No bragging rights for Munster

SENIOR MEN: Leinster were pushed all the way by Munster in their winner-takes all clash yesterday, before eventually claiming a heartbreaking 2-1 win. Gareth Watkins’ hat-trick had given them a 4-1 win over listless holders Ulster on Friday night.

Ulster then faced down Munster knowing a win was imperative to have any hopes of retaining their title won in Cork last term. But the southerners had other ideas; David Hobbs, returning from a recent ankle injury, was everywhere, and John Jermyn gave Munster the lead with a trademark drag-flick. While Ulster had more pressure and possession, Munster defended valiantly through John Hobbs, Conor Harte and Adam Pritchard, and created a better calibre of chances, but Bruce McCandless hauled Ulster level. Jermyn re-established the southerners’ lead with a bizarre goal. Only Darren Farrell will know whether he intended his reverse-stick cross to loop high, taking out three Ulster defenders in the process, and Jermyn controlled at the back post before half-volleying home. Unfortunately for Munster, Ulster snatched a draw at the death, Simon Todd diving to get on the end of a cross from the left to deflect high past Billy Lynch for 2-2. Jermyn was on the scoresheet again against Leinster, knowing a victory would give Munster the honours. He batted home a corner rebound after Watkins had done likewise on 30 minutes to level it up. But Munster got caught cold late on, as Leinster threw an aerial deep into the visitors’ circle as confusion reigned over an umpiring decision, and Andy McConnell got in behind David Harte to give the blues a 2-1 victory to reclaim the Leinster Regiment Cup. Ulster 1 (T Cockram) Leinster 4 (G Watkins 3, P Blakeney); Ulster 2 (B McCandless, S Todd) Munster 2 (J Jermyn 2); Munster 1 (J Jermyn) Leinster 2 (G Watkins, A McConnell); Final standings (pts/goal diff): 1 Leinster 6 pts (+4); 2 Munster 1 pt (-1); 3 Ulster 1 pt (-3). U21 MEN: A relative lack of strength in depth on the men’s side of things in Munster was highlighted by the fact that  the likes of Patrick Shanahan and Ali Smith had to double up with the seniors and U-21s.

Two 3-2 defeats suggests Munster were nonetheless unlucky not to have a bigger say in this tournament, but with all four of their strikes coming from the drag-flicks of Dan Hobbs, a lack of relative cutting edge was apparent. Neil Hamilton rifled in a hat-trick of flicks to have Ulster coasting at 3-0 at half time against Munster, only for Hobbs to hit back with two of his own to ensure a nervy finish, although an equaliser proved beyond Roger Gray’s side. Brian Doherty and Jonathan Kane had set Leinster up with a 2-1 win over Ulster on Friday night, and skipper Doherty scored again in the decider against Munster, along with Stephen Cole and Davy Carson, in a 3-2 win, with Hobbs agains netting Munster’s two from set-pieces. Ulster 1 (N Hamilton) Leinster 2 (B Doherty, J Kane); Ulster 3 (N Hamilton 3) Munster 2 (D Hobbs 2); Leinster 3 (D Carson, B Doherty, S Cole) Munster 2 (D Hobbs 2); Final standings (pts/goal diff): 1 Leinster 6 pts (+2); 2 Ulster 3 pts (0); 3 Munster 0 pts (-2). SENIOR WOMEN: Despite being hit less badly in numerical terms by the withdrawal of the Irish international squad, a failure to score against either Leinster or Ulster shows the seniors missed the spark of Eimear Cregan and Julia O’Halloran. They finished with a flourish against Connacht to ensure a third-placed finish, but will be disappointed not to have made more of their chances against Leinster on Friday night; Aine Connery and Elaine Bromell in particular both went close. But Jean McDonnell struck a winner with 12 minutes remaining for the hosts, and Munster’s bad luck continued against Ulster on Saturday. A tightly-founght encounter was going the way of Ulster thanks to Suzanne Beaney’s opener, before they hit an insurance strike in fortuitous fashion. A ball seemed to be clearly raised into Sinead McCarthy’s knee, but play was waved on and Alice Garrad nipped in to score and secure a 2-0 win.

