Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny 3/1 Presentation Secondary School, Thurles
Ria Lawson (19), Jenny Clifford (52), Laura Murphy (56) KK - Grainne O’Mahony (5) THURLES
Reigning All Ireland Champions Loreto Secondary School of Kilkenny came out on top of what was a thrilling game in the RSC, Waterford this afternoon (March 12) against Munster stars Presentation Secondary School, Thurles reports Paul Kirwan
Loreto had the services of underage international Jenny Clifford who scored a hat/trick in the Leinster Final to give her side a chance of retaining the Cup:
The sun was shining at the match venue and this got the crowd in a good mood as both sets of fans cheered on their schools:
It was Thurles who struck first with a goal in the opening five minutes from Grainne O’Mahony, Casey Hennessy played the ball in from the right wing and Grainne finished from close range after a darting run through the middle:
Loreto started very slowly and things could have went from bad to worse when Thurles again had the ball in the net on 10 minutes courtesy of Shonagh Cleary who finished in style with a flick over Loreto’s shot stopper Niamh Delaney only for the assistant referee to rule for offside:
Laura Murphy and Laura Greene did well with Jenny Clifford supplying the ball into the box which landed on the roof of the net: The Loreto threat on goal was warming up:
Loreto needed a kick to get going and that was surely it as they equalised on 19 minutes through Ria Lawson who finished well near post after some neat build up play and a precision pass from Jenny Clifford:
Possession was then shared and either side could have gone in front with chances at both ends: An unexpected injury to Thurles playmaker Hazel McAuliffe forced Edel Harding into a substitution with the lively Sophie Loughnane coming on:
Jenny Clifford went very close when her shot inside the box went the wrong side of the post in injury time of the first half:
HT: 1/1
With nothing to separate the two teams in the first half surely the next goal of the game would be crucial: The absence of Hazel McAuliffe seemed to have taken a bit of flare away from the Munster sides’ midfield although Sarah McKevitt the star of the wonder goal which got Thurles through to the All Ireland Final was doing her best to take control of the midfield:
Five minutes into the second half Ria Lawson was stopped from scoring her second of the day by some brave goalkeeping from Christine Coffey who then stopped the rebound which came from Jenny Clifford: At the other end a goal bound shot by Sarah McKevitt was blocked by Loreto’ s Laura Greene:
The ever/present Jenny Clifford popped up with the goods on 52 minutes after Ria Lawson returned the favour and put Jenny through on goal and the experienced international made no mistake in leaving Christine Coffey helpless with a cool finish:
Four minutes later Loreto struck again after a free kick from Captain Kirsty Maher wasn’t cleared and Laura Murphy pounced to slot into an open goal:
Thurles pressed late on but just couldn’t replicate the form they showed in the opening stages of the game: On the day Loreto just took their chances and the cup could have easily gone home with either side:
Paul McGinley and Barry O’Neill steered Loreto to back to back All Ireland Championships and will be looking to make it a treble this time next year:
Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny: Niamh Delaney, Aoife Cantwell, Aine Fennelly, Olivia Nolan, Kirsty Maher (C), Laura Greene, Megan O’Keefe (Tara Clifford 46), Sarah Kent, Laura Murphy, Ria Lawson, Jenny Clifford
Subs: Niamh Deely, Jenny O’Keefe, Sophie O’Dwyer, Laura Tynan, Saoirse Comerford, Lisa Keogh, Beth Behan, Caoimhe Dowling, Holly Brennan, Orla O’Connell, Orla McGovern
MANAGEMENT: Paul McGinley, Barry O’Neill
Presentation Secondary School, Thurles: Christine Coffey, Cara O’Connor, Norah Kennedy (C), Robyn Moore, Niamh O’Mahony, Casey Hennessy, Sarah McKevitt, Hazel McAuliffe (Sophie Loughnane 32), Shonagh Cleary, Grainne O’Mahony, Mary Burke
Subs: Ciara Collins, Georgina Abbott, Nicole O’Brien, Megan Woodlock, Alix Barry Cullen, Laura Walsh
MANAGEMENT: Edel Harding, Ailish O’Dwyer
Referee: Anthony Walsh (Waterford)