Inter-Provincial Championships

Pride Fighter

HURLING:

On a dreadful day for outdoor sport both Leinster and Connacht made light of the wind and the rain to serve up a competitive feast of hurling at Kiltoom.

Niall Healy opened the scoring with a point from a free after three minutes for the all Galway Connacht team, but three unanswered points from Brendan Murtagh, Richie Power and Ritchie Hogan had Leinster ahead by the eighth minute.

Two further points from Healy had the sides level by the midway stage, but an opportunistic strike from Richie Power from a 25 metre free puck after 19 minutes put Leinster a goal ahead.

Power seemed to mi**** his puck but the sliothar beat the wall of Connacht men on the line to end in the net for a somewhat fortunate score for the men in Green.

Connacht refused to buckle however, and with four unanswered scores turned the contest around to lead by a goal as the game entered first half stoppage time.

Points from Healy, Kevin Hynes and Kenneth Burke together with a fine goal from full forward Joe Gantley after 23 minutes gave Vincent Mullins' men the advantage, but a Hogan pointed free in stoppage time for Leinster left just two points between the teams at the break.

Leinster were quickly off the mark in the second half as three Hogan points from frees and an opening point of the half from Westmeath's Brendan Murtagh saw Leinster quickly wipe out the Connacht lead to have a two point advantage after 41 minutes play.

Richie Murray opened Connacht's account while a Healy free had the sides level at 1-8 apiece by the midway point.

Both sides exchanged points and as extra time loomed large Leinster struck for the decisive score with 4 minutes left to play.

Murtagh set up Eddie Cody and the Carlow man made no mistake from close range with a well taken goal.

Richie Power extended the lead to four points with a point soon after and although half time substitute for Connacht David Tierney scored a point which left just a goal between the sides, corner forward Hogan sealed victory with the final point for Leinster deep into stoppage time.

In the day's other semi-final, Ulster pushed favourites Munsterall the way but the southern province ran out five-point winners by 2-14 to 1-12.

FOOTBALL:

Connacht lead from the start in Kiltoom and were deserving ten-point winners against a disappointing Leinster team that never seriously challenged the home province.

Mayo's Conor Mortimer opened the scoring with a second minute point with further points from Leitrim pair Declan Maxwell and Emlyn Mulligan signalling what was to come from Connacht.

Paul Barden got Leinster off the mark on 9 minutes while Peadar Gardiner and Ross Munnelly swapped points to leave Connacht leading by four points to two at the half way stage of the opening half.

John O'Mahoney's men then hit a purple patch with a goal and three points to stretch the lead to 8 points after 22 minutes play.

A Mulligan free together with an Andy Moran point lead up to the Connacht goal on 20 minutes.

Padraic Joyce and Conor Mortimer were involved in the build up with Moran slipping the ball past Gary Connaughton in the Leinster goal.

Ross Munnelly gave Val Andrews' charges some hope with two pointed frees for an otherwise poor return from 30 minutes play, but Connacht went in for half time leading by 2-07 to 0-04 points thanks to a superb goal from Galway veteran Joyce after 27 minutes.

Pat Harte laid the ball off to Joyce and the centre forward made no mistake with the finish to the net.

Connacht never let up in the second half and had stretched their lead to 10 points within 9 minutes of the restart with three pointed frees from Joyce to two points in reply from Dublin duo Mossie Quinn and Collie Moran.

Leinster fought back with further points from Quinn, Munnelly and PJ Banville, but the losers were never to get close enough to stage a grandstand finish.

Another Munnelly point after 49 minutes proved to be Leinster's second last score of the game with an Emmet Bolton point in stoppage time ending the contest for an ineffectual losing province.

Kenneth Mortimer popped over a free kick midway through the half for Connacht while further points for Joyce and Maxwell together with two from Mayo's Alan Dillon stretched the advantage to 11 points before Bolton's late score, but the final outcome was never in doubt at any stage.

Munster also won their football clash against Ulster by 1-05 to 0-05 points. Cork's Nicholas Murphy scored the decisive goal.

Agus

-- Saturday November 1st --

GAA Interprovincial Hurling Championship Final
Portlaoise 6.00pm

GAA Interprovincial Football Championship Final
Portlaoise 7.45pm

homerjay2005

shocking that these games are played when -

• county finals are in full swing.
  
• provincial club championships are starting
  
• up to 30 of the best players in the country are away in australia.

does this make sense? i bet there was no more than 200 at all 4 games.
im surprised that so many good players turned up, as they are bein treated shabbily by HQ on this one.

february/march, before all ireland club semi finals is the way to go.or under lights in croker, in with something else.

Pride Fighter

homerjay2005 wrote: »

shocking that these games are played when -

• county finals are in full swing.
  
• provincial club championships are starting
  
• up to 30 of the best players in the country are away in australia.

does this make sense? i bet there was no more than 200 at all 4 games.
im surprised that so many good players turned up, as they are bein treated shabbily by HQ on this one.

february/march, before all ireland club semi finals is the way to go.or under lights in croker, in with something else.

Dublin vs Tyrone may well be put under lights in Croker. They could have had a triple header, interpro final of both codes then the Dublin match. If Leinster had have got to a final in either have it before the Dubs. The cheers Dotsy O'Callaghan and Ronan Fallon would be as amazing as the chants of LEINSTER, LEINSTER:pac: