Brendan Guckin admitted that Leitrim couldn't cope with Roscommon's firepower in yesterday's Connacht SFC semi-final.

The Rossies posted 24 points in a 14-point victory at Carrick-on-Shannon to move within 70 minutes of retaining the Nestor Cup. 

"The difference was the quality in their forward line, any chance they got, they took it and they scored. We missed a couple from play, we missed a couple of frees and we had a goal chance and if we had gone in within two or three points at half-time, confidence would be up," the Leitrim manager told the Leitrim Observer.

"We tried to get a lot of men behind the ball because we didn't want to concede goals, goals killed us last year, but at times we didn't press high enough up the field and when you have quality like the Murtagh brothers and the Smith brothers, they'll kick points from 40 metres which they did today.

"They are a Division 1 team for a reason, they are a quality side and they're forward line is, as a unit, probably the best in Connacht, they have serious forwards. I thought at times our backs dealt with them reasonably but at times, we didn't press them high enough up the field."

Guckin insisted that Leitrim would fight on in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

"Look the lads have to keep at it, that is all they can do but they are that type of group, they will keep at it. They are not just going to throw in the towel.

"Obviously we are going to have difficult opposition in the qualifiers because it is round two, the opposition is obviously going to be of a higher quality but we will regroup on Tuesday and we just have to go at it again," he added.

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