Munster thrived in the role of kingmakers at the boys interprovincials in Dublin, enduring some heavy defeats but also providing plenty of highlights, as both the U16s and U18s made positive steps in terms of being competitive in an arena that has not been a happy hunting ground in recent years.
14-year-old Julian Dale’s four goals highlighted a promising campaign for an U16 side that was picked with the future in mind and has a majority returning next year, while the U18’s amazing win over Ulster on the final day – which ultimately denied the northern province glory – will live long in the memory.
John Hobbs’ U16s put a spanner in the works early on during opening night, amazingly leading Ulster 2-0 inside the first five minutes. Dale had bullied his way through to force home the first before roofing a lightning drag-flick for number two, shell-shocking an Ulster side who had earlier lost by a goal to Leinster.
The rest of the half belonged to Midleton College goalkeeper Jack Ryan; just 14 and coming from a GAA background, he made a huge impression on the hockey fraternity with a series of top-class, point-blank saves to keep Munster in front at the break, with Alex Deane and Colin Kingston constructing a teak-tough barrier in front of him.
The loss of Kingston with an eye injury which prematurely ended his tournament didn’t help Munster, and the floodgates opened in the second half, Matthew Sullivan and Jack Henderson on the mark to level it before Andrew Smyth put Ulster in front with six minutes to go.
Munster nonetheles came agonisingly close to stealing an equaliser with the game’s final play, Dale rattling the crossbar with another ripping drag, but Ulster held on for a 3-2 win that would ultimately prove crucial.
The reds paid the price for Friday’s efforts, in losing 6-0 to Leinster on Saturday morning, while Sunday saw them fall behind to Ulster but rattle Ricky Lee’s troops in a rousing game of chase, with Dale, Philip Brownlow and David Cardy on target in a 6-3 loss.
That left Leinster needing a win and the requisite goal difference in their final match against Munster to notch a fifth title in six years, and they duly produced a 4-1 victory, with Dale notching the consolation via another crashing drag-flick.
For the U18s, it was a tournament of contrasting styles and fortunes, as they made life hell for Ulster but played right into a counter-attacking Leinster’s hands.
On Friday, Ulster led through James Lorimer’s goal in a nip and tuck game, but Munster were bossing the second half and saw the game turn on a crucial two-goal swing 10 minutes from full time.
Munster finally engineered the room on the right for David Treacy to crash a perfect ball to the back post, but the usually clinical Gary Wilkinson mistimed his connection, the ball hitting his foot before he could convert.
Ulster immediately careered downfield and the pacy Matthew Allister blasted home a classy second from a tight angle, before Andy Allen added an insurance goal later on as Munster’s heads dropped, flicking home a corner.
That left Munster needing a positive result against Leinster on day two to stay in contention.
But instead they played into Rory O’Donoghue’s side’s hands, turning over oceans of ball in dangerous positions and seeing the hosts run riot, clinically converting 14 circle entries into nine goals in a 9-1 rout, Ben Scott sweeping home Munster’s reply off a rare crash ball.
The result was all too reminiscent of similarly one-sided games a year earlier, but the U18s had continued to play positively throughout, a trait which finally yielded deserved dividends on Sunday morning in a hugely memorable game against Ulster.
The northerners had beaten and drawn with Leinster, meaning they needed just a draw against Munster to secure overall victory. Led superbly from the back by skipper Matthew Rollins, they did everything within their power to get the goals that mattered, but found Daniel Moore an immovable object in the Munster goal.
One amazing double save, which saw the Midleton College man thwart a corner strike before jumping off the ground to tip the flicked follow-up effort onto the crossbar with his stick, characterised an amazing rearguard effort in which Andrew Colton and Richard Sweetnam also shone.
Forays into the Ulster 25 were rare for Munster, but the pacy Nathan Eacrett found some space with 13 minutes to go and was barrelled over in the circle, earning Munster’s first and only corner.
