After his beloved Barnsley lost 7-0 in the English football Premiership on Saturday, Leinster coach Fintan Butler was in desperate need of a pick-me-up in Galway yesterday morning at the Senior Interprovincial Championship. And his flagging spirits were raised considerably by a 4-0 victory over Ulster that sent Leinster on their way to retaining the Stephen Doyle trophy.
However, as he stood and watched the final match of the tournament, the irony wasn't lost on Butler: if Connacht defended anything like Barnsley, Munster could still snatch the title on goal difference.
It wasn't to be. Munster's 3-0 victory over the hosts was six goals short of the winning margin they required to pip Leinster at the top of the table.
The meeting between Munster - who finished bottom in the 1996 Championship - and Leinster on Saturday proved to be the match of the tournament.
Jenny Burke opened the scoring for Leinster in the sixth minute before goals from Sarah Kelleher and Aisling Keane gave Munster the lead. Burke made it 2-2, a Mary Logue penalty put Leinster ahead with five minutes to go but another stroke, this time from Kelleher, two minutes from time left the match tied at 3-3.
Two hours later Munster were back in action, this time beating Ulster 2-1 with both their goals coming from Kathy Johnson of Muckross. Ulster suffered their second defeat in succession yesterday when they were overwhelmed by a thrilling display of attacking hockey by Leinster.
Burke put her side ahead in the 25th minute when she reversesticked a perfect pass from Teresa Hurley past her international team-mate Alison Vance. Orla Bell doubled the lead six minutes before the break after a superbly worked short corner.
Ulster rallied in the second half, winning 12 short corners, but their hopes of getting back in to the game were thwarted by outstanding goalkeeping from Sandra O'Gorman. In the final seven minutes Mary Logue and Trish Conway sealed a comprehensive victory and left Munster needing that avalanche of goals against Connacht Munster did not open the scoring until the 28th minute when Kelleher converted a penalty stroke. Karen O'Brien and Kelleher again, in the 60th minute, completed the tally and left Connacht without a point. "We had a great two days," said Munster coach Bernie Heffernan. "I'm delighted with the girls, they performed admirably in all three games and brought Munster hockey up to where it should be. Sarah Kelleher has had an outstanding weekend. Rachel Kohler was superb too and the quality of some our younger players - especially Michelle O'Sullivan, Johanna Hyland and Karen O'Brien - proves the future is good."
The Barnsley supporter was happy too. "I think the girls have proved that some of them should be looked at again for the Irish team, they can't do much more than that. Daphne Sixsmith and Trish Conway have to be serious international contenders and Sandra O'Gorman has to come back - I'm glad to see that she's available again."
Butler also heaped praise on young Trinity player Cathy Curran (who only knew she was playing against her native Ulster 10 minutes before the match) and Teresa Hurley. "When you look at Teresa you have to say `what a player.' Her international career probably finished three years too early."
