Leinster losses curtail Munster ambitions

Munster have defended for their lives at the U21 women’s interprovincials in Cork but their luck finally ran out yesterday as Hayley Mulcahy’s goal claimed a late 2-1 win for Leinster. The hosts had beaten Ulster 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a strike from birthday girl Rebecca Barry amid a stout rearguard action which was repeated against a Leinster side who won a slew of corners. Niamh Atcheler finally put Leinster in front midway through the second half when a short corner hit was half-stopped and the Irish international poked the ball over the line as it spun invitingly.

Having seen his side offer little in attack, Munster coach Paidi Hartnett made some novel positional changes, pushing defenders Amy Kate Trevor and Yvonne O’Byrne into midfield and attack respectively with Julie Coyne and Nicola Laarhoven taking over at the back. And it paid dividends on 62 minutes when O’Byrne saw her shot – Munster’s first meaningful one of the game – creep in at the near post for 1-1. Had it stayed like that, Munster would have been favourites to go on and win the tournament. But after Amy Kate Trevor had taken Nicola Gray’s corner bullet off the line, but Leinster worked the ball around the circle and but Mulcahy – a two-goal hero for Leinster against Connacht on Saturday – slammed home a to give her side victory. That leaves the blues needing just a draw against Ulster today to take the title. Should Ulster prevail, Munster come back into the reckoning but they will need a landslide win over Connacht to stand any chance of overturning Leinster’s superior goal difference. Meanwhile, Shane O’Donoghue’s absence from the Leinster side will be a major factor as they do battle with Ulster tomorrow for the men’s U21 title. The UCD hitman was a goalscorer in his side’s 2-1 win over Munster yesterday, but is required for Ireland duty in Germany and will miss the winner-takes-all showdown against the northerners. Neil Welch’s Munster men were again left to rue a malfunctioning short corner unit while they didn’t get the rub of the green from the officials for the second consecutive game. Having failed to take a ton of chances in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Ulster, they were more clinical early on as Fionn O’Leary finished off a sweet breakaway with a trademark reverse finish for a 1-0 lead. But that was pegged back in jig-time by O’Donoghue’s deflection, and with Munster’s second-half efforts hampered by yellow cards to UCD pair Nick Burns and Ben Dobson in quick succession, they were eventually undone 13 minutes from time. Brian Corcoran had again made a number of good saves but he couldn’t get to Peter English’s drag-flick which puts Leinster in with a good shout of retaining their crown. They’ll play their final game against an Ireland U18 side who still have a faint chance of taking the overall honours after drawing 2-2 with Ulster. As had been the case in Saturday’s 1-1 tie with Leinster, the boys in green got the go-ahead goals before eventually being pegged back, though it could have been a better result had Jeremy Duncan not sent a penalty stroke wide. Bandon’s Scott Sullivan gave coach Graham Shaw a neat reminder of his talents by scoring the opening Ireland goal, a superb solo effort which saw him skin two defenders before drawing out goalkeeper Alastair Thom and reversing under him to score. Stephen Dowds wiped that out with a drag-flick only for Ben Cosgrave to put Ireland ahead again on 51 minutes, but Dowds again did the necessary from a corner to keep Ulster’s hat in the ring ahead of today’s exchanges. U21 Interprovincials, Cork, Day 2 Men Ireland U18 2 (S Sullivan, B Cosgrave) Ulster 2 (S Dowds 2); Munster 1 (F O’Leary) Leinster  2 (S O’Donoghue, P English); Standings: 1 Ulster 4pts (+2); 2 Leinster 4pts (+1); 3 Ireland U18 2pts (0); 4 Munster 0pts (-3). Today: Ulster v Leinster (11.30pm); Munster v Ireland U18, 1.30pm. Women Ulster 3 (K McDonald 2, D Axon) Connacht 0; Munster 1 (Y O’Byrne) Leinster 2 (N Atcheler, H Mulcahy); Standings:  1 Leinster 6pts (+8); 2 Ulster 3pts (+2); 3 Munster 3pts (0); 4 Connacht 0pts (-10). Today: Ulster v Leinster, 9.30am; Munster v Connacht, 3.30pm.