Leitrim, as expected, proved much too strong for a game but limited New York side in their Connacht SFC first round clash at Gaelic Park on Sunday night. Leitrim..0-17 New York.0-6 With Emlyn Mulligan shooting 0-11 in a man of the match display, Leitrim were never seriously threatened and can expect a much tougher test when they face the winners of next Sunday's clash between Galway and Roscommon in the provincial semi-final. Dessie Dolan's charges had little difficulty adapting to the artificial surface with early scores from Mulligan and David O'Connor helping to settle them. Two more Mulligan points and another from Declan Maxwell made it 0-5 to 0-0 scores before ex-Kerry minor Dan Doona opened the home side's account in the 18th minute. Mulligan restored Leitrim's five-point advantage before scores from Adrian O'Connor and Mark Dobbin reduced the gap to three. However, two Mulligan frees and further efforts from Donal Brennan and Michael Duignan left Leitrim sitting on a 0-10 to 0-3 interval lead. The second half became even more one-sided as Leitrim's greater fitness and experience began to tell. Melvin Gaels clubman Mulligan punished numerous New York discretions with an unerring display of free-taking. A miserable day for the home side, whose future participation in the championship must now be in serious doubt, was completed when their centre back Dermot Keane received his marching orders in the closing stages from Armagh referee Paddy Hughes. Tweet

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