Leitrim 0-12 Offaly 0-9:Leitrim served notice that they will be no pushovers in this year's league when they overcame Offaly to win with the last kick of the game in Cloone yesterday.
Shane Foley will get the plaudits for his extra-time winning point but the victory was fashioned from a team display of smooth running football.
After a low-scoring start the game burst into life in the 15th minute when Ciarán Kennedy's free started a sequence of scores for Leitrim that saw them lead 0-8 to 0-5 at half-time.
Inspired by Niall McNamee, Offaly improved in the second half and it was he who levelled the scores with a minute remaining before Foley sneaked the winner for the home side.
LEITRIM: N Gill; B McWeeney, J McKeon, D Reynolds; C Kennedy (0-2), B Prior, S Foley (0-1); M Duignan, G McCloskey; C Regan, M Foley (0-2, one free), B Brennan; F McBrien (0-2), C Duignan (0-5, three frees), J Glancy. Subs: D Beck for B Brennan, D Brennan for F McBrien, S Canning for G McCloskey.
OFFALY: K Meehan; G Rafferty, J Quinn, N Grennan; K Slattery, S Sullivan, E Byrne; C McManus (0-1), K Hogan; S Brady, PJ Ward (0-1), A McNamee; T Deehan, N Coughlan, N McNamee (0-7, two frees). Subs: S Ryan for K Hogan, P McConway for E Byrne, K Casey for T Deehan, J Coughlan for PJ Ward, J Reynolds for S Brady.
Referee: M Sludden (Tyrone).
