Galway 2-22
Leitrim 0-5

by Billy Coss

A ruthlessly efficient first ten minutes delivered 1-8 without reply and laid the foundations for an emphatic Galway victory over Leitrim in Round 2 of the TG4 Connacht Senior Football Championship at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.

Daniel Moynihan's side came in on the back of a flawless Lidl National League campaign that brought the Division 2 title and an immediate bounce back to the top-flight. They started the defence of their provincial crown with a tempo and intent that was matched in front of the posts and put the game beyond the hosts from an early juncture.

Corner-forward Andrea Trill was the last member of the Galway attack on the scoresheet when finishing their opening goal on ten minutes. By then Leanne Coen, Lynsey Noone, Eva Noone, Olivia Divilly and Róisín Leonard had all raised white flags. Such was Galway's early accuracy, they didn't register their first wide until the 12th minute.

Leitrim stemmed the tide with points from Aoife Gilmartin, Leah Fox and goalkeeper Michelle Guckian, who lifted the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup following last year's All-Ireland Intermediate final win over Tyrone.

It stood at 1-13 to 0-3 at the break after Galway's scoring rate understandably dipped and Divilly, Trill, Leonard and Coen tagged on second quarter points.

The Tribeswomen would accelerate further clear after the break with their defence staying resolute and further scores coming from Divilly and Leonard, whose eight points arrived from play and placed balls.

Eva Noone tucked away the winners' second goal on 53 minutes, while Leanne Coen took her return to five points and Kate Slevin and Hannah Noone also found the range for Galway late on. 

Their place in the Connacht final against Mayo is now assured. It's on the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship for a Leitrim side that had second half points from Guckian and Muireann Devaney.

Scorers - Galway: R Leonard 0-8 (5f), L Coen 0-5, E Noone 1-2 (1f), A Trill 1-1, O Divilly 0-3, L Noone, H Noone and K Slevin 0-1 each.

Leitrim: M Guckian 0-2 (2f), A Gilmartin, L Fox and M Devaney 0-1 each.

Galway: L O’Halloran; A Ní Cheallaigh, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty (capt.); H Noone, N Ward, C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; L Noone, O Divilly, L Coen; E Noone, R Leonard, A Trill. Subs: A Eilian for C Trill (ht), A Molloy for Ní Cheallaigh (44), A O'Rourke for O Divilly (47), K Slevin for Leonard (50), M Glynn for N Ward (53)

Leitrim: M Guckian (capt.); E Shanley, C Tyrrell, E Quigley; S Reynolds, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, V Egan; L O’Dowd, A Clancy, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, L Fox, S. Quinn. Subs: M Devaney for A Quinn (ht), S Ward for S Quinn (48), A Devaney for Egan (55), L McKeon for Shanley (55), L Tivnan for McIntyre (55).

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo).

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