Connacht progress to Interpro final

Connacht 1-28 Ulster 4-13

Connacht booked their spot in next week's M Donnelly Interprovincial hurling final with a hard-fought 1-28 to 4-13 win over a gutsy Ulster side tonight.

Galway trio Niall Healy (0-10, 0-5f, 0-1 '65'), Sean Glynn (0-7) and Aonghus Callanan (1-3) led their province's scoring under the newly installed floodlights at Ballybofey.

Goals from Neil McManus and Kieran Kelly (2) kept Ulster in touch as they trailed by 1-14 to 3-5 at the break.

Kelly completed his hat-trick of goals in the 44th-minute but Ger Loughnane's Connacht side pulled through to set up a Croke Park meeting with Munster.

Spectacular performances on both sides ensured a thrilling game of hurling.

There were plenty of heroes dotted around the pitch with centre-forward Healy on song for the visitors with 10 points, while Ulster full-forward Kelly was the hat-trick hero for the hosts.

Connacht began the game at a blistering pace and led by 0-5 to 0-1 after ten minutes thanks to good scores from Healy, Alan Kerins, Callanan, Kenneth Burke and Iarla Tannian.

But Connacht failed to shake off the challenge of a persistent Ulster side and the teams were level for the first time in the 21st-minute thanks to a spectacular close range goal.

Midfielder McManus was on the edge of the square and he had no hesitation in rifling the ball home from 13 metres out - despite the acrobatic efforts of Connacht goalkeeper James Skehill - to leave the score at 1-5 to 0-8.

However Ulster's joy was short-lived as a sustained Connacht effort saw the westerners score the next three points with form men Healy, Callanan and Tannian on target.

Connacht quickly opened up a six-point cushion with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Callanan grabbed an excellent goal when he cut through from the wing, showing brilliant pace, before blasting the ball to the net.

Even at this stage it looked as though Connacht had finally got Ulster sussed but it would have been catastrophic to right off the hosts, who came bouncing back with plenty of fire and passion.

Two goals from Antrim attacker Kelly cut the gap to just a point before two Healy points handed Connacht a 1-14 to 3-5 buffer for the break.

Ulster secured most of the possession in the opening stages of the second half but it was Connacht who made the best of the ten-minute spell after the break, scoring four points to stay in the lead.

Kelly soon raised his third green flag though to keep his side in the hunt. The sides continued to trade points and Connacht maintained a stubborn grip on the game.

A goal chance did fall Connacht's way, coming up to the finish, when the ball fell kindly into the path of Callanan but the full-forward was wide of the mark. His county colleague Glynn, who won an All-Ireland Under-21 medal last month, did make amends with his sixth point of the night.

Connacht continued to remain on top in the closing stages, while Ulster got top marks for their endurance and heart with Kelly almost notching his fourth goal, five minutes from the end.

Scorers - Connacht: N Healy 0-10 (0-5f, 0-1 '65'), S Glynn 0-7, A Callanan 1-3, I Tannian 0-3, A Kerins 0-2, F Healy, K Burke, K Hynes 0-1 each.

Ulster: K Kelly 3-0, P McCormack 0-6 (0-4f), D Coulter 0-4, N McManus 1-0, K McKeegan (0-1 '65'), S McCorry, E McCloskey 0-1 each.

CONNACHT: J Skehill; G Kennedy, T Og Regan, F Moore; D Collins, C Dervan, A Keary; F Healy, I Tannian; A Kerins, N Healy, S Glynn; K Burke, A Callanan, A Cullinane.

Subs used: K Hynes for Cullinane (30 mins), A Harte for Burke (49), A Gaynor for Kennedy, F Coone for Kerins (both 64), S Coyne for Collins (67).

ULSTER: G Clarke; S Delargy, M McCambridge, A Graffan; J Donnelly, K McKeegan, G Clarke; K McGarry, N McManus; M Herron, P McCormack, D Coulter; T McIntosh, K Kelly, D Cullen.

Subs used: E McCloskey for McGarry (half-time), S McCorry for McIntosh (42 mins), N McGarry for Clarke (66).

Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath)