Page 38 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION 4 ROUND 1
DEFEAT: Conor Gaffney was on form for Leitrim but they fell to a disap- pointing loss against Antrim.
Photo: David Maher/ SPORTSFILE.
Page 38 – INTO THE WEST
Antrim turn on the style in second half to sink Leitrim
Antrim ..............0-15 Leitrim ...............0-5
By JOHN CONNOLLY Leitrim Observer
JUST two points in arrears at halftime in Corri- gan Park, Leitrim, were blown away by a clini- cal Antrim attack in the second half of the opening round of the Allianz League Division 4. Leitrim got off to a flying start with a wonder-
ful Conor Gaffney score from the right wing after just 27 seconds, before Paddy McBride
fisted the equaliser.
Midfielder Sean Burke curled in a shot to
take the lead for Antrim before corner-back Peter Healy showed good finishing instincts
with a nice score.
Leitrim hit back with a Keith Beirne free
but McBride responded with a fine point on 23 minutes.
Leitrim hit two points in the space of a minute, the first from a Beirne free after a foul on James Rooney, the second after Leitrim turned over the resulting kickout and Beirne swept over. Antrim's response was equally impressive, McBride with another a lovely point. Conor Murray scored the last point of the half, and Antrim led 0-6 to 0-4.
Antrim began well in the second half with a McBride point, this time from a free, and it got worse for Leitrim when Ryan O'Rourke was stripped of possession, tried to win it back and was judged to have pulled down an Antrim player and was handed a black card by referee Barry Tiernan.
to four points. Leitrim tried to respond with a foul on sub Eoin Ward resulting in another Beirne free. Matthew Fitzpatrick won a long kickout that
came off a Leitrim hand, setting up McBride for another point and former star sharpshooter CJ McGourty scored the first of three second half points as a sub on 12 minutes, a brilliant effort. McGourty's second came six minutes later before Ryan Murray got his second.
Antrim were in complete control and were shut- ting down Leitrim's efforts to work a goal chance or get a score with Keith Beirne, Keith Keegan (2) and Colm Moreton all missed good chances.
A McBride free, conceded by a necessary Jack Heslin foul as Antrim broke clear, and a point for sub Kristan Healy ensured a ten point winning margin for the home side.
SCORERS – Antrim: Paddy McBride 0-6, 2f; C.J. McGourty 0-3, 1f; Ryan Murray 0-2; Peter Healy, Sean Burke, Conor Murray & Kristan Healy 0-1 each. Leitrim: Keith Beirne 0-4, 2f, Conor Gaffney 0-1. ANTRIM: Chris Kerr, Peter Healy, Patrick Gallagher, Niall Delargy, Kevin O’Boyle, Mark Sweeney, James Laverty, Sean Burke, Niall McKeever, Stephen Beatty, Conor Murray, Paddy McBride, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Colum Duffin, Ryan Murray. Subs: C.J. McGourty for Duffin (42), Paddy McAleer for Laverty (48), Michael McCarry for Burke (56), Kristan Healy for R. Murray (62), Pat Brannigan for P. Healy (69).
LEITRIM: Diarmuid McKiernan, James Mitchell, Michael McWeeney, Matthew Murphy, Nicholas McWeeney, Keith Keegan, Shane Quinn, Colm More- ton, Donal Wrynn, Conor Gaffney, James Rooney, Aidan Flynn, Darragh Rooney, Keith Beirne, Ryan O'Rourke. Subs: Caillin Canning for Flynn (11), Dean McGovern for Canning (18), Eoin Ward for N. McWeeney (36), Darren Carberry for O’Rourke (42 BC), Damian Moran for D. Rooney (53),
Antrim booted the free long and Ryan Murray
curled a lovely shot over the bar to stretch the gap REFEREE: Barry Tiernan (Dublin).
Carlow far too good for strug
Carlow ..............2-11 KLeitrim ...............0-5
By BILL KIELY Media West Ireland
half, restricting their opponents to just one score in the second 35 minutes.
Leitrim needed to start fast but they were hit for a sucker-punch in just the third minute, when Murphy converted a penalty and the visi- tors were constantly on the back foot from here.
EiTH Beirne scored twice but Leitrim were completely outclassed by a wonderful Carlow outfit at dr Cullen
After defeats to Antrim and Laois, Keith Beirne got Leitrim on the scoreboard in the eight minute, when he scored a free, but points from Murphy and darragh Foley helped Carlow into a four-point interval lead.
Park in division 4 of the national Football League.
Conditions worsened at half-time and Carlow responded better once again, with two points from talisman Paul Broderick. They pushed clear in the closing stages with Murphy firing his second goal.
Carlow who impressed through the 2017 championship, continued their brilliant start to the fourth tier, with John Murphy scoring two goals, while star midfielder Brendan Murphy added five brilliant points from play.
But for Leitrim it was a third defeat from three games, a 12-point losing margin, and Eoin Ward got sent-off for a second yellow card in late on.
Turlough O’Brien’s side only held a narrow 1-5 to 0-4 lead at half-time but they never looked like losing, and took off in the second