Ulster edge Connacht on penalties in thrilling interprovincial final

Ulster 2-23 (31)

Connacht 4-15 (31)

(Ulster win 2-1 on penalties)

Paul Keane reports from Croke Park

DOWN’S ODHRAN MURDOCK emerged as the eventual gamebreaker with the winning penalty at the end of a chaotic Croke Park shoot-out as Ulster claimed the interprovincial title.

For neutrals, the result was largely irrelevant given that the tournament once known as the Railway Cup — which Ulster have now won 33 times — was revived as a once-off to road test the Football Review Committee’s suite of trial rules, or ‘rules enhancements’.

But both provinces certainly battled like there was something significant on the line, even if it was only bragging rights in the end.

Armagh star Rian O’Neill was terrific for Ulster in regular time, kicking six scores which added up to 0-8 given that two of those points were long-range ones from beyond the 40m arc.

It was also the All-Ireland winning forward that supplied the long delivery in for Murdock to flick home a goal late in normal time which, at that stage, left Ulster two points ahead.

But Galway’s Johnny Heaney then struck his second two-pointer within a matter of minutes to tie up the game at 2-23 (31) to 4-15 (31), ensuring penalties would be required to separate the teams.

The shoot-out was a memorable one, if low on quality, with a dozen penalties taken between the two teams and only three converted; Murdock twice for Ulster and one from Connacht’s Enda Smith.

Matthew Tierney scored two of Connacht’s four goals in normal time with Enda Smith and Diarmuid Murtagh striking the others for the westerners.

Morgan was terrific for Ulster in the shoot-out, saving four of Connacht’s six penalty kicks.

As for Ulster’s own kicks, Aidan Forker could only smile as his penalty effort was touched onto the post by the goalkeeper before rolling across the line and rebounding away to safety off the other post.

Meanwhile, Dubliner John Small struck a crucial four-point goal as Leinster saw off Munster by that same margin in the Allianz GAA interprovincial series shield final, 1-19 to 1-15.

Both teams were beaten in last night’s semi-finals but bounced back with strong performances and while Munster were defeated again they had the Man of the Match in Kerry’s Killian Spillane who struck 0-9 overall.

Spillane also struck two long-range scores from beyond the new 40m arc, netting two points on each occasion.

But he left Croke Park empty handed with Leinster too strong overall and positive performances from both Small brothers, John and Paddy, as well as Kildare’s Kevin Feely, Ciaran Byrne of Louth and Ciaran Kilkenny.

Munster trailed by just a point after a strong third quarter, 1-15 to 1-16, but late Leinster points from Mark Barry, Ronan Wallace and Wicklow’s Dean Healy set the seal on the win.

Ulster v Connacht stats

(Scoring key: 4pt goal – 2pt score – 1pt score)

Ulster scorers: Rian O’Neill 0-8 (0-2-4), Darren McCurry 0-5 (0-2f), Odhran Murdock 1-0, Ross McQuillan 1-0, Niall Grimley 0-3, Aidan Forker 0-3 (0-1-1), Conn Kilpatrick 0-2, Kieran McGeary 0-1, Mark Bradley 0-1.

Connacht scorers: Matthew Tierney 2-1, Diarmuid Murtagh 1-2 (1-0-2), Enda Smith 1-1, Johnny Heaney 0-5 (0-2-1), Connor Gleeson 0-2 (0-1-0), Aidan O’Shea 0-1, Jack Carney 0-1, Donie Smith 0-1 (1f), Ciaran Murtagh 0-1

ULSTER

1. Niall Morgan (Tyrone)

2. Diarmuid Baker (Derry)
4. Paddy Burns (Armagh)
19. Padraig Faulkner (Cavan)

5. Daniel Guinness (Down)
6. Aidan Forker (Armagh)
3. Eoin McEvoy (Derry)

8. Niall Grimley (Armagh)
9. Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone)

7. Daire O Baoill (Donegal)
14. Rian O’Neill (Armagh)
11. Ciaran Thompson (Donegal)

30. Odhran Murdock (Down)
12. Oisin Conaty (Armagh)
15. Darren McCurry (Tyrone)

Interchange: Joe McElroy (Armagh), Mark Bradley (Tyrone), Sean McNally (Fermanagh), Oisin O’Neill (Armagh), Niall Toner (Derry), Gerry Smith (Cavan), Barry McBennett (Monaghan), Aidan Clarke (Tyrone), Eoin McElholm (Tyrone), Ross McQuillan (Armagh), Pat Havern (Down), Marc Jordan (Antrim), Peter McGrane (Armagh), Ronan McCaffrey (Fermanagh), Kieran McGeary (Tyrone).

CONNACHT

1. Connor Gleeson (Galway)

2. Johnny McGrath (Galway)
3. Brian Stack (Roscommon)
4. Sean Mulkerrin (Galway)

5. Cillian McDaid (Galway – Captain)
6. John Daly (Galway)
7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Mayo)

8. Jack Carney (Mayo)
9. John Maher (Galway)

10. Matthew Tierney (Galway)
22. Barry McNulty (Leitrim)
38. Enda Smith (Roscommon)

13. Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon)
14. Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)
31. Paul Towey (Mayo)

Interchange: Darragh Rooney (Leitrim), Paul Towey (Mayo), Shane Brosnan (New York), Shay Rafter (London), Joey Grace (New York), Bob Tuohy (Mayo), Daire Cregg (Roscommon), Conor Carroll (Roscommon), Ruaidhri Fallon (Roscommon), Mark Diffley (Leitrim), Johnny Heaney (Galway), Shane Cunnane (Roscommon), Ultan Harney (Roscommon), Conor Cox (Roscommon), Donie Smith (Roscommon), Ciarain Murtagh (Roscommon), Diarmuid Duffy (Mayo), Fergal Boland (Mayo), Pat Spillane (Sligo), Aidan McLoughlin (London).

Leinster v Munster stats

(Scoring key: 4pt goal – 2pt score – 1pt score)

Leinster scorers: John Small 1-0, Kevin Feely 0-4 (2f), Paddy Small 0-3, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-2 (1f), Ciaran Byrne 0-2, Ray Connellan 0-1, Ciaran Downey 0-1, Eoin Murchan 0-1, Daniel Flynn 0-1, Darren Gallagher 0-1, Mark Barry 0-1, Ronan Wallace 0-1, Dean Healy 0-1

Munster scorers: Killian Spillane 0-9 (0-2-5), Chris Og Jones 1-2 (1-0-2), Brian McNamara 0-2 (0-1-0), Emmet McMahon 0-1, Ian Maguire 0-1.

LEINSTER

1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)

26. Eoin Porter (Wexford)
18. Donal Keogan (Meath)
23. Eoin Murchan (Dublin)

30. Ronan Wallace (Westmeath)
15. Brian Howard (Dublin)
28. John Small (Dublin)

6. Ray Connellan (Westmeath)
22. James McCarthy (Dublin – Captain)

5. Ciaran Byrne (Louth)
19. Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
4. Sean Bugler (Dublin)

29. Paddy Small (Dublin)
10. Kevin Feely (Kildare)
8. Ciaran Downey (Louth)

Interchange: Mikey Bambrick (Carlow), Mark Barry (Laois), Peter Cunningham (Offaly), Ross Dunphy (Carlow), Daniel Flynn (Kildare), Darren Gallagher (Longford), Dean Healy (Wicklow), Ryan Houlihan (Kildare), Killian Roche (Laois), Ronan Jones (Meath), Paul Kingston (Laois), Craig Lennon (Louth), Evan O’Carroll (Laois), Lee Pearson (Offaly), Kevin Quinn (Wicklow).

MUNSTER

1. Josh Ryan (Limerick)

7. Maurice Shanley (Cork)
3. Jimmy Feehan (Tipperary)
5. Damien Burke (Kerry)

12. Darragh Cashman (Cork)
10. Tadhg Morley (Kerry)
15. Mattie Taylor (Cork)

20. Sean Walsh (Waterford)
19. Colm O’Callaghan (Cork)

31. Ian Maguire (Cork)
21. Eoin Cleary (Clare)
22. Emmet McMahon (Clare)

23. James Naughton (Limerick)
28. Chris Og Jones (Cork)
26. Killian Spillane (Kerry)

Interchange: Chris Kelly (Cork), Sean Meehan (Cork), Sean O’Dea (Limerick), Caoimhin Walsh (Waterford), Tommy Walsh (Cork), Alan Sweeney (Clare), Dermot Ryan (Waterford), Mark Stokes (Tipperary), Conor O Currin (Waterford), Diarmuid O’Connor (Kerry – Captain), Paul Walsh (Cork), Aaron Griffin (Clare), Danny Neville (Limerick), Darragh Brennan (Tipperary), Donal O’Sullivan (Kerry), Brian McNamara (Clare).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).