LEINSTER REGAINED the senior interprovincial title they last won in 2005 with a 6-1 defeat of Munster in the final game of the tournament at Garryduff yesterday, as the margin of that victory was more than enough to beat defending champions Ulster to the title on goal difference.
Having drawn 0-0 with Ulster on Friday afternoon, Leinster boosted their hopes of winning the tournament with a 4-0 defeat of Connacht on Saturday, when UCD’s Róisín Flinn and the Loreto trio of Cathy McKean, Nikki Symmons and Nikki Keegan got the goals.
Ulster, meanwhile, fell behind on goal difference when they just shaded their game against the hosts, holding out for a 3-2 win thanks to a late save from their Railway Union goalkeeper Helen Stevenson, who denied Julia O’Halloran an equaliser.
A 7-2 drubbing of Connacht, though, revived Ulster’s hopes of retaining their title yesterday morning, as Shirley McCay, with a hat-trick, and Michelle Harvey shared five of their goals.
But Leinster responded in style with that emphatic defeat of Munster, with McKean adding two more to her weekend tally.
SENIOR INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT (at Garryduff) – Saturday: Leinster 4 (C Joyce, C McKean, N Symmons, N Keegan) Connacht 0; Munster 2 (J O’Halloran, A Connery) Ulster 3 (N Parke, D Topley, S McCay). Yesterday: Connacht 2 (R Carrigan, L Moore) Ulster 7 (S McCay 3, M Harvey 2, E Clarke, K McGowan); Munster 1 (D Casey), Leinster 6 (C McKean 2, R Flinn, L Jacob, A O’Flanagan, J McDonnell).
