Leitrim hold off battling Waterford for hard-fought win

The Déise's Cian Kiely was dismissed near the end. 

Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, where Leitrim saw off Waterford. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile

Leitrim 1-16 Waterford 2-8 

A battling Waterford side gave Leitrim something of a fright in Carrick-on-Shannon in a competitive clash and looked like that they might cause an upset after they got on level terms on the 50th minute mark.

But the home side led by Ryan O'Rourke held out for a hard-fought win over the 14-man visitors, who had Cian Kiely dismissed on a second yellow near the end. 

While Leitrim were in command for most of the game, Waterford pegged the home side right back before the break with goals in quick succession from Liam Mulligan and Caoimhín Walsh. 

Leitrim dominated in the first 25 five minutes when they hit five unanswered points. Ben Guckian whipped over two points for the home side while Ryan O'Rourke, Jack Kelly and Fergal McLoughlin added a point each.

Waterford, who were aided by the breeze found it difficult to settle into the game, opened their account when Conor Murray fired over a 25th-minute point. Murray added another for the visitors shortly afterwards.

Guckian hit back with a Leitrim goal on the 27-minute mark before Waterford finished the half with a flourish, Mulligan and Colin Foley finding the Leitrim net close to the break. At the interval they led 1-9 to Waterford's 2-3.

Leitrim went further ahead in the opening minute of the second half when Oisin McLoughlin fired over a well taken point. Waterford hit with a Dermot Ryan two-pointer and then a single point which reduced Leitrim's lead to the minimum.

Waterford rallied to get level terms by the 50th minute with points from Stephen Curry and Donal Fitzgerald, but they failed to score after that.

Four minutes after that Ryan O'Rourke edged Leitrim ahead when he split the Waterford uprights. Leitrim then closed out the game with two Ryan O' Rourke points while Jack Kelly and Fergal McLoughlin added a point apiece.

Matters got a little heated in the closing minutes of the action when started to play a number of minutes of possession football in the middle of the field. Referee Aidan Mark Loughran took disciplinary action near the end when he dismissed Waterford's Cian Kiely on second yellow while he also issued a yellow to Michael Curry.

Scorers for Leitrim – J Kelly 0 – 6 2p; B Guckian 1 – 2 2f; Ryan O'Rourke 0 – 4; F McLoughlin 0 – 2; Oisin McLoughlin & Riordan O'Rourke 0 – 1 each.

Scorers for Waterford – L Mulligan & C Foley 1 – 0 each; D Ryan 0 – 3 2p; C Murray 0 – 2, C Walsh, S Curry & D Fitzgearld 0 – 1 (each).

Leitrim: D O'Shea; E McLoughlin, K Clancy, S Harkin; J Rooney, M Diffley, E McNamara; C Quinn, K Keegan; F McLoughlin, Riordan O'Rourke, M McKiernan; B Guckian, Ryan O'Rourke, J Kelly. Subs: D Feely for Diffley (17); O McLoughlin for McNamara (30); G Reynolds for Harkin (HT); Colm McLoughlin for McKiernan (48); C Reynolds for Quinn (55).

Waterford: P Hunt; G Power, D Ó'Cathasaigh, B Hynes; D Fitzgerald, A Crawford, C Ó'Cuirín; M Curry, C Walsh; C Foley, A Ryan, L Mulligan; C Murray, S Curry, D Walsh. Subs: D Ryan for D Walsh (HT); M O'Brien for S Curry (50); C Kiely for Hynes (67): C Fennell for Ó'Cuirín (72).

Referee: M Loughran (Tyrone).