Connacht ease past Leinster in interprovincial opener

UP FOR IT: Referee Martin McNally looks on as Kevin Feely of Leinster and Barry McNulty of Connacht contest the throw-in at the start of the fourth quarter. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

CONNACHT 4-21 (37) LEINSTER 1-11 (15) 

Connacht eased into Saturday’s interprovincial winners game with a comprehensive 22-point victory over Leinster.

An eighth-minute Aidan O’Shea goal along with three first quarter two-pointers including one from the Mayo stalwart set the westerners on their way.

Stephen Cluxton struggled at times with the new kick-out and Connacht were all but out of sight at the end of the first quarter, leading by 13 points (1-11 to 0-2).

Kevin Quinn’s two-pointer was Leinster’s sole scorer in that opening 15 minutes and they managed just two points in the second period via Dublin’s Paddy Small and Ciarán Kilkenny.

Meanwhile, Fergal Boland and Conor Gleeson from a free each kicked scores from outside the 40-metre to help Connacht extend their lead to 18 points by half-time (1-18 to 0-4).

Aidan O'Shea of Connacht scores his side's first goal, worth 4 points in the third minute of the first quarter. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

Scoring four points including a two-pointer, Louth’s Ciarán Byrne impressed for Leinster in the third quarter. However, Leitrim’s Barry McNulty cancelled that total out with a goal involving goalkeeper Conor Carroll crossing the halfway line and the gap grew to 19 by the end of the quarter (2-20 to 0-9).

Further goals for Connacht followed in the final quarter, Ciarán Murtagh and Liam Gallagher getting in on the act. Byrne added Leinster’s only goal but it was another quarter that they lost.

Scorers for Connacht: A. O’Shea (1-3, 1 2pt); D. Murtagh (0-4, 1 2pt, 0-1 free); B. McNulty (1-1, 0-1 free); C. Murtagh, L. Gallagher (1-0 each); F. Boland (0-3, 1 2pt); C. Cregg (0-2, 1 free); J. Carney (0-2, 1 2pt), C. Gleeson (0-2, 1 2pt free); C. Cox (0-2); D. Smith, C. Lally (0-1 each).

Scorers for Leinster: C. Byrne (1-4, 1 2pt); K. Quinn (0-2, 1 2pt); P. Small (0-2); C. Kilkenny, K. Feely, E. Porter (0-1 each).

CONNACHT (starters): C. Gleeson (Galway); J. McGrath (Galway) B. Stack (Roscommon), S. Mulkerrin (Galway); C. McDaid (c, Galway), J. Daly (Galway), E. McLaughlin (Mayo); J. Carney (Mayo), J. Maher (Galway); M. Tierney (Galway), B. Tuohy (Mayo), E. Smith (Roscommon); D. Murtagh (Roscommon), A. O’Shea (Mayo), D. Cregg (Roscommon).

Interchanges: C. Carroll (Roscommon), R. Fallon (Roscommon), M. Diffley (Leitrim), J. Heaney (Galway), S. Cunnane (Roscommon), U. Harney (Roscommon), B. McNulty (Leitrim), C. Cox (Roscommon), D. Smith (Roscommon), C. Murtagh (Roscommon), D. Duffy (Mayo), F. Boland (Mayo), P. Spillane (Sligo), C. Lally (Sligo), L. Gallagher (Sligo).

LEINSTER (starters): S. Cluxton (Dublin); C. Lennon (Louth), M. Bambrick (Carlow), E. Murchan (Dublin); J. Small (Dublin), R. Wallace (Westmeath), J. McCarthy (c, Dublin); R. Connellan (Westmeath), D. Healy (Wicklow); C. Downey (Louth), C. Kilkenny (Dublin), B. Howard (Dublin); M. Barry (Laois), D. Flynn (Kildare), K. Quinn (Wicklow).

Interchanges: K. Roche (Laois), S. Bugler (Dublin), C. Byrne (Louth), P. Cunningham (Offaly), R. Dunphy (Carlow), K. Feely (Kildare), D. Gallagher (Longford), R. Houlihan (Kildare), R. Jones (Meath), D. Keoghan (Meath), P. Kingston (Laois), E. O’Carroll (Laois), L. Pearson (Offaly), E. Porter (Wexford), P. Small (Dublin).

Referee: M. McNally (Monaghan).