Allianz Football League Preview #16: Leitrim

Joint-Managers: Barney Breen and George Dugdale (2nd year)Captain: Emlyn MulliganAllianz League 2013: Division IV; opener v Limerick, February 32012 Championship: Beaten by Mayo in Connacht S-F; beaten by Laois in R3 of the Qualifiers2012 Allianz League: 5th in Division IVAllianz League Record: Division II champions (1959), beaten in NFL Semi-Final by DerryStar Man: Emlyn MulliganOne to Watch: Brendan Brennan (Melvin Gaels)Injury List: Darren Sweeney (ankle - two months), Philip FarrellyPlayers Out: James Glancy (St. Mary's), Daniel Lowe, Declan Gilhooley, Colin Ryan and Gary LoughlinPlayers In: Cian Reynolds (from Athy, Kildare), Brendan Brennan

There's no denying it, there is a serious feel-good factor permeating through Leitrim football at the moment.

The victory over Sligo in the Connacht FBD League final at the weekend has naturally given Leitrim a major boost, seeing as it is only the fourth significant title they have won in their history, after Connacht titles in 1927 and 1994, and a Division II league title in 1959.

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And the sense of hope and optimism doesn't spring from that source alone. The joint-management of Barney Breen and George Dugdale, who have been in place for just over a year now having taken over from Mickey Moran, seems to be working very well. Leitrim had a good championship campaign last year, recording wins over London in Connacht and over Wicklow in the Qualifiers, before losing a thrilling contest with eventual quarter-finalists Laois by just two points in Round 3.

That progress from last year has clearly been built on over the winter, and the Connacht FBD League title may well be evidence of a rising tide in Leitrim football. Breen himself said after the victory that the situation reminded him of when Leitrim last rose to become Connacht champions.

"This reminds me a bit of 1990 when we won the All-Ireland 'B' for the first time," he said. "We took that competition seriously too at the time and that catapulted us on to better things. We got promotion to Division 2 in 1991 and in 1994 we won Connacht, so that provided us with a stepping stone to bigger things and hopefully today will be the very same."

Much has been made of the Leitrim team's susceptibility to emigration being more severe than most counties, but Breen and Dugdale appear to have stemmed that particular tide. However, there are a few players who have moved on from last year's panel, for various reasons - James Glancy, Daniel Lowe, Declan Gilhooley, Colin Ryan and Gary Loughlin are all gone for 2013. On the other side of the equation, Cian Reynolds (coming from a club in Co. Kildare) and Brendan Brennan are newcomers to the panel.

All in all, Leitrim are well placed for a strong campaign in Division IV of the Allianz League. They don't have any major injury worries at the moment, with midfielder Darren Sweeney and goalkeeper Philip Farrelly the only absentees right now. Competition will of course be fierce in the fourth tier, and their opening fixture is as hard as any they will face - Limerick away. Still, there is no team Leitrim will fear in the division, and with three home games in their opening five fixtures, they could well find themselves in the promotion shake-up come the closing weeks in late March.

Throughout the Allianz Leagues, team news, score updates and previews will be available on all Official GAA platforms so make sure to follow @officialgaa on Twitter and facebook.com/officialgaa to stay informed.