by James McMahon
Leitrim footballers will hope to break an unwanted sequence on Saturday when they seek their first victory in the All-Ireland qualifiers.
11 times the county have failed, but at least home advantage against a fellow Division 4 side gives them a chance of sorts.
Wicklow made hard work of beating the Waterford the last day, with the latter having their influential talisman Gary Hurney sent off early on. It took extra time to settle the issue, with McGraynor and Joey Kelly getting the vital scores when it mattered most.
A blow to the Garden county is that Conor Hyland is unlikely to see action this summer due to torn ligaments in his ankle.
Leitrim were on the end of a 22-point beating by Mayo in the Connacht semi-final and joint-managers George Dugdale and Barney Breen have a job on their hands to lift morale.
During the week, the squad decided against a move that would have allowed full-back Ciaran Egan a recall to the squad. The player was dropped from the panel for disciplinary reason after the victory over London at the start of June.
In Emlyn Mulligan, Leitrim possess a talented score getter and he will expected to lead the charge on Saturday.
No disrespect to Wicklow, but the many in the country might like to see a win for the Connacht county. Despite missing some key players, the visitors should have enough to ensure another day out for them in this year’s championship.
Verdict: Wicklow
