Interprovincial Football final/ Leinster 0-20 Ulster 0-18: Dessie Dolan produced an exhibition of point-scoring to shoot Leinster to an extra-time victory at Parnell Park on Saturday night.
The Westmeath forward displayed nerve time and time again as his refined free-taking punctuated every twist and turn.
Ulster, eyeing their third inter-provincial title in as many years, were quicker to settle in the game. They led for much of the first quarter with captain Stephen McDonnell of Armagh lively and Derry's Paddy Bradley impressing in their attack.
But Dolan put three in-a-row over without reply and Leinster began to find their rhythm. Wexford's Matty Forde marked his introduction with a superb brace of points to send his province in 0-11 to 0-7 ahead at half-time.
Christy Toye of Donegal, a last-minute replacement for Tyrone's Stephen O'Neill, impressed as Ulster stormed back in the second half and a point from corner forward Thomas Freeman put the Northerners ahead by the slimmest of margins on the hour.
Kildare's Johnny Doyle came off the bench to rescue his province with a couple of superbly-executed scores.
But Toye responded for the Northerners with seconds remaining to make it 0-15 apiece and push the decider into extra time.
"It was on a knife-edge. I thought our lads just kept going. We had a lot of chances to finish it off and we didn't but I suppose we were hungrier," said Leinster manager Val Andrews after the game.
An encouraging attendance of 5,824 witnessed Dolan cap an inspired performance with 0-4 in extra-time as Leinster avenged last year's final defeat in Paris.
Collie Moran, Leinster's stand-in captain after the late withdrawal of Ciarán Whelan with a back injury, praised his province's match winner afterwards. "Dessie Dolan was brilliant. Even at times when we were struggling, tonight he just kept on putting them over the bar . . . I think he was the real star of the show for us."
The win puts Leinster level with Ulster on top of the interprovincial roll of honour with 27 titles apiece.
LEINSTER: F Byron; M Ennis, T Kelly, D Healy; B Cahill, C Moran, P Andrews; T Walsh, N Garvan (0-1); A Mangan (0-1), R Munnelly, P Clancy (0-2); D Dolan (0-11, 7 frees), G Geraghty, J Sherlock. Subs: M Forde (0-3) for T Walsh (18 mins), J Doyle (0-2, one free) for R Munnelly (42 mins), B Sheehan for A Mangan (57 mins), S Ryan for N Garavan (63 mins), N Garvan for J Sherlock (80 mins), D Regan for M Forde (87 mins).
ULSTER: J Reilly; K McGuckin, K McCloy, E McNulty; A Kernan (0-2), C Gormley, A Mallon; D Gordon, S Cavanagh; B Dooher (0-1), C Toye (0-4), D Clerkin (0-1); T Freeman (0-1), P Bradley (0-2), S McDonnell (0-6, 3 frees). Subs: A O'Rourke for K McCloy (28 mins), D Diver for C Gormley (35 mins, blood sub), R Clarke (0-1) for D Clerkin (44 mins), D Diver for C Gormley (48 mins, inj.), R Mellon for P Bradley (66 mins), P Hearty for J Reilly (70 mins), P Bradley for R Clarke (80 mins).
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).
