Ulster win Interpro final
Ulster 2-13 Munster 0-9
Ulster are on course to retain their M Donnelly Interprovincial football title after a gritty 2-13 to 1-9 defeat of Munster at Crossmaglen.
Brian McEniff's side came from being five points down at the interval to totally blitz their southern rivals in the second half.
Captain Stephen McDonnell and Derry star Paddy Bradley, who was shunned from the recent International Rules series, both goaled to send the holders through to a November 13 final meeting with Leinster.
Backed by a sizeable breeze, Munster broke into an 0-8 to 0-3 half-time lead. Tipperary sharpshooter Declan Browne grabbed four of those points while he also hit a post with a penalty kick.
Both sides ended the half down to 14 men as Ulster's Enda McNulty and Kieran Donaghy of Munster were sent-off for an off-the-ball clash.
Ulster's imposing full-forward line of McDonnell, Bradley and Monaghan attacker Thomas Freeman then cut loose in the second half to send McEniff's men through.
They were back level by the 47th-minute. McDonnell flicked home the opener to the Munster net, then Bradley goaled after latching onto a centre from Donegal midfielder Christy Toye.
Bradley top-scored with 1-4, McDonnell tallied 1-3 while Freeman weighed in with three points by the finish. All Munster could manage in the second half was a single point from substitute Conor Fitzgerald of Limerick.
M DONNELLY INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL: FT:
Leinster 1-14 Connacht 3-7, Parnell Park
Kildare forward John Doyle came off the bench to point the winner as Leinster held off a determined Connacht side to win Saturday night's Interprovincial football semi-final.
A sizeable crowd turned out at Parnell Park to watch Val Andrew's men, who had the aid of a trial match, win out 1-14 to 3-7.
The twin targets of Jason Sherlock and Graham Geraghty were proving a handful for the westerners' rearguard early on and Westmeath's Alan Mangan, acting as free-taker, tagged on two scores to settle Andrew's lot.
Dublin duo Ciaran Whelan and Colin Moran were also on target as was Meath's Daithi Regan who arched over a fine point after a Whelan set-up, midway through.
Connacht waited 12 minutes until putting the umpires to work as Galway midfielder John Devane struck their first point. They trailed 0-3 to 0-9 at the interval.
A stern half-time talking to from Connacht boss John O'Mahony obviously did the trick and the visitors, especially young Tribesman Sean Armstrong, upped their work rate for the second half.
When All-Ireland Under-21 winner Armstrong fed the advancing James Nallen, few could have expected the rocket-like goal finish the Mayo defender produced. Laois stopper Fergal Byron stood no chance as Nallen drove his 15-yard effort to the top left hand corner of the Leinster net.
Armstrong added a quick point, then Alan Kerins, whose services were used solely by Galway's hurlers last season, goaled to put Connacht a point in front.
Royals favourite Geraghty, who brought some much-needed physicality to the Leinster attack, grabbed a goal back as his snapshot was partially saved by David Clarke but spun behind into the Mayo 'keeper's net.
There was life in Connacht yet as Mayo man Conor Mortimer squared the semi again before Kerins slipped a neat finish under Byron's body to notch his second goal right on the hour mark.
Lilywhite Doyle was called for by Leinster and he immediately pointed. Kerins' goal was cancelled out by two points from Whelan and Sherlock and then Doyle, in the fourth-minute of injury-time, held his nerve to point and send his province into next month's decider.
