Leitrim 0-8 Sligo 0-5:A stunning save by goalkeeper Cathal McCrann after 25 minutes of the first half proved to be a crucial moment as Leitrim went on to beat Sligo by three points in this all action but low scoring Connacht FBD League final at Markievicz park yesterday.

Leitrim were leading by a point when Brian Currans’ well-directed ball was gathered by the inrushing Francis Quinn who unleashed a close range piledriver that was brilliantly blocked by the Gortletteragh netminder.

A goal at that stage would have settled the Yeats men who were under pressure from a lively Leitrim side from the start of the half.

Opened scoring

Ray Cox opened the Leitrim scoring after four minutes and they were three points in front when a Brendan Egan free got Sligo off the mark in the 20th minute.

The visitors, who were never behind in the game, led by five points to two at half-time.

Ten minutes of the second half had elapsed before Leitrim captain Emlyn Mulligan raised the first flag of the half.

Mark Breheny replied for the Yeats men to leave a goal between the sides. Sub Adrian Marren then cut the deficit to two points as Sligo began to tighten their grip on the exchanges.

But another sub in Kevin Reynolds restored the visitors’ three points advantage from a free as Sligo’s best efforts were off target while Leitrim held on tenaciously for their first silverware since the Connacht final of 1994, much to the delight of their supporters who can now look forward to a trip to New York later in the year.

Leitrim boss Barney Breen was “over the moon” and said “it’s no less than we deserve for the work we put in over the last ten weeks. Our progress in Leitrim has been huge and the only thing that beat us in the past was ourselves.”

Sligo manager Kevin Walsh said he would have “liked to have won the final but the League is now our priority and our development in that”.