Details

Date Time Competition Season
18 June 2023 2:00 pm All Ireland Intermediate Championship 2023

Match Report

Leitrim Keep Their Cool To Edge Past Louth

Two quick-fire goals in the first half made all the difference for Leitrim as Louth with rue the missed chances as Kit Henry’s players now head to Kildare knowing its win or bust in their seasons Intermediate Championship.

Both sides had dominant spells in the game but goals from Michelle Guckian and Vivienne Egan in the space of sixty seconds proved to be the major difference. 

Michelle Guckian scored the first point for Leitrim from a free to start the scoring. Shannon McLaughlin then dealt Louth a crushing blow by being forced to leave the game early owing to injury. After that, Sarah Reynolds scored another point for Leitrim with a long-range shot, but Kate Flood opened the scoring for Louth with a well-taken point.

After Niamh Rice quickly took a free kick, Aine Breen tied the game with a spectacular point from the right side. Leitrim regained the lead thanks to Ailbhe Claney, who outwitted Holly Lambe Sally to score a point that sailed over the crossbar. With a well-taken shot, while being pressed by the Leitrim halfback line, Laura Collins levelled the score with her first point of the contest. 

Leitrim scored two goals in less than a minute. The first was the result of an excellent team move that started with Laura O'Dowd passing the ball to Michelle Guckian, who then passed the ball off to Leah Fox under pressure, who then slid it under Lambe Fagan. They scored their second goal right after the kick out when Guckian gathered the misplaced pass and quickly passed it to Vivienne Egan, who finished it off. Kate Flood's looping attempt on goal was excellently stopped by McNulty, denying Louth a good chance to get a goal. 

Laura Collins scored another point for Louth before Rebecca Lambe Fagan used her feet to divert Vivienne Egan’s effort away from another certain goal. Laura O'Dowd scored another point for Leitrim before Niamh Rice of Louth scored an excellent long-range point to give Louth the final say in the half. 

Niamh Rice's well-taken long-range point gave Louth the game's first points in the second half was met by Leah Fox's excellent point for Leitrim followed shortly after. Niamh Rice's ball into the Leitrim area caused Laura Collins to put McNulty under pressure, and Niamh Rice scored to give Louth a goal and make it a two-point game. Michelle Guckian easily scored a free throw to restore a three-point advantage in the game for Leitrim. 

With a skillfully executed free kick, Laura Collins scores her third point of the contest, and Louth puts Leitrim under intense pressure in an attempt to tie the game. Louth looked significantly better than it did in the first half, and Ailbhe Clancy and Lauren Boyle traded points to hold the score at two. Rebecca Lambe Fagan once again displayed her dominance by successfully blocking a certain goal from Clancy. Clancy made up for his miss with a free kick to give Leitrim their three-point advantage back. 

With a well-taken free Laura Collins cut the lead to two points, but Leitrim expertly handled the game's closing seconds to return to the west with two crucial points gained. 

Louth

1Rebecca Lambe Fagan Goalkeeper
2Eimear Murray Defender
3Eilish Hand Defender
4Rachel Berth Defender
5Seoda Matthews Defender
6Shannen McLouglin 19 Defender
7Holly Lambe Sally 17 Defender
8Aine Breen Midfielder 11'
9Aoife Halligan Midfielder 28'
10Abi Keenan 18 Forward
11Niamh Rice 21 Forward 34'
30'
12Mia Duffy Forward
13Lucy White Forward
14Kate Flood Forward 8'
15Laura Collins Forward 18', 30', 38', 58'
16Kelly Cunningham
17Aoife Russell 7 Defender
18Lauren Boyle 10 30'
19Caoimhe Boyle 6 Defender
20Katie Doheny
21Roisin Maguire 11
22Michelle O’Hagan
23Ciara Lennon
24Aideen Dunne
25Caitlin O’Reilly Defender
26Katie Matthews Defender
27Rebecca Carr Defender
28Ciara Woods Forward
29Ceire Nolan Defender

Leitrim

1Michelle McNulty Goalkeeper
2Charlene Tyrrell Defender
3Jasmine Maye Defender
4Mollie Murphy Defender
5Sarah Reynolds Defender 7'
6Kasey Bruen Defender
7Carla Le Guen Defender
8Megan McGovern Midfielder
9Aoife Gilmartin 17 Midfielder
10Laura O’Dowd Forward 12', 30'
21Vivienne Egan 18 Forward 24'
12Síomha Quinn 11 Forward
13Leah Fox Forward 24'
33'
14Michelle Guckian Forward 1', 36'
15Elise Bruen Midfielder
11Ailbhe Clancy 12 Forward 40', 47'
16Michelle Monaghan Goalkeeper
17Niamh Tighe 9 Midfielder
18Brónagh O’Rourke 21 Forward
19Eimhín Quinn Defender
20Denise Stenson Midfielder
22Caroline Doherty Defender
23Aisling Quinn Midfielder
24Rachel McIntyre Defender
25Eimear McHugh Defender
26Shauna McLoughlin Defender
27Rebecca Rooney Defender
28Éabha Moyles Midfielder
29Edel Shanley Defender
30Anna Devaney Defender

Past Meetings

(Round 1)
NFL Division 4 North
Carrigallen GAA

Ground

Cooley Kickhams GAA Club
Grange, Carlingford ED, The Municipal District of Dundalk, County Louth, Leinster, A91 TK71, Ireland

Ciaran Callan is a part-time sports journalist based in Dundalk, Co. Louth. He has more than 10 year’s experience working with media companies including both extensive radio broadcasting experience along with print and digital media reporting for the SSE Airtricity League as well digital media work with the national sports company eirSport. He joined FinalWhistle in February 2021 as is their main correspondent for Dundalk Football Club.