Ulster got their FAI Under-18 Boys Interprovincial Tournament underway with a 3-1 win over Munster this evening at a windy AUL Complex.
Paul Browne guided Ulster to Interprovincial glory in 2016 and the St. Eunan’s College mentor will be hoping for a repeat performance this season as he’s joined by Martin Cavanagh in the management setup.
The duo both starred for Ulster at this level in the 80s and 90s and are no strangers to Schools football with Cavanagh securing a National Senior Boys title with Carndonagh Community School last year.
On paper, Ulster looked the more impressive however it was the Munster contingency that sparked to life with quarter of an hour played. Robert Geaney O’Brien was demonstrating his class and nearly saw his splendid effort dispatched successfully only for a last ditch effort on the goal-line by Loreto Milford scholar Ronan Boyce to deny the PBC student.
Boyce’s colleague Ronan Gallagher had a fantastic opportunity four minutes later to convert but he dragged the ball off target.
Again the danger man, Robert Geaney O’Brien and Oran Daly (Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh) were causing all sorts of problems for the Ulster defense but netminder Kyle Burns (Mulroy College) was equally as gifted to stop their pursuits.
With less than five minutes to the interval, Ulster were awarded a penalty when the lively Carndonagh talisman Corey McBride was impeded in the box. Daragh Ellison (St. Eunan’s College) duly delivered giving the Northerners a one goal cushion at the break.