02 June 2009 Inter Provincial Championships 2009 Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Inter Provincial Championships 2009 (Michael Forde, Leinster PRO) Leinster 3-14 Connacht 0-5 Leinster kicked off their Inter-Provincial campaign with a comfortable first round win over a weakened Connacht side(3-14 to 0-5) , Although both sides were level after the first ten minutes, with two points apiece, Leinster’s Aisling Jenning hit the back of the Katrina Connollys net in the thirteenth minute to open a three point gap. Connacht struggled to win possession in mid field, where Noelle Early and Grainne Nulty had total control. Leinster continued to apply pressure on the Connacht backs with Sinead Ahern, Early, Nulty and Player of the tournament Aisling Jennings adding a point apiece to put six between the sides at the break (0-3 to 1-6). While the girls from the West could only manage to add two points to their half time score, Leinster went on a scoring rampage in the second period, with goals from Aine Gately and Alison Smith of Longford, to put the game out of Connacht’s reach. Leinster 1-16 Ulster 0-11 Leinster faced Ulster in round two, the Northern Province had a tough encounter with Munster in their first round game, with just two points separating the sides at full time (0-8 to 0-6) in Munsters favour. Ulster were first to raise the white flag in the second minute when their number thirteen Aileen Pyers fired over the first of her five points all from frees, while Leinsters Sinead Ahern got off the mark in the fourth with a point from a free, Ahern doubled her tally in the seventh and combined with Grainne Nulty to release Aisling Jennings for her first score of the game in the twelft. Aileen Pyers added three points to put her side two points clear (0-3 to 0-5), six minutes elapsed before Leinsters Sinead Ahern raised a flag, this time the colour was green to give her team the narrowest of leads at the break (1-3 to 0-5). Leinster hit the ground running from the restart, a point from Jennings and a brace from Ahern, all with in the first two minute to give Leinster a four point advantage. Clare Timoney pared a point off the Leinster lead in the ninth minute, but Jennings and Ahern responded with a point apiece.Pyers added her sixth point in the twelfth , followed by a point from Donegals Niamh Hegarty. With just four minutes left on the clock and only four points separating the sides it was game on as both teams pushed hard to gain the upper hand, but Leinster had the better kick, and once again it was Ahern and Jennings leading the charge, along with Noelle Early and Brianne Leahy, the quartet adding a point apiece in less than two minutes to put Leinster eight points clear. Michaela Downey tagged on Ulsters final point, while Wicklows Caoilfhionn Deeney notched up her first, and Leinsters final point of the game. Leinster running out comfortable winners with eight points to spare (1-16 to 0-11) to reach the final, where they would meet tournament favourites Munster. Leinster 0-8 Munster 2-6 Munster came to this tournament armed to the teeth, with twelve players from the all Ireland winning rebel county, Leinster trailed at the break 0-3 to 1-4 and it looked as through the writing was on the wall for the Leinster side. However, despite missing a penalty, Leinster fought back to get within a point going into the final quarter 0-6 to 1-4, but the turning point came minutes later when Cork all star Valerie Mulcahy, sliced through the Leinster defence to fire the ball past Cliodhna O’Connor to open a four point gap and although Leinsters Aisling Jennings and Aine Gately added a point apiece, Munster gave the screw an extra turn with Mulcahy tapping over from a free and Geraldine Flynn notching up the final point to give Munster a four point winning margin (0-8 to 2-6) and their seventeenth Inter-Provincial title since the tournament started back in 1992. Leinster and Kildare Star Aisling Jennings received the player of the tournament from Cumann Peil Gael na mBan President Pat Quill Leinster squad: Cliodhna O ‘Connor (Dublin), Maria Kavanagh (Dublin), Sharon Tracey (Longford), Siobhan McGrath (Dublin), Louise McKeever (Meath), Brianne Leahy (Kildare), Patricia Fogarty (Laois), Noelle Early (Kildare), Grainne Nulty (Meath), Allison Smith (Longford), Sinead Ahern ( capt) Dublin), Michelle Doyle (Wexford), Martha Kirwan (Laois), Aileen O Loughlin (Laois), Mary Rose Kelly (Wexford), Aisling Jennings (Kildare), Eadin Murray (Meath), Noelle Comyne (Dublin), Aisling Quigley (Laois), Denise Murtagh (Longford), Aine Gately (Kildare), Avril Cluxton (Dublin), Fiona Claffey (Westmeath), Aisling Holton (Kildare), Claire Coffey (Meath), Fiona Blessington (Longford), Aoife Watters (Wexford), Aoife Herbert (Kildare), Caoilfhionn Deeny (Wicklow). Management team: Bill Daly (Dublin), Sean McMullin (Longford), Peter Clarke (Dublin), Brendan Dardis (Meath) click here to view all photos of this event Share this Article 0 0