GAA: Ulster reclaim inter-pro football title - even though Chrissy McKaigue gets a black card

DERRY'S Chrissy McKaigue picked up a black card but Ulster reclaimed the GAA Inter-Provincial football title with a 2-16 to 3-10 win over Connacht at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Leitrim.

Peter Harte was to the fore for Ulster who were particularly impressive in the second half.

They trailed 3-6 to 1-10 at the break.

Ciaran Murtagh (two) and Damien Comer scored goals for Connacht but Aidan Breen and Charlie Vernon found the net for Ulster.

Harte kicked five points.

McKaigue, who came on as a substitute for the second half, got a black card for a foul on Fintan Cregg, but it didn’t impact on the final result.

Ulster: N Morgan (Tyrone); M Jones (Fermanagh), K Clare (Cavan), D O’Hagan (Down); T McCann (Tyrone), C Moynagh (Cavan), A Breen (Fermanagh) (1-02); E Donnelly (Fermanagh), C Vernon (Armagh) (1-01); K Niblock (Antrim), P Harte (Tyrone) (0-05, 0-04f), E Lynn (Derry) (0-03); N Sludden (Tyrone), S Campbell (Armagh) (0-01), T Corrigan (Fermanagh) (0-04, 0-2f).

Subs used: R Johnston (Down) for Niblock (28 mins), C McKaigue (Derry) for Moynagh (30 mins), B Rogers (Derry) for McKaigue (33 mins, black), D McCusker (Fermanagh) for Clarke (38 mins), M Donnelly (Tyrone) for Campbell (44 mins), T Kernan (Armagh) for Vernon (55 mins).

Connacht: D Clarke (Mayo); K McDonnell (Sligo), J Duane (Galway), D Wynne (Galway); N Daly (Roscommon), G O’Donnell (Galway), J Heaney (Galway); E Smith (Roscommon) (0-01), K Higgins (Roscommon); F Cregg (Roscommon), D Cummins (Galway) (0-01), C Murtagh (2-03, 0-01f); N Murphy (Sligo), D Comer (Galway) (1-01), J Doherty (Mayo) (0-02, 0-02f).

Subs used: P Conroy (Galway) (0-01, 0-01f) for Cummins (12 mins), D Wrynn (Leitrim) for Higgins (44 mins), G Bradshaw for Doherty (49 mins), E Mulligan (Leitrim) (0-01, 0-01f) for Conroy (52 mins), J McManus (Roscommon) for McDonnell (53 mins), D Murtagh (Roscommon) for Murphy (57 mins), C O’Shea for Smith (59 mins).

Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).