Having survived more than a half dozen Ulster corners, Munster made theirs count in style as Colton accurately dragged home at mid-height to Michael Anderson’s stick side for a go-ahead goal against the run of play.
That sparked a huge effort from Ulster to earn the draw they needed, culminating in a final act which saw Fred McElroy get his body in the way of two successive goal-bound shots before the inevitable penalty stroke was awarded.
Ben Cosgrave stepped up with 10 seconds to go, and although Moore guessed right, diving low to his right, he wasn’t needed as the ball agonisingly struck the outside of the upright and went out of play, sparking wild celebrations in the Munster camp which continued when the final hooter went seconds later.
Drained by those efforts but nonetheless hopeful of spoiling Leinster’s hopes of notching the three points required to win the tournament, and break Ulster’s three-year winning streak, Munster again were left to rue a number of sloppy turnovers against a side who were rampant on the counter-attack in a 9-2 win.
Jordan Sutton got Leinster off to a flier against a flagging Munster, before Jonathan Roberts rebounded after Jeremy Duncan broke through and David Cole dragged in a third to ease any nerves.
Sutton added another pair while Cole got his second to copper-fasten the victory in the second half before Nathan Eacrett and David Whitaker got consolation goals in a 9-2 final result. Eacrett profited from Alex Simonin’s persistence, before creating the space to beat Cole despite moving away from goal before firing home a low shot.
Whitaker – who was just nine days out from being eligible for the U16 side – rattled home a mid-height drag-flick and saw two more taken off the line, while Marc Hornibrook was unlucky to see his touch goalward at a stretch go the wrong side of the upright, after Eacrett had eliminated the goalkeeper on a breakaway. At the other end, Newtown’s Sam Butler performed miracles in preventing three certain goals with a series of instinctive goal-line clearances.
It led to the unlikeliest of interpro doubles for Leinster, who had looked out of it in both competitions by the end of Saturday’s play, only for Munster to intervene in their favour.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Southern Fried Hockey had a vested interest in this tournament, with this writer acting as manager of the Munster U18s. I have attempted to write this account as neutrally as possible in the circumstances, while also focusing primarily on the Munster sides as is generally consistent with the site’s readership.
** Adrian Boehm took nearly 200 high quality pictures from the weekend’s action at St Andrew’s; you can see all of them on The Irish Hockey Photographers website
U-18 Interprovincials: Ulster 0 Munster 1 (Andrew Colton); Leinster 9 (Ross Canning 3, David Cole 2, Jonathan Roberts 2, Lee Cole, Ian Stewart) Munster 1 (Ben Scott); Leinster 1 (Ross Canning) Ulster 1 (Adam Fallis); Leinster 9 (Jordan Sutton 3, David Cole 2, Jonathan Roberts 2, Ian Stewart, Brian O’Malley) Munster 2 (Nathan Eacrett, David Whitaker); Leinster 2 (Kirk Shimmins, Ross Canning) Ulster 3 (Matthew Allister 2, James Cox); Ulster 3 (James Lorimer, Matthew Allister, Andy Allen) Munster 0.
Final standings: 1. Leinster 8pts (+14) 2. Ulster 8pts (+3) 3. Munster 3pts (-17)
U-16 Interprovincials (day two and three results): Leinster 4 (Luke Madeley 2, Jack Ryan 2) Munster 1 (Julian Dale); Ulster 6 (Matthew Sullivan 2, Chris Heath 2, Jack Wilson, Adam Marshall) Munster 3 (Julian Dale, David Cardy, Philip Brownlow); Leinster 0 Ulster 2 (Rowan Poots, Matthew Sullivan); Leinster 6 (Freddie Morris 2, Luke Madeley 2, Jack Ryan, Neil Byrne) Munster 0; Leinster 1 (Jack Ryan) Ulster 0; Ulster 3 (Matthew Sullivan, Jack Henderson, Andrew Smyth) Munster 2 (Julian Dale 2)
Final standings: 1. Leinster 9pts (+8) 2. Ulster 9pts (+5) 3. Munster 0pts (-13)