Tailteann Cup R2B: Improving Leitrim victorious
Leitrim senior football team manager Steven Poacher. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Tailteann Cup Round 2B
Leitrim 0-22 Carlow 1-13
By PJ Leddy at Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán MacDiarmada
Paul Honeyman shot a two pointer on the 44 minute mark to give Leitrim the lead for the first time in the game and after that the home side outgunned Carlow for the remainder of the action to claim a fully merited win at Carrick-on-Shannon.
Aided by the breeze, Carlow got off to the better start with Adam McCarron opening their account when he split the Leitrim uprights five minutes into the game from a two pointer placed ball.
Carlow continued to press forward with Paddy McDonnell and Conor Crowley adding a point each over the next five minutes. In response Leitim opened their account with a Paul Honeyman goal chance which he blazed over the crossbar.
Padhraig Bolger kept Carlow in the driving seat when hit the game's first two pointer from play which Leitrim's Ryan O'Rourke answered with a 16th minute point for the home side.
Ross Dunphy fired over for Carlow three minutes later and Leitrim responded with points from Ryan O'Rourke (free), Oisin McLoughlin and Mark Diffley to reduce the deficit.
Before the break Ross Dunphy fired over a two pointer for Carlow and Riordan O'Rourke hit back with a Leitrim point to leave Carlow leading 0-9 to 0-6 at the interval.
After the restart Carlow stretched their lead with an Adam McCarron free tap over but Leitrim got on level terms by the 38th minute thanks to two pointers from Killian Gaffey (free) and Paul Honeyman.
Within the space of another minute Honeyman whipped over another two pointer for Leitrim to put them ahead for the first time in the game. However, Carlow regained the lead two minutes later when Lee Walker finished to the Leitrim net.
Leitrim again surged ahead by the 55th minute thanks to two pointers by Killian Gaffey (free) and Paul Honeyman. Over the next five minutes Carlow reduced the deficit with Leitrim to the minimum after Paddy McDonnell and Padhraig Bolger whipped a point apiece.
The home side then stretched their lead decisively in the closing minutes of the action with Killian Gaffey converting two '45s' while Paul Honeyman chipped in with two points and Conor Quinn added a point. Ross Dunphy answered with a late Carlow point in this period.
Scorers for Leitrim: Paul Honeyman 0-8 (3 2pt); Killian Gaffey 0-6 (2 2ptf, 2 45s); Ryan O'Rourke 0 – 2 (1f), Conor Quinn, Oisin McLoughlin, Mark Diffley, and Keith Keegan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Carlow: Ross Dunphy 0-5 (2 2pt), Adam McCarron 0-3 (1 2ptf); Lee Walker 1-0; Paddy McDonnell 0-2; Conor Crowley 0-1.
Leitrim: Killian Gaffey; Arek Oberwan; Conor Reynolds, Seán Harkin; Eoin McLoughlin, Mark Diffley, Keith Keegan; Conor Quinn, Kieran Clancy; Fergal McLoughlin, Ben Guckian, Riordan O'Rourke; Paul Honeyman, Ryan O'Roourke, Oisin McLoughlin.
Subs: Jack Kelly for Guckian (59); Ruairi O'Rourke for F Mcloughlin (61); Eanna McNamara for Harkin (65); Tom Plunkett for O McLoughlin (66); James Rooney for E Mcloughlin (67).
Carlow: Ben McCarron; Niall Roche, Dara Curran, Lee Moore; John Phiri, Mark Furey, Padhraig Bulger; Aaron Almond, Adam McCarron; Paddy McDonnell, Jamie Clarke, Conor Doyle; Conor Crowley, Ross Dunphy, Lee Walker.
Subs: Adam Burgess & Kyle Nolan for Moore and Walker (41); Christopher Blake for McCarron (57); Shane Clarke for Roche (58); Liam Gavin for Bulger (58).
Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).
