Ulster step it up to take home goods

INTERPROVINCIAL SF FINAL/Ulster 0-15 Munster 1-8:ULSTER ARE the M Donnelly inter-provincial football champions after a deserved victory over Munster at Ruislip yesterday

Before an attendance of just under 2,000 in west London, both teams served up an entertaining encounter that was tied at 1-6 to 0-9 with 14 minutes of normal time remaining. But six unanswered points in reply to a late point from Munster substitute Aidan Walsh gave the Ulster men a deserved 29th title.

Ulster appeared to have the cutting edge in terms of finishing and aided by Paddy Bradley points and two each from Kevin Hughes and Michael Murphy, Joe Kernan’s Ulster side deservedly led by 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time.

Munster needed a good start to the half and within four minutes Gary Hurney rifled to the net before a long-range point from Nicholas Murphy tied the scores.

With Ulster stepping up the tempo they hit the last five points of the game, two of them from Daniel Hughes, to take the title.

ULSTER: J Devine; K Lacey, J McMahon, G O’Kane (0-2); Aaron Kernan, C McKeever, R Flanagan; K Hughes (0-2), E McGinley; P Finlay (0-1), B Coulter, Joe McMahon; P Bradley (0-3, one free), S O’Neill (0-1), M Murphy (0-2). Subs: C Gormley for McKeever (inj, 22 mins), R McCloskey (0-1) for Lacey (half-time), D Hughes (0-2) for Joe McMahon (40 mins), D Gordon (0-1) for Murphy (42 mins).

MUNSTER: P Fitzgerald; T O’Gorman, J McCarthy, P Reidy; M O’Gorman, M Shields, P Ranahan; N Murphy (0-1), P O’Neill; P Kelly, Daniel Goulding (0-4, one free), D O’Connor (0-2, one free); P Kerrigan, G Hurney (1-0), L Ó Lionnain. Subs: J Ryan for Kerrigan (half-time), R Costigan for M O’Gorman (half-time), A Walsh (0-1) for Ó Lionnain (56 mins).

Referee: D Fahy (Longford).