A Leinster side brimming with Dublin All-Ireland winners came up second best to Munster in Sunday’s M Donnelly Interprovicial semi-final at Parnell Park.
The home province did come on strong in the second half, but their slow beginning to the game meant that they were always giving chase as the southern province claimed a 1-16 to 1-13 win.
Munster, with a full-forward line all from Allianz Football League Division Four, impressed from the off, not least Clare man David Tubridy who hit two of their first three points with the other coming from Cork’s Paddy Kelly.
When Seamus Scanlon set Waterford man Gary Hurney clear to finish low beyond Stephen Cluxton for a goal Munster had already pulled clear, and it was 1-4 to 0-0 when Scanlon’s fellow Kerryman Tomas O Se added to the haul.
Tubridy continued to find his range, but Leinster at last awoke when Bernard Brogan put over a couple of frees and they were given a lifeline when wing back Cahir Healy managed to find the net.
Paudie Kissane and Ian Ryan added to the Munster tally though, with Louth’s Paddy Keenan and Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly finding the target as Sean Boylan’s men trailed by 1-10 to 1-4 at the break.
The second half, however, saw a much hungrier Leinster. Brogan and Keenan hit two points apiece to put just two between the sides, only for a five-in-a-row from Munster to give them another huge mountain to climb.
Hurney got two of them as Stephen Lavin, Ryan and Mark Collins all also contributed.
Back came Leinster, with Brogan and Keenan (0-6 and 0-5 respectively overall) by far their most consistent performers, and Cluxton also adding a trademark score.
However, Tubridy would have the final say as he brought the Munster full forward line's tally to 1-10 with the final score of the afternoon.
Ulster will provide Munster's opponents in the decider, after the holders defeated Connacht in the day's other semi-final.