It was a case of so near yet so far for Munster’s junior interprovincial teams, with stumbles at various stages of the competition denying them a chance of winning titles on home turf in Cork.
The men’s side, backboned by a number of Division One players from Catholic Institute, went closest at Farmer’s Cross, and were still in with a shout of winning the title with 20 minutes to go in the final clash against Leinster.
A 3-1 win over Connacht on the opening day – the goals coming from Eric Calendar, Rob Jenkins and Gary Atcheson, set them up for a grandstand Sunday. And when Calendar nabbed the only goal of the game with two minutes to go against Ulster, it set up a winner-takes-all clash with the holders.
David Wilson gave the blues an early lead, only for Calendar to tie it up with 20 to go, his third in as many games. However, further strikes from Wilson and Ben Wallace did the necessary for Leinster to retain the title with a 3-1 win over John Moloney’s side.
In the women’s tournament, Munster were left to rue a sloppy 1-1 draw with South East which effectively denied them a share of second place, despite bookending their campaign with two notable wins at Garryduff.
Quins’ Orla Cotter had been pegged as a dangerwoman by coach David Egner beforehand, and she and club-mate Kate Herbert gave the reds a 2-0 win over Connacht on opening day.
Cotter struck again in the next outing, against Ulster, as did Laura McSweeney, but the northerners proved too strong at the other end and ran out 5-2 winners.
Skipper Kay Gaffney was on target against South East, but that draw all but ended any lingering hopes of tournament victory, and a rampant Ulster’s 7-0 demolition of the same opposition meant only a deluge of goals for Leinster could deny them the title.
And that never looked likely, as Munster instead ended the tournament on a high note, Gaffney and Cotter getting the goals in a 2-0 win that gave them a share of second place on points, though Leinster edged them on goal difference.
Junior Interpros, Harelquin Park, Cork
Ulster 3 (S Law 2, J Law) Connacht 1 (M Tighe);
Munster 3 (E Calendar, R Jenkins, G Atchison) Connacht 1 (F Keaveney);
Leinster 4 (M Styles, B Wallace, D Wallace, D Ryan) Ulster 1 (P McKeown);
Leinster 4 (J Lazenby, D Ryan, B Wallace, D Wilson) Connacht 0;
Munster 1 (E Calendar) Ulster 0;
Munster 1 (E Calendar) Leinster 3 (D Wilson 2, B Wallace).
Final standings (goal difference): 1 Leinster 9 pts (+9); 2 Munster 6 pts (+1); 3 Ulster 3 pts (-2); 4 Connacht 0 pts (-9).
ESB Women’s Irish Junior Interpros, Garryduff, Cork
Munster 2 (O Cotter, K Herbert) Connacht 0;
Ulster 0 Leinster 0;
South East 0 Connacht 3 (E Newell, P Ryan, A Whelan);
Munster 2 (L McSweeney, O Cotter) Ulster 5 (G David, SJ McClung 2, D Wilson, S Galbraith);
Leinster 3 (AM McKeown 2, S Cory) South East 0;
Ulster 2 (S Galbraith, C Waide) Connacht 0;
Munster 1 (K Gaffney) South East 1 (M Lambert);
Connacht 0 Leinster 1 (S Cory);
South East 0 Ulster 7 (S Galbraith 2, G Davis 3, C Waide, S Brown);
Munster 2 (K Gaffney, O Cotter) Leinster 0.
Final standings (goal difference): 1 Ulster 10 pts (+12); 2 Leinster 7 pts (+2); 2= Munster 7 pts (+1); 4 Connacht 3 pts (-2); 5 South East 1 pt (-13).
