Leitrim Club Team of the Week – Week 4

There were no Senior men’s games in Leitrim this weekend but there was plenty of action in the Intermediate and Junior Championship as well as a full round of Ladies’ championship fixtures.

With excellent performances across all competitions, it was difficult for our reporters to pick a Team of the Week from the 14 games played across the county.

Here are our team’s selections.

Goalkeeper:

In goals Enda Turbett (Eslin) was picked for his performance in keeping two clean sheets, so far, in three games as Eslin held St. Mary’s on Sunday to a good draw. The result works for both teams and it should see them progress to the knock-out stages. Turbitt has been solid in the goals for the kingpins of Junior football in Leitrim. 

Honourable mentions to Niall Farrell whose Cloone side had a one-point victory in the championship on Sunday and Miranda Foley who produced some fantastic saves for Kiltubrid to keep them in the game in the first half against eventual game winners Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins

Right Corner Back:

At right cornerback we have gone with Emma Honeyman who was influential in Ballinamore’s victory over Kiltubrid. Honourable mention to Clare Cullen from Glencar Manorhamilton who was excellent throughout in their hard-fought win over St. Francis.

Full Back:

At full-back we have Mark Gunning of Allen Gaels. While others would have got the plaudits for scoring at the other end, he was on field leader of the team in a fine performance in their win against Annaduff. The win puts them into a quarter-final position. They’ve a chance to top the table in their next game against Aughnasheelin.

Left Corner Back:

By most neutral expectations, St Francis would’ve been expected to have been well beaten by Glencar Manor in this round of the competition, but a fantastic first-half performance saw them take a four-point lead at one point. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for them through the second half but Mairead Flood was one of the best performers on the day in defence for St. Francis. She kept a potent Glencar Manor forward line quiet for large portions of the game.

Right Wing Back:

At wing-back, we have Molly Murphy from Ballinamore. She was one of the main performers for the Ballinamore side in their victory over Kiltubrid. Solid, reliable and managed to keep control on Kiltubrid’s impressive forward unit through most of the game.

Centre Back:

Barry Butler at centre-back was commanding for St. Mary’s Junior side as they drew with Eslin, securing a knockout spot, this could even be a potential match-up again later in the season. The experienced campaigner, who lined out Leitrim in the past, was assured in his performance and lead his team by example.

Honourable mentions at centre-back for Rebecca Rooney (Glencar / Manorhamilton) and Siobhan McCartan (St. Joseph’s). Both were resolute in defence in their respective wins in the Ladies Senior Football Championship.

Left Wing Back:

The final defensive position goes to Ciaran Cullen of Aughnasheelin. He was impressive as his side overcame Drumreilly on Saturday evening to make it three wins from three in the Intermediate Championship. As well as a solid defender, Cullen is also very good at going forward and was at the heart of everything created by the emerging Championship favourites.

Midfield:

Another tough choice at midfield this week Aaron Hoare gets the nod as Aughnasheelin jump to the top of the Intermediate Championship. He had been knocking on the door for selection for this team for a number of weeks but made the cut this week with a fine performance against Drumreilly. 

The other midfield position came down to a tough decision between Orla Smith of Leitrim Gaels and Anna Devaney of Glencar Manorhamilton. Smith gets the nods because of the impact her performance had on the game itself. She was top scorer for Leitrim Gaels as they overcame Annaduff on Sunday morning, defeating another club’s first team is a big step for any new side at this level. An impressive start for the new adult side in Leitrim Gaels.

Right Wing Forward:

At wing-forward, Fionn O’Brien was impressive throughout for Kiltubrid in their draw on Saturday evening with Drumkeerin. He scored 1-1 and was also heavily involved in everything his side did going forward. A strong runner who likes to take on the opposition defence. We should see plenty more of him in this year’s championship.

Center Forward:

Fintan Fitzpatrick was hugely influential for Aughnasheelin in their win against Drumreilly. Having picked up an injury in the previous game he was a doubt, but was able to start and scored 0-8. Fitzpatrick has been the main talisman for Aughnasheelin who have three wins from three in the Intermediate championship.

Honourable mentions to Ciara McPartland (St. Francis) and Bronagh O’Rourke (St. Joseph’s) who were outstanding

Left Wing Forward:

Our other wing-forward is Emma Guckian of Kiltubrid who produced some fantastic passages of play in her side’s defeat to Ballinamore on Sunday morning. Some fantastically well taken scores and her general all round play kept her side in the game right until the final whistle. A fine performance from the former inter-county footballer who a lot of observers would love to see back in the green and gold in the future.

Right Corner Forward:

Bornacoola look to have secured themselves a quarter-final spot with their victory over Ballinaglera at the weekend. Ronan Mulligan was integral to everything Bornacoola did as he scored 1-4. He was a threat throughout. He makes this team at corner-forward for his contribution in that game.

Full Forward:

Just one of the many threatening Glencar / Manorhamilton forwards, Leah Fox has been on the fringes of this team for the last couple of weeks. She finally gets selected this week after her excellent performance against St. Francis at the weekend. Always exciting to watch, her direct style makes her a scoring threat from all corners of the opposition half. Likely to feature heavily in this year’s championship campaign for Glencar / Manorhamilton.

Left Corner Forward:

A fantastic individual and team display on Friday night got our weekend up and running as Alanna Ward bagged a total of 5-4 against St. Brigid’s in Cloone in the Ladies Junior Championship. Keeldra who are favourites to win the competition got their season up and running with that win and Ward’s contribution was integral for them. Her teammates put in fine performances but it’s her that gets the nod at 15 on this occasion.

Deniese is a freelance sports journalist/broadcaster. She has worked for several local and national media outlets. GAA and soccer are her great loves and she also follows rugby league and snooker. She's a big supporter of her local clubs St. Mary's GAA Granard and Longford Town. She also follows Celtic, Liverpool and Leeds Rhinos. She presented and produced a popular sports podcast last year where she interviewed Ray Houghton, Chris Kamara and John Hartson. Deniese is currently Head of Communications for Boccia Ireland

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