WEEKEND HOCKEY:A 3-1 VICTORY over defending champions Leinster on Saturday, followed by a 5-5 draw with hosts Munster yesterday, saw Ulster regain the Senior Interprovincial title at Garryduff. Leinster, who had beaten Munster 4-2 in Friday's opening game, finished a point adrift in second place.

What ultimately proved decisive in the tournament was an eight-minute spell in the second half of Ulster’s game against Leinster on Saturday afternoon, when, having trailed at the break, Ulster came back to score three goals.

Stephen Butler had given Leinster the lead with a drag-flick in the fourth minute, a lead they held until half-time. Ulster, though, had completed a stunning turnaround by the 45th minute. Eugene Magee started the comeback with a brilliant reverse flick.

Mark Gleghorne set up Ulster’s second goal, exchanging passes with Timmy Cockram, who drilled the ball past Iain Walker.

Chris Cargo, who plays with Reading in the English league, made it 3-1 soon after, collecting a Magee pass on the right, cutting in to the circle and scoring with a sweetly struck reverse shot.

All Ulster needed, then, was a draw against Munster in the final game of the tournament, and in the end the sides shared 10 goals, with Ulster taking the lead for the first time with only five minutes to go.

Two goals from John Jermyn and another from Nigel Buttimer helped Munster to a 3-1 lead after 18 minutes, but Annadale’s Jonny Quigley and Peter Caruth levelled the game before half-time.

David Hobbs restored Munster’s lead in the 56th minute, but Gleghorne and Caruth again put Ulster 5-4 up, before Jermyn completed his hat-trick three minutes from time.

Ulster held on, despite being down to 10 men for the final seven minutes after former Munster man Jason Lynch was yellow-carded.

SENIOR INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT (at Garryduff) – Saturday: Ulster 3 (E Magee, T Cockram, C Cargo) Leinster 1 (S Butler). Yesterday: Ulster 5 (B McCandless, J Quigley, P Caruth 2, M Gleghorne) Munster 5 (J Jermyn 3, N Buttimer, D Hobbs).