Connacht GAA Football Championship Semi-Final: London 2-11 Leitrim 1-13
London made history at Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday, as they held off an incredible second-half comeback from Leitrim and progressed to their first ever Connacht Football Championship final.
The Exiles will play Mayo in the provincial showpiece on July 21, but today's game was in the balance as it entered injury-time, after Leitrim had somehow hauled back a half-time deficit of 14 points.
London led 2-10 to 0-2 at half-time after a dominant first half, but they only managed one point in the second period as Leitrim completely turned things around.
With Kevin Conlon on fire from frees, Leitrim slowly edged back into the game after the restart, and James Glancy's goal with 10 minutes to go set up a remarkably tense finish. London somehow held on though, and can now look forward to a historic final in three weeks' time.
London took control of the game in the early stages, and went on to absolutely dominate the first half. Lorcan Mulvey was taking their frees, and along with Eoin O'Neill and Tony Gaughan, he helped London into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes.
On 23 minutes, Greg Crowley struck for the first London goal. It was a good move involving Mulvey and Cathal Magee, and it resulted in Crowley cracking the ball into the bottom left hand corner.
The second goal came just shy of half-time, with Ciarán McCallion applying the finishing touch after fine play in the build-up from Seámus Hannon. It all meant London led 2-10 to 0-2 at the break, with seemingly no way back for Leitrim.
Somehow though, Barney Breen and George Dugdale did the trick at half-time and Leitrim came out flying after the restart. Four set-pieces from Conlon cut the gap to 10, and when Glancy goaled with 10 minutes to go, there was just five between them at 2-11 to 1-9.
London were growing increasingly fragile and tired in the face of the Leitrim comeback, and three more points from Conlon, along with a Paul Brennan score, left the minimum between the teams with a couple of minutes to go.
Conlon and Glancy had chances to level the game for Leitrim in the dying stages, but both missed the opportunies, and London hung on, sparking wild celebrations at what is surely the greatest achievement to date in their GAA history.
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Scorers for Leitrim: K Conlon 0-8 (6f, 1 '45), R Lowe 0-3, J Glancy 1-0, E Mulligan 0-1 (1f), B Brennan 0-1 (1f)
Scorers for London: Mulvey 0-5 (4f), C McCallion 1-1, G Crowley 1-0, T Gaughan 0-2, E O'Neill 0-2, C Magee 0-1
London: D Traynor; P Butler, S Curran, D McGreevy; S Hannon, S Mulligan, T Gaughan; C Doyle, P Geraghty; G Crowley, D Dunleavy, C McCallion; E O’Neill, L Mulvey, C Magee. Subs: E McConville for Hannon (HT), S Kelly for McCallion (45), C Daly for Geraghty (temporary, 48), B Mitchell for Dunleavy (54), C Daly for Doyle (61), B Collins for Magee (62)
Leitrim: C McCrann; G Reynolds, C Egan, F McMorrow; D Beck, E Williams, B Prior; D Sweeney, B Brennan; P McGowan, R Lowe, P Brennan; K Conlon, J Glancy, E Mulligan. Subs: C Clarke for Sweeney (13) B McDonald for Mulligan (16), S McWeeney for Egan (HT), R Cox for McDonald (52).
Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)