GMIT proved to be Leitrim's nemesis for the third year in a row in atrocious conditions at Castlegar yesterday where three players from both sides visited the sin bin.

New Leitrim manager Dessie Dolan made seven changes from the side which faced Roscommon in last year's championship, but his young charges failed to score in the first half and went a goal down after just three minutes when debutant goalkeeper Cormac McCrann lost his footing under a high, dropping ball and Nicky Joyce shot to an empty net.

Four minutes later Enda McMenamon set up Aidan Kilcoyne who netted from 20 metres.

GMIT: B O'Donoghue; M Flannery, A Burke (Corofin), E Malone; A Raftery, R Feeney, D Maullaghy; P Geraghty, A Burke (Kilmaine); P Regan, E McMenamon, A Kilcoyne (2-1); G Heneghan (0-3), N Joyce, P Moran. Subs: N Meenaghan (0-2) for Joyce; B Darby for Flannery; M Feeney for Moran; A Geraghty for Regan.

LEITRIM: C McCrann; D Reynolds, J McKeon, M McGuinness; S Foley, B McWeeney, B Butler; C Carroll, N Gilbane (0-1); M Foley (0-2, frees), G Prior, J Goldrick; R Cox (1-0), D Duignan (0-1), D McKiernan. Subs: P McGarry (0-1) for Reynolds; D Kennedy for Prior; J Houlihan for McKiernan; G McCloskey for Gilbane; M Duignan for Carroll.

Referee: O Kelly (Roscommon).