Sport

Connacht book flight to Rome

The unerring accuracy of Kevin Broderick, Mark Kerins and Eugene Cloonan ensured Connacht booked their place on next month's …

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Mon Oct 20 2003 - 01:00

The unerring accuracy of Kevin Broderick, Mark Kerins and Eugene Cloonan ensured Connacht booked their place on next month's flight to Rome for the Interprovincial hurling final.

The Munster defence had no answer to the in-form trio in a highly entertaining semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds, watched by 410 paying customers.

The game was a great advert for the retention of the series, with some excellent passages of play and a string of marvellous points.

Munster had full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan sent off after 43 minutes, at which stage they were 1-14 to 1-10 in arrears, the same margin by which they were defeated.

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Broderick and Kerins declared their intentions with points inside the opening 90 seconds, and though playing into the stiffish breeze they more than kept their own until Tony Griffin kicked to the net to put the home province ahead 1-7 to 0-8 after 28 minutes.

Connacht, with midfielders Adrian Cullinan and John Conroy slightly shading it over Ollie Moran and Colin Lynch, finished the half on a high with points from Cloonan, Kerins and Ken Burke, to leave it 0-11 to 1-7 at the interval.

Alan Kerins fired over another immediately on the change of ends, and within seconds Cloonan beat goalkeeper Brendan Cummins to open a five-point advantage.

Eoin Kelly was Munster's main playmaker and was responsible for keeping his side in touch. Connacht, however, were not for turning and never allowed their opponents to get any closer than four points.

CONNACHT: L Donoghue; D Joyce, D Cloonan, F Moore; F Healy, T Og Regan (0-1), D Tierney; A Cullinane, J Conroy (0-1); A Kerins (0-2), M Kerins (0-5), K Broderick (0-4); D Forde, E Cloonan (1-6), K Burke (0-1). Sub: O Fahy for Forde.

MUNSTER: B Cummins; T Feeney, D O'Sullivan, D Reale; E Corcoran (0-1), R Curran, S Og O hAilpin; C Lynch (0-3), O Moran; T Griffin (1-0), C Gleeson (0-1), B O'Connor 0-2; S O hAilpin, S Brick (0-1), E Kelly (0-7). Subs: P Kelly (0-1) for Seán Óg O hAilpin, E Dunne for Griffin, J Gardiner for Curran, J Mullane for Brick.

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).