Good start not enough to save Connacht footballers

Connacht 3-10

Ulster       2-16

DESPITE scoring three goals and leading by two points at half time, Connacht could do little to weather the Ulster storm as a superb second half display saw them crowned Interprovincial football champions for a record 32nd time last Saturday in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon,

John Tobin’s Connacht outfit started the brighter with Ciaran Murtagh and Danny Cummins opening up a two point lead inside three minutes, and while a Peter Harte free soon after got Ulster off the mark, Murtagh would get on the end of a Niall Murphy pass to score the game’s opening goal as Connacht led by four points early on.

Harte’s free taking was keeping his side in the contest before once again Murphy and Murtagh combined, as a quickly taken free caught the northerners napping leaving Murtagh to bury home his second goal in four minutes to leave Connacht six points in front.

Tomas Corrigan and Jason Doherty would exchange scores before Ulster hit back with the game’s third goal on 18 minutes courtesy of wing back Aidan Breen to narrow the gap to just a goal at 2-4 to 1-4.

While further Ulster scores would lower the deficit to just a point, Damien Comer stepped up to take advantage of a goalmouth scramble and find the net with another crucial goal, and despite unanswered scores from Enda Lynn, Corrigan and Harte, the Westerners led by 3-6 to 1-10 at the break.

Slaughtneil dual star Chrissy McKaigue took a break from his All Ireland preparations to play for his province, but could only give a quick cameo appearance as the half time substitute was black carded for a challenge on Fintan Cregg 70 seconds after the restart.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.