LEITRIM’S RONAN KENNEDY came off the bench to hit the net twice and ultimately make the difference, as his side edged past London at their revamped home in Ruislip.
In a thrilling encounter, it took Kennedy’s two quick-fire goals in the second half to turn the game around. They now face Roscommon in the semi-final of the Connacht championship.
Without key forward Emlyn Mulligan, who has been ruled out of the 2017 championship due to injury, Leitrim were challenged right to the wire by a spirited London side. Former Tyrone star Owen Mulligan was named at number 26, but started on the day.
It was tit-for-tat in the opening stages, but Darragh Rooney slotted home after 22 minutes to give Leitrim a 1-5 to 0-3 lead.
Meanwhile, London looked dangerous on the attack. The Leitrim defence were kept on their toes, but handled any potential threats accordingly.
Liam Gavaghan and Conor Doran kept the hosts in touch with points as the clock ran down, while they trailed by two heading in for the break.
The Exiles hit the ground running on the restart — Rory Mason splitting the posts, while Mulligan stood up to level matters.
Liam Gavaghan — who registered eight points overall — and Mason pushed on to put two between the sides, but Kennedy then halted the home side’s momentum with his double whammy to put Leitrim 3-7 to 0-12 up, and in the driving seat.
With nine minutes on the clock, London attempted to claw their way back into the game, and with several consecutive points, they reduced the deficit to two again.
Leitrim played the ball around as they awaited the final whistle, and tagged on another score to leave three points in the difference at the end.
The Leitrim and Roscommon tie is now fixed for the 18 June.
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Kennedy's brace from the bench the difference as Leitrim come out on top in Ruislip
Leitrim 3-10
London 0-16
LEITRIM’S RONAN KENNEDY came off the bench to hit the net twice and ultimately make the difference, as his side edged past London at their revamped home in Ruislip.
In a thrilling encounter, it took Kennedy’s two quick-fire goals in the second half to turn the game around. They now face Roscommon in the semi-final of the Connacht championship.
Without key forward Emlyn Mulligan, who has been ruled out of the 2017 championship due to injury, Leitrim were challenged right to the wire by a spirited London side. Former Tyrone star Owen Mulligan was named at number 26, but started on the day.
It was tit-for-tat in the opening stages, but Darragh Rooney slotted home after 22 minutes to give Leitrim a 1-5 to 0-3 lead.
Meanwhile, London looked dangerous on the attack. The Leitrim defence were kept on their toes, but handled any potential threats accordingly.
Liam Gavaghan and Conor Doran kept the hosts in touch with points as the clock ran down, while they trailed by two heading in for the break.
The Exiles hit the ground running on the restart — Rory Mason splitting the posts, while Mulligan stood up to level matters.
Liam Gavaghan — who registered eight points overall — and Mason pushed on to put two between the sides, but Kennedy then halted the home side’s momentum with his double whammy to put Leitrim 3-7 to 0-12 up, and in the driving seat.
With nine minutes on the clock, London attempted to claw their way back into the game, and with several consecutive points, they reduced the deficit to two again.
Leitrim played the ball around as they awaited the final whistle, and tagged on another score to leave three points in the difference at the end.
The Leitrim and Roscommon tie is now fixed for the 18 June.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
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Connacht SFC Job Done Leitrim London ronan kennedy