Leitrim have won the All-Ireland ladies Intermediate title with a 3-11 to 3-10 win over Tyrone in Croke Park.
Goals from Laura O’Dowd and Ailbhe Clancy in the first-half along with a Clancy penalty saw Leitrim to victory.
It took time for both sides to settle, Tyrone’s Maria Canavan kicked the game's first score in the fifth minute.
Leitrim finally got off the mark in the 12th minute when Muireann Devaney passed to Laura O’Dowd and she finished to the net.
Clancy set Devaney up minutes later for a fine point to put three between the sides.
However, Tyrone rallied, Aoife Horisk grabbed two goals in the space of six minutes. Horisk added a point with Chlor McCaffrey fired over a free to give Tyrone a five point lead in the 21st minute.
Michelle Guckian got a much needed score for Leitrim from a free in the 22nd minute. Three minutes later, Guckian’s free found Aibhie Clancy who fired to the net.
Points from O’Dowd and Guckian (free) saw Letirim two points ahead at half-time, 2-5 to 2-2.
Leitrim picked up form where they left off after the break. Points from Guckian (free) and Clancy extending the lead to four points in the 33rd minute.
Leitrim awesome spell
Guckian kicked another free three minutes later. Tyrone substitute Sorcha Gormley’s point in the 39th minute, their first in 18 minutes.
Horisk followed-up with a point but Leitrim cancelled those scores with excellent points from Guickian and Clancy.
With the game at three-quarter time, Tyrone’s Joanne Barrett was sin-binned, having brought down Devaney in the box. Up stepped Clancy, who made no mistake from the penalty spot.
O’Dowd fire over a point to extend the Leitrim lead to seven points.
However, Tyrone were not done. Aoibhinn McHugh smashed home a goal with 11 minutes to play.
Two points from McCaffrey (1f) and a Emma Conroy effort cut the gap to one point with 60 seconds remaining.
However it was Leitrim’s day as they lifted the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup home for the first times since 2007.
*FULL TIME*
🏆 @TG4TV All Ireland Intermediate Final@LeitrimLGFA 3-11@LgfaTyrone 3-10
Leitrim are ALL IRELAND CHAMPIONS! 💫@ConnachtLGFA @UlsterLadies
📺 https://t.co/AUJAY4Ssqt#ProperFan #LEIvTYR pic.twitter.com/wgXSdHyCFp
— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) August 4, 2024
Leitrim: M Monaghan; E Quigley (M Murphy 57), C Tyrell, C Owens; S Reynolds, K Bruen, Elise Bruen; N Tighe, M Guckian (B O’Rourke 49); O Flynn, L O’Dowd, M Devaney; A Clancy, S Quinn (L Fox 37), A Redican.
Scorers: A Clancy 2-3 (1-0pen), M Guckian 0-5 (4fs), L O’Dowd 1-2, M Devaney 0-1.
Tyrone: A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett, E Quinn; C Daly, M Corrigan, C Campbell; A McHugh, M Mallon (McNamee 54); A Grimes (E McNamee 44 (Grimes 53)), A Horisk, E J Gervin (E Conroy 54); C McCaffrey, Z Loughran (S Gormley 35), M Canavan (E Mulgrew 47).
Scorers: A Horisk 2-2, C McCaffrey 0-4 (2fs), A McHugh1-0, M Canavan, E Conroy, E McNamee, S Gormley 0-1 each.
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).
