allowed Roscommon off the hook and Ger Heneghan finally equalised for Roscommon with 10 minutes remaining.

Once again Leitrim carried the game to Roscommon, who spent the final hectic minutes pinned in their own defence, but the breakthrough came when two minutes from time when substitute Cregg hit the score that spared Roscommon blushes.

ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; J Nolan, D Casey, S McDermott; S Daly, P O'Connor (0-1), S Purcell; S O'Neill (0-1), M Finneran; P Moran (0-1), K Mannion, D Connellan (0-1); E Kenny, S Lohan (capt), G Heneghan (0-2). Subs: M Connolly for Lohan, C Cregg (0-1) for Purcell, B Higgins for Kenny, G Lohan for Moran, B Goode for Daly.

LEITRIM: C McCrann; D Reynolds (capt), J McKeon, M McGuinness; B McWeeney, F Holohan, S Foley (0-1); G McCloskey, C Carroll; B Prior, N Doonan, M Foley; J Goldrick, D Maxwell (0-1), C Duignan (0-4, three frees). Subs: D Beck for Goldrick, E Mulligan for Duignan.

Referee: M Sludden (Tyrone).