Experimental Leitrim Ladies side begin year with a loss to Fermanagh at home

Winning is a habit that neither Leitrim nor Fermanagh wanted to break as Pairc Cil Toibraid hosted this clash of the 2024 Junior and Intermediate All-Ireland champions in the first round of the LGFA National League Division four on Sunday. Fermanagh came out on top in this clash of champions as their composure, pace, athleticism, and firepower inside proved too much for an experimental Leitrim team.

The Leitrim women started the game with eight changes from the side that defeated Tyrone in the All-Ireland final in the summer. The Erne women were the stronger side on the day with their superior pace and quality inside cutting Leitrim open at the back on their way to a 3:13 - 2:08 victory. 

Leitrim were trailing badly for the majority of the game but mounted a powerful comeback in the second-half with Goals from substitutes Róisín McHugh and Muireann Devaney though it wasn’t enough to deny Fermanagh in the end.

From the start, Fermanagh looked like an outfit that could be lethal if given space up front as they opened the scoring with a goal in four minutes. 

The Leitrim team who were defeated by Fermanagh in the Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 clash in Kiltubrid Picture: Willie Donnellan

Full forward, Bláithin Bogue, who spent her day around the middle of the park clearing up the ball and acting as the play maker, got the ball on the break before playing a long ball into the ocean of space in front of the Leitrim where it was scoped up by Niahm McManus who gave a quick pass across goal to Eimear Smyth who stuck a shot a shot in the side netting for their first score of the game. 

Leitrim looked dangerous down the other end as they mounted an instant response to the goal with a long-range point from Aibhe Clancy and followed up with one from Aoife Gilmartin.

Time after time in the first half, the long ball inside exposed Leitrim’s backline, struggling massively to get a handle on the full forward line of Eimear Smyth and Niamh McManus. The latter nearly got Fermanaghs second goal, just three minutes after their first, when a looping pass inside nearly put her in on goal but quick moving from Michelle Monaghan in the Leitrim goal denied her a real chance.  

Mid-way through the half the tide was turning quickly against Leitrim as they struggled to work the ball out of their half, meanwhile, Eimear Smyth popped over a point from thirty metres out under pressure from a swarm of Leitrim's hands.

A second Fermanagh goal looked likely and it came on fourteen minutes when a threaded kickpass found its way through a line of Leitrim players into the hands of Aoife McCabe on the edge of the square: A quick turn and a riffling shot saw the ball in the top corner and Fermanagh firmly in the driving seat.

Eimear Smyth hit another point soon after and a blistering run through a gap in the Leitrim defence from Shannon McQuade saw her slot over a point to put them further ahead.

Leitrim needed someone to take charge to start closing the gap and Clare Owens was that woman as she ran at the Fermanagh defence, winning a free for Shaylyn Ward to convert. 

 Síomha Quinn followed this up with a lovely point off the outside of her right boot. Ailbhe Clancy knocked over a free two minutes later before Leitrim’s best move of the half saw fast hands and quick running open up the Fermanagh defence and Aoife Gilmartin finished the half with a point. 

With ten minutes left in the half, Leitrim, who found themselves in an eight-point hole, managed to wrestle the shovel out of Fermanagh’s hand and get themselves back within five and with some momentum at the break. 

Leitrim might have been disappointed with the first-half performance as they had more potential than they showed, as several attacks broke down because of small handling errors under pressure from Fermanagh. 

The green and gold were struggling to transition fast from defence to attack, lacking runners who could take the ball through the tackle to progress the ball up the field to scoring positions.  

Their attack was motoring better in the second half and the Leitrim women almost had the perfect start. A  quick hand pass across to Síomha Quinn gave her an opening, and the St Brigid’s woman rocketed a nasty shot along the ground towards the Fermanagh goal, though Fermanagh keeper Megan Maguire was equal to it. 

Leitrim saw the introduction of Muireann and Anna Devaney at half-time, and the change was immediately felt on the field as Muireann Devaney opened the scoring for Leitrim four minutes after the restart.

The Glencar-Manorhamilton woman traded points with Fermanagh’s talisman Bláithin Bogue before Eimear Smyth scored two points on the trot: One from a free and the next a minute later as she ran through a routed Leitrim defence.

Fermanagh once again built up a head of steam and was making the most of the momentum as Bogue dinked over a wonder point from a tight angle off on the right-hand side and Eimear Smyth knocked another two over without reply.

With around ten minutes left to go the tide turned again, this time for the Connacht women. A kick pass inside found Muireann Devaney who barreled into the onrushing Fermanagh goalkeeper before finishing a shot to goal.

Two minutes later it was the turn of Róisín McHugh to rattle the back of the net as a kick across the goal found the Ballinamore woman in a little space on the edge of the box and she made the most of it, hammering the ball past Megan Maguire for Leitrim’s second goal.

The energy was with the Leitrim woman and the gap was down to three, but that is as close as it got in the end. Leitrim missed a chance to close the gap more before Eimear Smyth sliced over a lovely score off her right for Fermanagh. 

Two minutes later Bláithín Bogue made a lightning run through the Leitrim, a quick one-two with substitute Aisling O’Brien put her in on goal, and she made no mistake to give Fermanagh their third goal of the game.

Eimear Smyth hit another point a minute later to bring her tally to 1-9, while Síomha Quinn hit one more point for Leitrim to end the game.

READ MORE: Watch: "They are a different Breed”: How to train your goalkeeper with Liam Swift

LEITRIM

Scorers: Muireann Devaney 1-1; Róisín McHugh 1-0; Ailbhe Clancy (f), Aoife Gilmartin & Siomha Quinn 0-2 each; Shaylyn Ward 0-1, 1f

Team: Michelle Monaghan, Mollie Murphy, Charlene Tyrrell, Clare Owens, Sarah Reynolds, Jasmine Maye, Rachel McIntyre, Niamh Tighe, Chloe Dolan, Emma Guckian, Ailbhe Clancy, Dearbhaile Beirne, Shaylyn Ward, Síomha Quinn, Aoife Gilmartin. Subs: Muireann Devaney (30), Anna Devaney (30), Róisín McHugh (43), Eimear Quigley (43), Lauren Tivnan (43)

FERMANAGH

Scorers: Eimear Smyth 1-9, 3f; Bláithín Bogue 1-3; Aoife McCabe 1-0; Shannan McQuade 0-1

Team: Megan Maguire, Erin Murphy, Ciare Clarke, Sam Martin, Shannan McQuade, Courteney Murphy, Cadhla-Cara Bogue, Róisín O’Reilly, Molly McGloin, Séana Feeley, Joanne Doonan, Aoife McCabe, Niamh McManus, Bláithín Bogue, Eimear Smyth. Subs: Aisling O’Brian (48), Bronagh Smyth (48), Caoimhe Gallagher (55), Eimear McMahon (55)

Referee: Ian Howley