Leinster put Gary Cullen's defection of Thursday well behind them to beat Ulster 7-6 yesterday and win the Golfsure sponsored Interprovincial championship in exciting fashion at Killarney yesterday.

The controversy over Cullen's decision to leave the Leinster camp in fit of pique after his non selection was quickly forgotten in a tremendous tussle between Padraig Hogan's Leinster and the defending champions.

Needing only a halved match to clinch the title on a countback, Leinster put the matter beyond all doubt when young Eoin O'Sullivan, one of two debutants in the side, took a half from his game with Robert Forsythe to ensure Leinster's seventh point and a clean sweep of victories over the three provinces.

Munster beat Connacht 8-5 to avoid the wooden spoon and finish in third place but the day belonged to a Leinster side that was brilliantly captained by Hogan for the first time.

Level 2-2 after the foursomes, Leinster required just four and half points from the singles to wrest the championship from Ulster's grasp. Indeed, an unsteady start saw Justin Kehoe, Gavin McNeill and Michael McDermott all trail early on before Leinster started to get a grip on proceedings.

Portmarnock duo Noel Fox and Adrian Morrow proved to be the stalwarts with Fox beating Stuart Paul at the 17th before Morrow made sure of another point with a one hole win over Michael McGeady. When another of the Leinster debutants, Balbriggan's Robert Cannon, claimed vital scalp when he beat Gareth Maybin two and one, Leinster were tantalisingly close to the magic number.

Kehoe eventually halved with Andrew McCormick at the last after a tremendous tussle and it only remained for anchor man Mark Campbell to close out Chris Moriarty by four and three to ensure that Leinster could not be beaten and claim the trophy for the first time since their victory at Portstewart in 1998.

Ulster 6; Leinster 7
Foursomes - S. Paul & A. McCormick lost to J. Kehoe & A. Morrow 2 & 1; J. Foster & P. Martin bt M. McDermott & G. McNeill 1 hole; A. Morris & R. Forsythe lost to N. Fox & M. McGinley 3 & 2; M. McGeady & C. Moriarty bt M. Campbell v E. O'Sullivan 5 & 4. Ulster 2; Leinster 2.
Singles - A. McCormick halved with J. Kehoe; S. Paul lost to N. Fox 2 & 1; J. Foster bt G. McNeill 4 & 3; P. Martin bt M. McDermott 5 & 4; M. McGeady lost to A. Morrow 1 hole; G. Maybin lost to R. Cannon 2 & 1; A. Morris bt M. McGinley3 & 2; R. Forsythe halved with E. O'Sullivan; C. Moriarty lost to M. Campbell 4 & 3. Ulster 4; Leinster 5

Connacht 5; Munster 8
Foursomes - D. Mortimer & K. Kearney lost to M. Murphy & D. Sugrue 2 & 1; C. Moriarty & D. Loughnane bt K. Bornemann & J. Morris 6 & 4; S. McTernan & M. O'Sullivan bt P. Dooley & P. Power 4 & 3; M. Rowe & R. de Lacey Staunton lost to D. Finn & P. Murray 1 hole. Connacht 2; Munster 2.
Singles - D. McNamara lost to T. Rice 1 hole; C. Moriarty bt M. Murphy4 & 2; S. McTernan lost to D. Sugrue 3 & 2; D. Loughnane lost to K. Bornemann 7 & 5; K. Kearney bt M. Barrett 3 & 2; M. Rowe lost to P. Murray 1 hole; D. Mortimer bt P. Power 4 & 3; C. Waters lost to D. Finn 1 hole; M. O'Sullivan lost to P. Dooley 1 hole. Connacht 3; Munster 6.

Final result: 1, Leinster; 2, Ulster; 3, Munster; 4, Connacht

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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