Interpro joy for Munster senior women

A stunning 5-0 romp over Ulster proved to be the highlight of a thrilling ESB Electric Ireland Senior Women’s Interprovincials for Munster, as they annexed the title for the first time since 2003. Having laid down this marker on Friday at Serpentine Avenue. Ger O’Carroll’s side could afford to draw against Leinster on Saturday before grinding out the necessary three points in their final match against Connacht yesterday to top the pool by two points. With no current Irish squad members on show, due to the proximity of their busy summer season, the presence of former Irish captain Eimear Cregan proved instrumental, as she scored five of Munster’s eight goals over the weekend. First-half goals from captain Elaine Bromell, Ali O’ Regan and Naomi Carroll, as well as a brace from Cregan, saw Munster ease past shell-shocked defending champions Ulster on Friday, after Leinster had laid their stall out with a 4-0 victory over Connacht earlier in the afternoon. Munster and Leinster shared the spoils on match day two thanks to goals Cregan and Kate Dillon, before Cregan, Ireland’s most capped player of all time, showed her class with another double against Connacht as Munster prevailed 2-0. With one draw and one victory under their belt, Leinster knew nothing but a convincing win over Ulster could snatch victory from Munster. But the defending champions weren’t willing to roll over and held the Leinster to a 1-1 draw. Ulster just about claimed the senior men’s competition, edging Leinster out on goal difference. Leinster’s 4-1 victory over Munster was bettered by Ulster’s 7-2 demolition of the luckless Munster men, whose only scores came courtesy of John Jermyn.  This greater winning margin proved telling when the two teams cancelled each other out in a thrilling 3-3 draw yesterday afternoon. Leinster conquered the junior men’s title, thrashing Ulster 5-0 in a winner-takes-all clash at Grange Road on Saturday. Following the withdrawal of Connacht it was decided to play the tournament over one day. Having gone ahead through Alex Newenham’s brilliant diving finish amid an excellent first-half performance, Munster were undone by two penalty corners, losing 2-1 against Leinster in the morning game. After only an hour’s rest, a fatigued Munster went down 4-0 to Ulster. They fell behind to a fortunate Johnny Orr goal just before half-time before Connor Bannister finished off a superbly-worked short corner move featuring six players midway through the second half. Munster then had captain Eric Callender and John Cudmore yellow-carded in the space of two minutes, and Ulster took full advantage of their numerical supremacy to net further goals through Orr and Stephen McMillon. The northern province then faced a refreshed Leinster side who ran out easy victors, Scott Wilike notching two of the hosts’ four unanswered goals that came in the final 10 minutes in a 5-0 win. The women’s side made it a double for Leinster’s Junior outfits, topping the pool by two points. Boasting a 100% record coming into yesterday’s encounter with Ulster, Leinster knew a draw would be enough to secure the competition, which proved to be the case, the game ending 1-1 with goals from Karen Clarke and Sarah Colgan. For Munster, it was a tournament of missed opportunities. A strike from captain Sarah Gray wasn’t enough to prevent them losing 2-1 to Ulster on day one, before a Tara Powderly-inspired Leinster ran out 4-0 winners later on. Some respite came as Lorraine McGowan netted the winner in a 1-0 defeat of Connacht, but a scoreless draw with South East meant they ended the tournament in fourth place. Words by Ian Cusack; thanks to Pat Sargent, Adrian Boehm and Emer Keogh for pictures and updates throughout the weekend! ESB Electric Ireland Interprovincials, Serpentine Avenue/Grange Road Senior Men Munster 1 (J Jermyn) Leinster 4 (D Carson, A Walker, D Keogh, P Blakeney); Munster 2 (J Jermyn 2) Ulster 7 (M. Watt 2, T. Cockram 2, C. Cargo, G. McCabe); Leinster 3 (Gary Shaw, S O’Donoghue, J Brennan) Ulster 3 (C Cargo, T Cockram 2). Standings: 1 Ulster 4 pts (+5); 2 Leinster 4 pts (+3); 3 Munster 0 pts (-8) Senior Women Leinster 4 (S Dooley 2, H Jenkinson, K Dillon) Connacht 0; Munster 5 (E Creagn 2, E Bromell, A O’Regan, N Carroll); Ulster 0; Connacht 0 Ulster 6 (S Quinn 2, J Lynch, J Clarke, H McMillan, S Holdsworth); Leinster 1 (K Dillon) Munster 1 (E Cregan); Leinster 1 (N Keegan) Ulster 1 (R Kind). Standings: 1 Munster 7 pts (+7); 2 Leinster 5 pts (+4); 3 Ulster 4 pts (+1); 4 Connacht 0 pts (-12). Junior Men Leinster 2 (C Cooney, S Wilkie) Munster 1 (A Newenham); Ulster 4 (J Orr 2, C Bannister, S McMillon) Munster 0; Leinster 5 (C Cooney, S Wilkie 2, D Wilson, B Cleere) Ulster 0. Standings: 1 Leinster 6 pts (+6); 2 Ulster 3 pts (-1); 3 Munster 0 pts (-5). Junior Women Leinster 1 (B Orhoe) Connacht 0; Ulster 2 (J McGrillen 2) Munster 1 (S Gray); South East 1 (L Flemming) Connacht 2 (E Glanville, G Fagan); Leinster 4 (K Clarke, O Smith, T Powderly, A Dalton) Munster 0; Ulster 3 (R Montgomery, S Galbrith, W Bustard) South East 1 (M Lambert); Munster 1 (L McGowan) Connacht 0; Leinster 3 (E Hall, F O’Donovan, T Powderly) South East 0; Connacht 0 Ulster 0; South East 0 Munster 0; Leinster 1 (K Clarke) Ulster 1 (S Colgan). Standings: 1 Leinster 10 pts (+8); 2 Ulster 8 pts (+3); 3 Connacht 4 pts (-1); 4 Munster 4 pts (-4); 5 South East 1 pt (-6).