Leinster prove too strong

Leinster 2-19 Ulster 0-12: Given the Leinster team featured eight of the Kilkenny team that defeated Cork in the All-Ireland final, there was a disappointing turnout for this interprovincial hurling semi-final at Parnell Park on Saturday.

Ulster, for all their graft, were lacking that killer touch up front when posting some poor wides at a time when the gap in the scoreline was still bridgeable.

Leinster had taken the option of playing David Franks in the half-forward line and it worked well, the Offaly defender registering six points from frees.

Ulster for their part hardly got off to the dream start when losing a goal and a key player inside the first five minutes.

After the teams had exchanged points, Kilkenny's Richie Power offloaded to Joe Bergin for the opening score of the game on four minutes.

Soon after that, Ulster centre forward Paul Braniff limped off the pitch, but there was some good news for the Northerners when Johnny McIntosh fired over successive frees to leave just a point in it.

Leinster, however, had reopened a three-point gap when the Ulster goalkeeper Graham Clarke pulled off a double save to keep out Eddie Brennan.

But with the Ulster attack firing blanks at the other end, Leinster closed out the first half with frees from Franks and two Richie Power efforts to lead 1-8 to 0-6.

Leinster then outscored their opponents by five points to two after the resumption before Kilkenny's Aidan Fogarty found the net with a hook shot on 45 minutes.

LEINSTER: James McGarry; M Travers, J Tennyson, J Ryall; T Walsh, R Hannify, Diarmuid Lyng (0-1); Derek Lyng, R McCarthy (0-3); E Brennan (0-1), G Hannify, D Franks (0-6, all frees); J Bergin (1-0), R Power (0-4, two frees), A Fogarty (1-2). Subs: E Quigley for Diarmuid Lyng (46 mins), J McCaffrey (0-2) for Bergin (50 mins), R Mullally for Travers, D McCormack for R Hannify (both 55 mins).

ULSTER: G Clarke; A Bell, G Bell, M Conway; M Molloy, L Hinphey, G Clarke; A Savage, B McGourty; K Stewart, P Braniff, R Convery (0-1); J McIntosh (0-10, five frees), G Savage, D Cullen. Subs: S McBride (0-1) for Braniff (5 mins), P McCormack for A Bell (22 mins), S Clarke for G Savage (36 mins), K Kelly for Conway (39 mins), D Coulter for Cullen (48 mins).

Referee: M Haverty (Galway).