Gaelic Games

Inter-pro hurling: Munster empty bench and Leinster with storming finish

Anthony Daly’s Munster side seal 46th interprovincial title in Thurles

Munster’s James Barry and Dan McCormack tackle Leinster’s TJ Reid during the Interprovincial Championship final at Semple Stadium. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Fri Dec 16 2016 - 01:12

Munster 2-20 Leinster 2-16

Anthony Daly’s Munster hit 1-5 without reply late on to seal the province’s 46th GAA Interprovincial crown in at Semple Stadium last night.

Aaron Shanagher, a fellow Clare native of Daly’s, was sprung from the bench with 10 minutes left and netted in the 59th minute to make sure of Munster’s first competition win since 2013.

It was a come from behind victory for Daly’s men in an entertaining, seesaw affair played out in front of an official 592 attendance.

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Munster were five points behind on three occasions in the second half and after drawing level through David Reidy’s 45th minute goal, they were rocked by Lee Chin’s goal for Leinster from the next attack.

Leinster looked set for the win at that point – and would lead by four points with time running out – but Munster emptied the bench and produced a brilliant late run to get over the line.

Merited victory

Cork’s Alan Cadogan knifed three points from play, Limerick’s Barry Nash had two, Waterford’s Stephen Bennett clipped over the lead score in the 55th minute and then Shanagher made his mark.

Leinster were champions when the competition was last played in 2014 but this was Munster’s night and on the balance of play, it was a merited victory as Tipp’s All-Ireland winning captain Brendan Maher finished the year by lifting more silverware.

Despite cold and wet conditions in Thurles, the finalists served up an eye-catching game, even if it was played somewhat in exhibition mode.

TJ Reid’s inclusion in the starting line-up – at the expense of suspended Kilkenny team-mate Colin Fennelly – was a boost to Leinster before throw-in.

And it was Reid who bagged the big score of the first half, firing home a 25th minute goal that went in under the body of Darren Gleeson.

Reid’s goal was part of a run of 1-3 without reply for Leinster that sent them into a 1-10 to 0-9 lead. Reid’s effort was also the first time Leinster had led in the game, as Munster got off to a whirlwind start.

Séamus Callanan had a pair of early points for Munster as they stormed into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead but Leinster, with Reid lively, were level at 0-6 apiece midway through the half.

There was a let-off in the 13th minute for Leinster, however, as Clare’s David Reidy rammed a shot off James Dempsey’s crossbar, with Callanan on hand to pick up the pieces and raise a white flag.

After drawing level, Leinster went two behind again when Tipp’s Dan McCormack popped over a brace of points but Leinster’s purple patch came at the right time, approaching the break.

In the final ten minutes of that opening half, Leinster outscored their opponents by 1-4 to 0-1, giving them something to hold onto ahead of the second period. Leinster opened the second half impressively and were boosted by Chin’s goal but Munster had the fresh legs late on to make vital contributions.

MUNSTER: D Gleeson (Tipperary); B Coughlan (Waterford), J Barry (Tipperary), N Connors (Waterford); D Byrnes (Limerick, 0-1), C Dillon (Clare), P Maher (Tipperary); B Maher (Tipperary), J Barron (Waterford, 0-1); D McCormack (Tipperary, 0-2), M Breen (Tipperary, 0-1), Shane Bennett (Waterford); J O'Dwyer (Tipperary), S Callanan (Tipperary, 0-7, 4f, 1 65), D Reidy (Clare, 1-2).

Subs: N McGrath (Tipperary) for Shane Bennett, A Cadogan (Cork, 0-3) for B Maher, B Nash (Limerick, 0-2) for McCormack (all halftime), S Dowling (Limerick) for O'Dwyer (50), A Shanagher (Clare, 1-0) for Breen (50), Stephen Bennett (Waterford, 0-1) for Barron (51), S Fives (Waterford) for Coughlan (55), T Murnane (Kerry) for Dillon (55), C Lynch (Limerick) for Callanan (60+1).

LEINSTER: J Dempsey (Offaly); M Whelan (Laois), T Doyle (Westmeath), L Ryan (Wexford); P Walsh (Kilkenny), K Joyce (Kilkenny), C Crummey (Dublin); C Fogarty (Kilkenny), S Ryan (Offaly); W Walsh (Kilkenny, 0-4), L Chin (Wexford, 1-1), C Dwyer (Laois, 0-2); S Dooley (Offaly, 0-1), TJ Reid (Kilkenny, 1-6, 0-4f), G Keegan (Kildare, 0-2).

Subs: M Kavanagh (Carlow) for Dooley (27), E Murphy (Kilkenny) for Keegan (half-time), Keegan for S Ryan (46). Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)

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