Laois secure Division Four title as Leitrim faithful endure Croke Park agony

What’s rare is wonderful and even a Division 4 league final offered sufficient cause for their supporters to travel to Dublin on an Easter Saturday, bringing hopes of a rare piece of silverware. But they were shot down by Laois who hit 12 wides but their superior scoring power was still the telling factor.

Laois are no strangers to playing here and were in Croke Park as recently as last year when suffering a heavy Tailteann Cup defeat by Down. Despite suffering the only loss of their recent league campaign to Leitrim in Portlaoise, they topped the group and justified their billing as favourites to win.

The squad has been ransacked since that Down defeat with a huge exodus between players who have gone abroad, retried or are currently suffering injuries. They led 1-7 to 0-6 at the interval, despite shooting seven wides to just one from Leitrim. And a second goal after Evan O’Carroll won a Leitrim kick out and fed the finisher, Eoin Lowry, put paid to Leitrim’s prospects, opening up a six-point lead in the 48th minute.

Leitrim had hit a decent streak shortly before Lowry’s goal, scoring three unanswered points from five points down, but the concession of a second goal was devastating. Barry McNulty had a half goal chance in the 57th minute but found himself crowded out and the Laois victory was put beyond doubt when the impressive Lowry hit a delightful kick pass to Paul Kingston who scored a third goal in the 62nd minute.

The Connacht side started the game promisingly and had a score after 13 seconds from the lively Riordan O’Rourke, who soon doubled his tally, while his cousin Ryan O’Rourke kicked two beautiful scores in the first half and Mark Plunkett had another tidy finish with the breeze.

But there wasn’t enough penetration and they blew their goal chance when it came in the 14th minute, with wing back Donal Wrynn needing more conviction after his incisive run had an unnecessary stall as he looked for an off-load, not trusting himself. When he decided he was the best option the opportunity was lost and he shot tamely, caught in two minds, at Killian Roche.

Leitrim’s greater support cheered at very putridity but Laois were more dexterous in attack with the main threat being O’Carroll, who scored four first-half points, and finished with six and the man-of-the-match award. One of his points was a goal attempt that cleared the cross bar. A few minutes into the game another O’Carroll effort came off the underside of the crossbar before play was called back for a foul on the full forward.

While Leitrim missed their goal chance, Laois made no mistake when presented with theirs in the 18th minute after the teams were level three times in the opening quarter. Leitrim held back Jack Gilheaney as an extra defender but Laois were still able to find pockets of space. A loss of concentration allowed O’Carroll to pick out Shaun Fitzpatrick unmarked and he laid the ball across the Leitrim goal where the busy corner back Ben Dempsey flicked into the net.

At one stage Laois stretched their lead to five points, before Ryan O’Rourke and keeper Nevin O’Donnell, from a 50m free, reduced the gap to a goal nearing half time. The last score of the half went to O’Carroll, converting the free he’d earned in injury time. Leitrim keeper O’Donnell was his side’s top scorer with three points which tells its own tale.

Leitrim can still look forward to life in Division 3 next year and must quickly move on from this defeat with Sligo in Carrick-on-Shannon in the Connacht football championship next Sunday.

Scorers

Laois – E O’Carroll 0-6 (3 fs), P Kingston, E Lowry 1-2 each, B Dempsey 1-0, M Barry 0-2, R Murphy, K Lillis (M) 0-1 each.

Leitrim – N O’Donnell 0-3 (1 f, 1 45), Ryan O’Rourke, Riordan O’Rourke 0-2 each, M Plunkett, B McNulty 0-1 each.

Laois: K Roche; B Dempsey, S Lacey, J Kelly; E Buggie, M Timmons, B Byrne; K Lillis, D Larkin; K Swayne, E Lowry, S Fitzpatrick; M Barry, E O’Carroll, P Kingston.

Subs: S Fingleton for Byrne (52); C Heffernan for Lillis (62); R Murphy for Kingston (63); N Dunne for Fitzpatrick (64); M Dempsey for Swayne (66).

Leitrim: N O’Donnell; C Reynolds, M Diffley, A Flynn; D Wrynn, D Casey, J Foley; J Gilheany, P Dolan; M Plunkett, D Rooney, B McNulty; T Prior, Ryan O’Rourke, Riordan O’Rourke.

Subs: E Sweeney for Reynolds (20); P Keaney for Prior (42); S Quinn for Riordan O’Rourke (51); A Reynolds for Casey (inj 61); J Rooney for Flynn (67).

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).