In the orchard of Connacht football, Leitrim have always been the low-hanging fruit, assumed to be there for the scrumping if and when London ever cobbled a decent side together.
In 2007, they were in the queue in Dublin Airport on the way over to Ruislip when they ran into Marty Morrissey with camera crew in tow. Marty was all smiles and handshakes, full of chat about the piece he was going to do on them for The Sunday Game. They smiled back, knowing he was there because London were fancied.
Just as they are tomorrow. The only possible downside to their win over Sligo is the element of surprise is now gone. Leitrim were already on a warning after escaping Ruislip with a one-point win last year; Sligo's embarrassment four weeks ago merely reinforces it.
Leitrim have been weakened by the removal from their panel of Mossy and Conor Beirne, Shane Moran and Wayne McKeown for their night of curfew bypass. Their best man marker Paddy Maguire went over on his ankle playing five-a-side last week.
If London can shut Emlyn Mulligan out of the game, Leitrim don’t have a lot of scope for score-creation. They will almost certainly double-team him and if they can do so without fouling, Leitrim will have to find other leaders in the forward line.
But this is new ground for London. They have the players to match Leitrim in most areas and could well edge midfield with Mark Gottsche and Caolán Doyle. But the absence of a reliable free-taker means they will most likely need a goal or two. And the wide expanses of Páirc Seán MacDiarmada are vastly different to tight confines of Ruislip.
They haven’t faced a challenge like this before – the travel, the preparation, the publicity. Leitrim might be low-hanging fruit but it’s 36 years since they were plucked. And having taken the decision to throw players off the panel, they have no choice but to back it up.
Leitrim: C McCrann; A Wynne, C Egan, G Reynolds; D Beck, E Williams, B Prior; D Sweeney, B Brennan; P Brennan, E Mulligan, P McGowan; K Conlon, J Glancy, R Lowe
London: D Traynor; P Butler, S Curran, D McGreevy; S Hannon, S Mulligan, T Gaughan; M Gottsche, C Doyle; G Crowley, L Mulvey, B Mitchell; P McGoldrick, P Geraghty, C Magee
