Determined Leitrim push Mayo all the way

BANK OF IRELAND CONNACHT SENIOR FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL

Mayo 1-10 Leitrim 1-9

Fourteen man Mayo held on in Carrick on Shannon to set up a Connacht final date with Galway next month.

This was not vintage Mayo, as they huffed and puffed their way to a one point win.
Leitrim pushed them all the way, scoring 1-4 without reply in the last twenty minutes.

Pat Harte, who was having a man of the match performance in the midfield, was sent off in the 50th minute and that triggered the Leitrim comeback.

Before that, it looked like a dull Connacht semi-final.

Mayo led 1-7 to 0-4 at half time, thanks to a Prior goal and some good score taking from McDonald and Mortimer.

The hosts looked drab upfront, without talisman Declan Maxwell, who didnt make the starting fifteen.

Priors goal, from his half forward position, was unlucky on Leitrim in that it took a heavy deflection on its way to the net, but it was coming. And it looked like a deciding factor, especially when the second half started with McDonald fisting over and substitute Kilcoyne pointing to leave it 1-9 to 0-4.

Then Pat Harte got his second yellow of the game for a tug on the ever-running Michael Foley.

Suddenly the crowd came into the game, and helped Leitrim mount a rousing comeback.
Chris Carrolls goal helped. A Micheal Foley 45 hit the post and as the Mayo defence scrambled to get it away, Carroll pounced to nudge the ball over the line.

Leitrim were now up and running. Colin Regans first of the day then lifted the spirits a little bit more. But it was the sight of Maxwell, warming up on the sidelines that really raised the temperature.

He came on, and totally changed everything. He won the first ball played into him and in all set up three points.

In the meantime Mayo kicked nine terrible wides as they struggled to cope with losing Harte in midfield.

At the end, Mayo played possession football to see out the final four minutes of added on time while Leitrim kicked two wides that could have won it for them.

In the end Mayo held out 1-10 to 1-09.

MAYO: J Healy; D Geragthy, L OMalley, P Higgins; D Heaney, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte (0-1); BJ Padden, G Brady (1-0), A Dillion; K McDonald (0-3), C Mortimer (0-4 2f), Moran (0-1).
Subs: A Kilcoyne (0-1 1f) for A Dillion HT, P Kelly for D Heaney 56mins,
J Gill for A Kilcoyne 65mins, B Moran for G Brady 70mins.

LEITRIM: C McCann; D Reynolds, J McKeon, M McGuinness; D McHugh (0-1), B McWeeney, S Foley (0-1); G McCloskey, C Carroll (1-0); B Prior, M Foley (0-3 3f), C Regan (0-1); D Duignan (0-1), D Brennan (0-1), C Duignan (0-1 1f).
Subs: M Greene for D McHugh 35mins, J Goldrick for D Dunignan, D Maxwell for C Dunignan 60mins, F Holohan for S Foley 70mins, D Beck for C Regan 70mins.

Wides: Leitrim 7, Mayo 12

Frees: Leitrim 21, Mayo 14

Booked:
Leitrim: B Mc Weeney 10mins, B Prior 13mins
Mayo: Ger Brady 15mins, C Mortimor 27mins, P Harte 30mins, P Harte 50mins,
D Geraghty 58mins.

Sent Off: Pat Harte (Mayo) 50mins.

Attendance: 12,445

Conditions: Sunshine

Referee: T Quigley (Dublin)