That left Munster fighting to avoid the wooden spoon, which they thankfully did by beating Connacht 2-1. Tara Melvin put the westerners ahead early on, but Aine Connery equalised and McCarthy had the final say from the penalty spot to see off a valiant Connacht effort. Ulster 1 (S Quinn) Connacht 0; Munster 0 Leinster 1 (J McDonnell); Leinster 1 (N Daly) Connacht 0; Ulster 2 (S Beaney, A Garrad) Munster 0; Connacht 1 (T Melvin) Munster 2 (A Connery, S McCarthy); Ulster 1 (S Beaney) Leinster 1 (C McKean); Final standings (pts/goal diff): 1 Ulster 7 pts (+3); 2 Leinster 7 pts (+2); 3 Munster 3 pts (-2); 4 Connacht 0 pts (-3). U21 WOMEN: Ulster blew up in the final game of a women’s U21 tournament which had appeared to had their name written all over it. Having steamrolled Munster and South East, hitting ten goals without reply in the process, they were favourites to secure a fourth straight title. But Nikki Evans and Kate McKenna had other ideas, claiming the goals in a 2-0 win to bring the title back to Dublin for the first time since 2006. For Munster, a tournament that started relatively promisingly – with two Katie Campbell goals ensuring they pushed Leinster all the way in a 3-2 loss – ended as one to forget. They were disappointingly whitewashed, including a shock 2-1 loss to South East and a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Ulster.

Nonetheless, here is mitigation in the unavailability of two potential keynote players, Naomi Carroll and Yvonne O’Byrne, due to exam commitments, while the majority of the side still has at least another year – and in some cases two or three – left at this level. Leinster 3 (N Farrell, H Matthews, N Evans) Munster 2 (K Campbell 2) Ulster 4 (K Hewitt, E Thornbury, S McClure, J Kyle) South East 0 Munster 1 (K Murphy) South East 2 (M Byrne, C Murphy); Leinster 3 (A O’Flanagan 3) South East 0; Munster 0 Ulster 6 (E Thornbury 2, K Lammey, K Steenson, J Kyle, K Hewitt); Ulster 0 Leinster 2 (N Evans, K McKenna); Final standings (pts/goal diff): 1 Leinster 9 pts (+6); 2 Ulster 6 pts (+8); 3 South East 3 pts (-6); 4 Munster 0 pts (-8). DOMESTIC LEAGUES AND CUPS: Cork Harlequins B surged into the final of the Munster Junior Cup by dispatching Catholic Institute’s seconds 3-1 at Rosbrien, with Stephen Wolfe’s double the main catalyst for victory. Bandon B’s good form since the turn of the year continues as goals from Chris Wood, Ivan Bryan and Aidan Walsh gave them a 3-1 victory in a stormy game with Ashton, for whom Greg Chambers hit a reply.

In the men’s Division 3B, C of I F ended a trying season on a high note, as Rob Jones cancelled out Andrew Sullivan’s effort for Quins E to secure a 1-1 draw that lifted them off the bottom of the table for the first time this year. Two losses in three days have all but conemned UCC to bottom spot in the women’s Division Two. They were well in the game against Belvedere on Thursday night, but found Colette Coomey in flying form between the sticks for the Ballincollig side; Anne Marie Dooley did the business at the other end with a hat-trick to help them win 4-0. That left Belvedere with a second-placed finish behind Cork Harlequins, and it is likely they will take up the option of a promotion/relegation playoff against UL in the hope of regaining top-flight status. And in Saturday’s bottom-of-the-table clash at Mount Mercy, Ashton scored a 2-1 win as a Caroline McCarthy double cancelled out a short corner rebound strike by Kate O’Sullivan. Elsewhere, the Munster Senior Plate final between C of I and Bandon, will go ahead on Tuesday night, while a number of men’s cup finals are down for decision after Easter on April 11. A huge thanks to the Irish Hockey Photographers for a flood of superb work at Grange Road and elsewhere over the weekend; Adrian, Deryck and Simon fitted in seven Munster games amongst other over the three days, including at least one from each team, while Ondine Roche took the early shift at Mount Mercy on Saturday to ensure we could put the Division 2 players of Ashton and UCC in the spotlight for once. Please click the following links for the sets from various different games. Senior Women: Munster vs Leinster – Deryck Vincent Senior Women: Munster vs Ulster – Adrian Boehm Senior Men: Munster vs Ulster – Adrian Boehm Senior Men: Munster vs Ulster – Simon MacAllister Senior Men: Munster vs Leinster – Adrian Boehm U21 Men: Munster vs Leinster – Adrian Boehm U21 Women: Munster vs Leinster – Adrian Boehm Women’s Div 2: UCC vs Ashton – Ondine Roche