Connaught Championship -Easy Win for Leitrim

Irish Voice Sport

Connaught Championship -Easy Win for Leitrim

May 15, 2008

By Eugene Kyne

Leitrim 0-17 New York 0-6

ON a fantastic day at the Mecca of the GAA in New York, Gaelic Park, Leitrim had an easy win in front of a devout Leitrim crowd, with close to 3,000 on hand from Ireland and across North America.

The winners used the free taking of Emlyn Mulligan, who was clinical, and the defensive play of John McKeon, Gary Reynolds and Shane Foley, who allowed nothing of real danger to develop in front of goal. On then for Leitrim to the winners of the Galway/Roscommon in the next round of the Connaught Championship.

Leitrim immediately scored on a free when the game began. John Goldrick was on a yellow and the game was only 30 seconds old when Mulligan tapped it over on the kick out.

Adrian O’Connor was booked as referee Paraic Hughes from Armagh was allowing no rough play in the first minutes. Leitrim won the first foray that New York had into Leitrim territory. The clearance came to David O’Connor, and he stormed into attack and could have had a goal but blasted over.

Leitrim were dominant in all areas and they shut down three attacks easily at the 30 yard defensive line. They stormed down the field with a hand passing game that scythed through New York.

It helped them add to the lead with a pair from Mulligan, one from play. McKeon and Barry Prior were completely in control at the back and they were finding the wing forwards with the outlet pass.

New York at this point had only one long shot at goal, and Adrian O’Connor was well wide from the right side before Mulligan and Declan Maxwell added two further points to make the scoreline with 18 minutes gone 0-5 to no score.

New York had their best period in the next 10 minutes as the O’Connors started to dominate the kick outs. They had a free from Dan Doona when Liam O’Donnell was fouled, which was cancelled out by a Mulligan free, but New York attacked again with a brace from Adrian O’Connor and a brilliant score from Mark Dobbins when Doona set him free after a brilliant catch by the Bird, Kenny O’Connor.

The locals kept the pressure on and had further chances that went wide, but they were showing that they could compete as the lead was now down to three.

Leitrim answered the call, however and they had the final four points of the half from Mulligan frees, the first of the soft variety, the second had no argument. The third was a brilliant running score from Donal Brennan, before Michael Duignan had one better.

What was a close contest was now gone out to seven with the outburst, with the halftime score Leitrim 0-10, New York 0-3.

The first five minutes of the second half were of the physical nature in the extreme. Paul Mulhearne became the fifth New York player to get yellow to that point when he manhandled Michael Foley, with the linesman calling the referee’s attention to the indiscretion.

Wides were swapped from Mulligan and Paddy Smyth as the game died down in intensity. This didn’t suit New York as they needed scores to have any chance of pulling a surprise.

The increase on the scoreline, however, went to Leitrim as they used progressive play from Dermot Reynolds. Michael Duignan created a free chance that was chipped over by Mulligan for his seventh of the day, and a Duignan skyscraper that floated over.

New York had a free in reply from O’Donnell, but it was little in reply and was easily cancelled out by further scores from Mulligan and Phil McGuinness.

The game was now flowing easily in Leitrim’s favor, and they were professional in their approach as they did the easy things well and the hard items very intelligently. They were now in complete control and were chipping points with further frees from Mulligan.

Consolation scores were the only reply for the home side, and the long ball was being used into a relocated O’Connor on top of the square, but they were being easily cleaned up by McKeon, who was winning the head to head.

Short moves also found no happy ending as Duignan and Reynolds again dominated. A final wide from captain O’Connor was the ending hurray for New York, and they will now look to next year while Leitrim continues onwards.

Outstanding for Leitrim were Emlyn Milligan, with a personal total of 10 points. John McKeon, Shane Foley and Gary Reynolds at the back were good; Michael Duignan was the top midfielder on show. David O’Connor and Declan Maxwell also had strong showings up front.

New York will look at the performances of Pa Ryan — his kick outs were impressive — Joe Bell (first half), Aidan Power, Lonan Maguire, Adrian O’Connor (first half), Liam O’Donnell and Mark Dobbins before his surprising replacement.

Leitrim scorers: Emlyn Mulligan (0-10), Michael Duignan (0-3), Declan Maxwell (0-1), David O’Connor (0-1), Donal Brennan (0-1), Phil McGuinness (0-1).

New York scorers: Liam O’Donnell (0-2), Adrian O’Connor (0-1), Dan Doona (0-1), Paddy Smyth (0-1), Mark Dobbin (0-1).

Leitrim: 1 Enda Lyons, 2 Dermot Reynolds 3 John McKeon, 4 Shane Foley, 5 Gary Reynolds, 6 Michael McGuinness, 7 Barry Prior, 8 Gary McCloskey, 9 Michael Duignan, 10 Emlyn Mulligan, 11 Declan Maxwell, 12 Ciaran Duignan, 13 Donal Brennan, 14 David O’Connor, 15 Michael Foley. Subs: Phil McGuinness for C. Duignan, Barry McWeeney for Brennan, Darren Duignan for O’Connor.

New York: 1 Pa Ryan, 2 Joe Bell, 3 Aidan Power, 4 Alan Foley, 5 Lonan Maguire, 6 Dermot Keane, 7 John Goldrick, 8 Ken O’Connor, 9 Adrian O’Connor, 10 Mark Dobbins, 11 Paddy Smyth, 12 Liam O’Donnell, 13 CJ Molloy, 14 Dan Doona, 15 Robbie Moran. Subs: Paul Mulhearne for Molloy, half time. Kevin Lilly for Dobbin, 45 min. Sean Munnelly for Smyth.

Referee: Paraic Hughes (Armagh).

He held a firm hand on the game, A. O’Connor, Goldrick, Molloy, Bell, Smyth, Mulhearne, Foley, Keane and Power all had yellows, and Keane a second and then a red. He showed from the first minute that the physical game would not be allowed, but they persisted and Mulligan had nine points from frees. He played to the letter of the law. You need to expect that from an Irish ref.

Man of the match: Emlyn Mulligan (Leitrim).

Brilliant display from the youngster on a windy day. He was also active in open play and is not one dimensional.

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