Leitrim produced a fine second-half performance to finally shake off Waterford and get their Tailteann Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Andy Moran's side led by just a single point at the interval but came good against a battling Waterford outfit who ended the game with 14 players following Liam Fennell's dismissal for a second yellow card late on.
Leitrim got off to an impressive start when they grabbed an 0-03 lead in the opening three minutes, Ryan O'Rourke, Darragh Rooney and Tom Prior splitting the Waterford posts.
After Billy O'Keefe opened Waterford's account with a fourth-minute point, the scene was set for a nip-and-tuck encounter up to break.
Jason Curry converted a free eight minutes in to cut the gap to one before Waterford goalkeeper Aaron Beresford denied Rooney a goal two minutes later.
Leitrim extended their advantage to three points by the 16th minute after Rooney and O'Rourke shot over, but Waterford stayed right in contention as Tom O'Connell and Stephen Curry answered with a point apiece during the next two minutes.
Leitrim responded to double their lead by the 28-minute mark with two O'Rourke points and one from Pearce Dolan.
Back Waterford came though to get within one thanks to scores from Tholom Guiry, Liam Fennell and Stephen Curry.
Before the interval Leitrim's Rooney and Waterford's Stephen Curry traded points at opposite ends to leave the home side with a 0-09 to 0-08 interval lead.
After the restart, Waterford goalkeeper Beresford pulled off a top-drawer save when he deflected a Barry McNulty goal-bound effort out for a '45.
Following that, Leitrim surged to extend their advantage to six points over the next 14 minutes with goalkeeper Niall O'Donnell putting over two '45s while O'Rourke, Aidan Flynn and McNulty chipped in with a point each.
Waterford didn't score in the second half until Tom O'Connell tapped over a 58th-minute free. Two minutes later, Leitrim's Flynn answered with a fine point for the home side.
In the remaining minutes, Waterford rallied to outscore Leitrim by 0-03 to 0-1 with Alan Dunwoody, Donie Fitzgerald (free) and Tom O'Connell (free) on target but O’Donnell responded with a converted free to secure a five-point Leitrim win.
Leitrim: Nevin O'Donnell (0-03, 0-02 45s, 0-01f); Adam Reynolds, Mark Diffley, Aidan Flynn (0-02); Cathal McHugh, Radek Oberwan, Jack Foley; Jack Gilheaney, Pearce Dolan (0-01); Barry McNulty (0-02), Ryan O'Rourke (0-05), Donal Wrynn; Riordan O'Rourke (0-01), Darragh Rooney (0-02), Tom Prior (0-01).
Subs: Jack Flynn for A Reynolds (ht), Evan Sweeney for Dolan (ht), Conor Reynolds for McHugh (53), Shane Quinn for Oberwan (66).
Waterford: Aaron Beresford; Ross Browne, Caoimhín Walsh, Liam Fennell (0-01); Robbie McGrath, Billy O'Keefe, Dermot Ryan; Michael Curry (0-01), Jason Curry; James Walsh, Billy Hynes, Stephen Curry (0-02); Tholom Guiry (0-02, 0-01 ‘45), Tom O'Connell (0-03, 0-02fs), Seán Whelan-Barrett.
Subs: Michael O'Brien for J Curry (47), Alan Dunwoody (0-02) for Walsh (56), Donie Fitzgerald (0-01, 0-01f) for S Curry (58), Mark Cummins for O'Keefe (65), Conor O'Cuirrin for McGrath (72).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
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