Ulster 3-12
Leinster 0-17
Goals from Jamie Clarke and Conor McManus helped Ulster claim victory in the M Donnelly Interprovincial senior football final against Leinster this afternoon in Croke Park.
The Armagh attacker Clarke fired home a first-half penalty for Ulster but Bernard Brogan and Joe Sheridan’s point-taking helped Leinster lead 0-9 to 1-4 at the interval.
McManus and Clarke again netted early in the second-half to see Ulster move ahead by 3-7 to 0-12 and they held on for victory from there.
Scorers for Ulster: Jamie Clarke 2-1 (1-0 pen), Conor McManus 1-2, Sean Cavanagh 0-3 (0-3f), Martin Penrose (0-1f), David Givney, Michael Murphy, Peter Harte, Mark McHugh, Aaron Kernan (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Leinster: Bernard Brogan 0-11 (0-9f), Joe Sheridan 0-3, Brian Connor, Kevin McManamon, Stephen Cluxton (0-1 ’45) 0-1 each.
ULSTER: Pascal McConnell (Tyrone); Ciaran McKeever (Armagh), Eamonn McGee (Donegal), Chrissy McKaigue (Derry); Aaron Kernan (Armagh), Darren Hughes (Monaghan), Peter Harte (Tyrone); Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), David Givney (Cavan); Mark McHugh (Donegal), Martin Penrose (Tyrone), Joe McMahon (Tyrone); Jamie Clarke (Armagh), Kevin Niblock (Antrim), Conor McManus (Monaghan).
Subs: Michael Murphy (Donegal) for Niblock (25), Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan) for Givney (half-time), Justin McMahon (Tyrone) for McKeever (half-time), Mark Poland (Down) for Penrose (59), Kieran Hughes (Monaghan) for McHugh (65).
LEINSTER: Stephen Cluxton (Dublin); Kieran Lillis (Laois), Graeme Molloy (Wexford), Brian Malone (Wexford); Michael Quinn (Longford), Ger Brennan (Dublin), Adrian Flynn (Wexford); Michael Darragh MacAuley (Dublin), Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin); John Heslin (Westmeath), Brendan Murphy (Carlow), Brian Connor (Offaly); Redmond Barry (Wexford), Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Joe Sheridan (Meath).
Subs: Paddy Keenan (Louth) for Connor (half-time), Rory O’Carroll (Dublin) for Lillis (41), Kevin McManamon (Dublin) for Barry (43), Seanie McCormack (Longford) for Sheridan (54), James Stafford (Wicklow) for Murphy (61).
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
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Ballinasloe (Galway) 0-14
Kenmare (Kerry) 0-10
Galway’s Ballinasloe were crowned All-Ireland junior football club champions this afternoon when they got the better of Kerry outfit Kenmare in Croke Park.
In a decider that was delayed due to Kenmare’s three-game saga in the semi-final against Castleknock, Ballinasloe prevailed by four points.
Ballinasloe enjoyed a 0-7 to 0-4 advantage at the interval with Galway county senior Keith Kelly amongst their point-scorers while Paul O’Connor was Kenmare’s chief attacking threat.
Ballinasloe powered further clear by 0-12 to 0-6 entering the third quarter and despite a Kenmare revival, it was the Galway outfit who held on to triumph.
Scorers for Ballinasloe: D McCormack, P Whelehan, K Kelly (2fs) 0-3 each, P Cunningham 0-2, D Burke, J Shaughnessy, L Lynch (f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kenmare: P O’Connor 0-5 (1f), DJ Brennan 0-4 (3fs), S O’Leary 0-1.
BALLINASLOE: N King; E Fenton, D Nevin, J Shaughnessy; N Hynes, K Kelly, S Kenny; L Lynch, L Tierney; D Burke, P Cunningham, G Canavan; D McCormack, M Colohan, P Whelehan.
Subs: C Casey for Kenny (53); S Cogavin for Colohan (56).
KENMARE: H Murphy; D Crowley, T O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; A O’Callaghan, S O’Leary, A Crowley; S Dolton, J Wharton; R O’Sullivan, M Crowley, A O’Leary; DJ Brennan, P O’Connor, K O’Sullivan.
Subs: S Duncan for A Crowley (21); P O’Dwyer for R O’Sullivan (26); S Harrington for Dalton (45); S O’Brien for Harrington (54).
Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down).
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Meanwhile there was plenty action in the lower tiers of the Allianz Hurling Leagues today. In Division 2A, Derry ran out 2-19 to 0-10 victors over Wicklow in Celtic Park with Ruairi Convery hitting 0-7 while Niall Ferris and Kevin Hinphey both raised green flags.
In Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry got the better of Westmeath by 2-10 to 0-13 with Aidan Boyle striking home their first-half goal and Shane Nolan finding the net after the interval.
In the final game in this division, Laois were successful by 1-19 to 1-10 against Kildare in Newbridge with Stephen Maher firing 0-9 for the winners and Brian Dunne grabbing their goal. Paul Divilly struck Kildare’s goal.
In Division 2B, London defeated Armagh by 0-21 to 0-14 while Meath, who had a return of 1-12 from Stephen Clynch were narrow 2-16 to 1-18 winners over a Down team that Paul Branniff struck 1-9 for.
It finished all square meanwhile between Mayo and Roscommon, 0-18 to 1-15 with Naos Connaughton bagging the Roscommon goal.
Finally in Division 3A, there were wins for Donegal, who had Stephen Boyle amongst their goalscorers, against Monaghan by 3-18 to 1-6 while Fermanagh defeated Tyrone 2-12 to 1-11 with Michael Beggan and Barry Smith striking goals for the winners while Kiefer Smith hit the net for the Red Hands.
Fingal and Louth played out a 0-15 to 1-12 draw.
