New, improved Leitrim fall just short

Connacht SF Championship Semi-final/Galway 0-17 Leitrim 1-10:"I'm sick. Not just at the way the game went. I am genuinely sick. I was in bed all day yesterday and had to get injections for today," sighed Dessie Dolan.

The Midlands man leaned against the railings as, on the training field behind him, a private helicopter roared. The GAA president, Nickey Brennan, wandered around the gleaming new stand in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada. And on the field supporters gathered to discuss how close they had come to putting one over on mighty Galway. Changed times in Leitrim.

As has been their form under Dolan, Leitrim played smart and brave against richer opposition on what was a landmark day for GAA in the quiet county.

The shame, from Leitrim's perspective is that another impressive afternoon has to be chalked down on the what-if board. They had an impressive defence, a lively full-forward line and a huge asset in the shape of the veteran Declan Maxwell, who busted up the Galway full-back line with a lionhearted display.

Leitrim needed goals to win this match, and having brilliantly worked their first after just eight minutes, they really ought to have punished Galway twice more in an absorbing second half. They came tantalisingly close.

If they went for a pint last night, Donie Brennan and Fintan McBrien probably talked about their late, fluffed chance. And for many nights to come, when he closes his eyes, Ciarán Duignan will see Galway's Paul Doherty making a feline save on his shot after a smashing Leitrim move.

It would be wrong to assume the home team would have won by simply converting those chances, because Galway always flashed over a score or two when required. But they could have caused serious doubt as well as testing the foundations in the stand, which was officially opened by president Brennan. As it was, they made the last line of maroon look shaky.

"Well, that is true," admitted the Galway coach Peter Ford on the field.

"But the opposition is going to have chances over 70 minutes and that is what you expect your goalkeeper to do, to pull off quality saves. We didn't look comfortable in the full-back line today. It would normally be our best line. We told our half-back line to push up on their forwards and maybe there was too much space. But we did look vulnerable over certain periods."

This valorous and skilful Leitrim performance may serve to cool the suddenly fashionable notion of Galway as All-Ireland contenders. The knee-jerk assumption will be that the Galway fullback line is susceptible to the hoofed ball. But the truth is that the Leitrim full-forward line were given some excellent service, particularly over the first 15 minutes, when they stung the visitors for 1-3.

And Maxwell is a tough customer to mark, with the bulk and timing of a midfielder but the feet and intelligence of a forward. He blotted out Finian Hanley in the first half, and the Galway backroom team played a high-risk game when they left the smaller Damien Burke isolated with him on the edge of the square. But Burke is a sticky corner back and did relatively well. Ciarán Fitzgerald was a commanding presence in the last quarter, and one poor afternoon won't permanently dent Hanley's reputation.

It says something about the Galway forwards that the team can hit 17 points, 13 from play, without playing well. Nickey Joyce was, as the hoopsters say, "feeling it" from early on, requiring Leitrim to bring the versatile Colin Regan back to curb his enthusiasm. Cousin Joyce had less possession in Regan's company but hit four points from play over the afternoon.

The gilded full-forward line was, however, subdued by masterclass Leitrim defending from Barry McWeeney, Michael McGuinness and captain John McKeon, who was brilliant.

Galway, of course, had the luxury of warming up Seán Armstrong. He might have replaced any one of several. In the end Cormac Bane, who lit the sky against Mayo, was withdrawn: the rookie's lot. And it was good to see the Salthill flier nail two good points after a year bedevilled with injury.

They were important points as well. After half-time, Leitrim put in a charged seven minutes that earned them just a solitary point from Ciarán Duignan and that vivid goal chance. Crucially, they clipped four wides.

Then, with 15 minutes to go, Galway eased ahead, 0-15 to 1-7. In previous years, that would signalled a touch of show-time from the Tribesmen. But Leitrim never flagged, and there was always the outside possibility of a late Leitrim thunderbolt.

So Armstrong's second point, after a break involving Fitzgerald, Barry Cullinane and the impressive Niall Coleman, took Galway a goal clear, Nickey Joyce adding the grace note.

Leitrim deserve a championship win. Their first-half goal came from midfielder Gary McCloskey, a low finish after his stablemate Michael Duignan provided the high ball. It was the perfect salute to the new era in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.

They did little wrong other than snatch at several second-half chances. Galway, in contrast, looked almost leisurely as they lined up their targets.

"Some of the points we got in the second half seemed to come easily enough," said Ford. "But against that, I thought we were a bit lax to the breaking ball . . . we were waiting for the perfect ball rather than going in and fighting for it."

This is the last time of the summer they can afford themselves that luxury. Galway plays Sligo in the Connacht final in a fortnight. The Yeats county men will be wired for that one. Ford knows that better than anyone.

GALWAY: P Doherty; K Fitzgerald, F Hanley, D Burke; M Comer, D Blake, D Meehan; J Bergin (0-1), N Coleman; D Savage (0-1), J Fallon (0-2), N Joyce (0-6, 3 frees); M Meehan (0-1), P Joyce (0-3, 2 frees), C Bane (0-1). Substitutes: S Armstrong (0-2) for C Bane (41 mins), N Coyne for F Hanley (51 mins), M Clancy for D Savage (59 mins), P Geraghty for J Fallon (71 mins). Yellow cards: K Fitzgerald (42 mins), J Fallon (68 mins), D Meehan (70 mins).

LEITRIM: N Gill; D Reynolds, M McGuinness, B McWeeney; B Prior, J McKeon, S Foley; G McCloskey (1-0), M Duignan; C Regan, M Foley (0-1), D Maxwell (0-2); D Brennan (0-2), J Glancy (0-1), C Duignan (0-3, 1 free). Substitutes: D McBrien (0-1 free) for J Clancy (55 mins), J Guckian for M Duignan, C Kennedy for M Foley (both 59 mins), P Howard for C Duignan (70 mins). Yellow cards: G McCloskey (37 mins), D Brennan (46 mins), M McGuinness (56 mins).

Referee: M Meade (Limerick).