Next year's Millennium Railway Cup football final will be played in either New York, or possibly the Skydome in Toronto, if the survival plans for the series mooted by coaches Paidi O Se and Brian McEniff are listened to. It took three hours of football, during which nine goals and 66 points were scored, to decide the replayed semi-final in Omagh yesterday. At the end of ordinary time on this occasion the sides were again locked in combat, Munster 1-11, Ulster 2-8.
After the match, both the Munster and Ulster Managers promised to present the competition's committee with an attractive proposal to ensure that the series will live on. O Se told his dejected Ulster players afterwards: "Brian (McEniff) and I will be getting together to find a solution to giving the competition a boost. Maybe we will be meeting in next year's final in New York." McEniff would, however, prefer the Skydome.
Despite O Se insisting that the competition gives the players a real opportunity to express themselves, the overall standard of play in a match that saw his team finish strongly, hitting six points against one for Ulster in the second period of extra time, never matched the exciting see-saw trend of the scoring.
The two classic goals scored by Ulster's Peter Canavan and James McCartan were somewhat out of character with the many errors and despite the tension of it all, some of the 3,000 crowd were seen to move away before the end. Generally it proved a game of over-elaboration, with too much handpassing a feature. One wag remarked: "I don't know why these fellas bother wearing football boots." Both sides were in turn prepared to put in six passes to gain 10 metres before often loosing possession.
But Canavan and McCartan certainly had their boots on for goals that lit-up the afternoon. Canavan, who had threatened all day with his astute passing often sending the Munster defenders the wrong way, rescued Ulster with a superb goal after 16 minutes. This left the sides on level terms at a time when Munster, playing against the strong wind, seemed certain to survive.
James McCartan hit centre stage for an even better goal eight minutes into the first period of extra time. He was provided with a deft pass by Donegal's Brendan Devenny before letting fly with a searing shot from 15 metres that went in off the far post.
With Canavan and Cavan's Larry O'Reilly having got Ulster off to a great start in extra time, this exceptional McCartan goal gave the Ulstermen a five-point lead eight minutes into the first period of the extension.
And it looked a winning lead, although by the halfway stage of extra-time Munster had got back to within two points of their rivals, thanks to a simple goal from Mark O'Sullivan.
The Ulster bid was to collapse quite feebly during the second period of extra time with Peter Canavan's pointed free proving their only addition to the board, while Munster added six fine points from Joe Kavanagh, effective Cork substitute Aiden Dorgan, full-back Ciaran O'Sullivan (free) and Eamonn Breen.
But Kavanagh and Breen were among the biggest culprits for shooting wides, some of which were quite unforgiveable. To add to the frustration of the crowd, both teams hit six wides within the first eight minutes of the first and second half alone, Ulster in the first half and Munster in the second.
Ulster, playing into the breeze, in fact didn't open their account until the 18th minute of the first half. Much to Ulster's credit, they played in "keep ball" to good effect and led by 1-5 to 1-4 at halftime with the wind advantage in the second half. But the strange thing was that the team playing against the wind generally did the best. Many players had off days, not least Joe Brolly of Derry who was replaced and brought back on again. But he failed to raise a flag all day.
By far Munster's most creative line was their half-back trio of Cork's Martin Cronin, Kerry's Seamus Moynihan and Eamonn Breen. They repeatedly put Ulster's rearguard resources under pressure by showing a refreshing willingness to move forward.
Brian McEniff had reason to rue the fact that Cork released their players for a match and he praised the County Board for that gesture. Armagh didn't release their players for Ulster ahead of the national league semi-finals, but McEniff expressed understanding of the Armagh decision.
MUNSTER: D O'Keeffe (Kerry), M O'Donovan (Cork), C O'Sullivan (Cork) (0-1 free), A Malone (Clare), M Cronin (Cork), S Moynihan (Kerry), E Breen (Kerry) (0-1), N Murphy (Cork), J Quane (Limerick), P O'Mahony (Cork) (0-3), J Kavanagh (Cork) (0-4, 1 free), D O'Cinneide (Kerry) (0-1), P Lambert (Tipperary) (0-2, frees), M O'Sullivan (Cork) (1-2), M Daly (Clare) (1-1). Subs: A Dorgan (Cork) (0-4) for Daly 41 mins. Extra Time L Hassett (Kerry) for Lambert 62 mins.
ULSTER: F McConnell (Tyrone), P McGuinness (Fermanagh), M Magill (Down), P Devlin (Tyrone), N Hegarty (Donegal) (0-1), S M Lockhart (Derry), G Coleman (Derry), P Brewster (Fermanagh), J McGuinness (Donegal), E Gormley (Armagh) (1-0), P Canavan (Tyrone) (1-6, 5 pointed frees), J McCartan (Down) (1-2), J Brolly (Derry), T Boyle (Donegal), B Devenney (Donegal) (0-3). Subs: C McBride (Tyrone) for Brolly 56 mins. L O'Reilly (Cavan) (0-1) for Boyle 58 mins. Extra Time Brolly for Devenney 68 mins. Boyle for McBride 75 mins. N Marron (Monaghan) for Magill 80 mins.
Referee: J Bannon (Longford).
