TOMORROW'S Bank of Ireland Connacht football semi final in Tuam is testament to the enduring nature of Leitrim's football insurgency this decade. In a precise retake of last year's match at the same stage, Leitrim meet Galway in what is widely, maybe presumptuously, regarded as the province's biggest match this season.

For Leitrim, a couple of years of coming close to a breakthrough result gave way to the memorable scenes of 1924, and they are, two championships later, still highly - and rightly - regarded as the most consistent team in the west.

John O'Mahony's team have been the top placed Connacht county in the National Football

League for two years. Last year's injury time loss of their provincial title to Galway was ameliorated by Galway's subsequent progress to Croke Park where, against Tyrone, they gave the best performance by a western county in an All Ireland semi final for four years.

With such an encouraging performance under their belt Galway should have consolidated their progress by putting in a solid season in the NFL and gaining promotion out of Division Three. But they didn't. Instead again like last year, they ended up relying on their protracted first round of the championship against Sligo to retune themselves for the summer.

Those two matches with Sligo have failed to advance general understanding of Galway beyond recognition of their several injury problems and of the underlying potential that still exists within the county.

One straw in the wind discernible from the team selection is that Bosco McDermott and his selectors look as if they might be g rowing weary of the perennial game of hoping for Kevin Walsh to fulfill even a modest fraction of his talent. Ironically, as he played well in this fix tore last year until injury forced his early retirement, Walsh sits on the bench tomorrow.

His namesake, Shea Walsh, who rattled off an eight point haul against Sligo, represents traffic in the other direction as he opted out of the panel last year but is now sufficiently re engaged to return.

Elsewhere the look of the team is familiar, although Salthill pair Alan Mulholland, at wing back, and Ian O'Donoghue at centre back vary the defensive formation from last year's match. Austin Leonard holds his midfield place after good displays against Sligo.

Tomas Mannion looked a little rusty on his return after injury last Sunday and that presumably explains his positioning in the corner. despite his impressive central displays last year until injury got the better of him.

The star performer at present is full forward Jarlath Fallon, whose dedication over the last year has led to his burgeoning influence on the team's pattern of attack.

Galway's trouble tomorrow will be the tightness of Leitrim's cover. Space will he limited and the reigning champions will find it hard to get going with any fluency.

The main departure from last year in Leitrim's line up is the switch of 1994 captain Declan Darcy from centre back to centre forward. This makes a fair bit of sense. Darcy plays all his club football for Aughawillan in the half forward line and his prominence in the Connacht title win had to do with qualities not automatically tied up with being a centre back leadership, ability on the ball and nerveless place kicking that saved or won more than one match two years ago.

His replacement at the back, Killian McLoughlin, has reasonable experience in central position and played an outstanding midfield role for Fenagh in their march to the county final.

Darey's position on the 40 is designed, together with the arrival of the impressive former minor star Gene Bohan in the corner, to make the attack more punchy and penetrative than it has been over the past few seasons.

Last year in Carrick, Mickey Quinn dominated the middle of the park, particularly during the second half but Leitrim were unable to capitalise on the possession and instead of being out of Galway's sight, left themselves vulnerable to the eventual late so Leitrim have had an exhaustive schedule of challenge matches, most of which have gone very well. One in particular, against Derry shortly after their NFL success, showed Leitrim in a good light after a narrow defeat, although the team are anxious to keep it in perspective.

Not having had a competitive match in so long is a clear disadvantage against a team which has played twice in three weeks, but the signals from Leitrim indicate a strong challenge.

The team actually tends to do better away from home and have beaten Galway twice in Tuam in the last three years. An extension to that sequence could well be in the offing.