Andy delight with impact of ex-cavan boss Graham
LEITRIM manager Andy Moran has hailed the impact of ex-cavan boss Mickey Graham as they again try to win promotion from Division 4 after being denied at the death last year.
Graham joined Moran’s backroom team in the autumn after stepping down after five years in charge of his native Cavan, leading them to the Ulster title in 2020 in addition to successive promotions from Division 4 in 2022 and Division 3 last year.
Former Mayo star Moran is hoping Graham can sprinkle some stardust as Leitrim regroup after their season fell apart when Sligo scored two late points to pip them to promotion last March. Two weeks later Leitrim lost on penalties in the championship in New York and then lost all three Tailteann Cup games.
Graham has been working with the squad since they regrouped and Moran believes he has made a big impact.
He said: “He has made a huge difference, he has so much experience, and it’s not just the players who are benefitting, we as a management are as well. He might just confirm what you are doing is right or he might have a way of tweaking something.
“The more I get into management the more I respect the guys I played under, the John O’mahonys, James Horans, Stephen Rochfords and so on. So for us to have someone of Mickey’s experience in our corner is huge.”
This is Moran’s third year in charge. Leitrim have not won a competitive game since defeating Laois last March, never recovering from the late loss to Sligo which denied them promotion. They start the promotion drive in Waterford on Sunday.
Moran said: “We probably had a great year one, year two we nearly got up and then we lost to New York. The Sligo defeat was a killer. We were a point up going into injury-time, we were up, we were in Division 3, and then all of a sudden we let it slip.
“It was disappointing but what I would say is the fine margins are huge. There is a turnover of around six or seven players again this year, but that’s always going to be the case.
“Our preparation has been good. The League is the Championship for Division Four teams. We are looking for a good start and hopefully keep it going. It’s a big challenge but it is enjoyable as well, especially if you can see progress.”