Leitrim opened their Connacht U20 with a seven point defeat to Galway as they failed to convert chances.
A missed penalty and a number of missed frees saw Galway win out 2-16 to 13 points.
Colm Costello opened the Leitrim scoring with two points in the opening three minutes. Barry McNulty opened Leitrim’s scoring on five minutes.
Costello restored Galway’s two point lead with a free. Paul Honeyman sent over Leitrim’s second point with a seventh minute free. Honeyman levelled the game from play a minute later.
Costello restored Galway’s two point lead with two scores including one free. Barry McNulty and Costello exchanged points on 15 minutes.
Ciaran Mulhern scored Galway’s seventh point on 17 minutes. All other points being added by Costello.
Michael McBrien and Cormac Greenan exchanged points with Eamonn McGrath’s 45 putting Galway nine points to five ahead on 22 minutes. Jack Casey made it a three point game seven minutes from the break.
Galway sprang a brilliant counter with Jack Folan blasting the ball into the net as Galway led by six! Paul Honeyman sent over the final point of the half as Galway led 1-9 to seven points at the break.
Colm Costello opened the second-half scoring with Paddy Keane responding immediately. Costello added his eighth point to keep Galway five points ahead. Cian Murphy made it a six-point lead on 37 minutes.
Paul Honeyman’s converted free three minutes later brought the gap back to six points. Galway’s Matthew Thompson added another score before Honeyman responded with a point.
Leitrim comeback
A Honeyman free and a Barry McNulty free saw Leitrim trail by four with nine minutes remaining.
Matthew Thompson scored an important point, Galway’s first for 12 minutes. Whereas, Leitrim couldn’t convert points that went a begging.
It was all wrapped up when Thompson collected a loose kick-out and blasted Galway’s second goal with the clock striking 60 minutes.
Darren Cox sent over a free in response. Colm Costello converted a free, his ninth point in injury time. Costello rounded out the scoring with his 10th point five minutes into injury time as Galway won out 2-16 to 13 points.
