Loreto Foxrock 1 St Andrew’s College 0
Christina Hamill’s artful 14th minute goal gave Loreto Foxrock just their second Leinster Senior Cup hockey crown, ending a 41-year long wait for the biggest prize in the schoolgirls’ game.
It was a hard-fought victory as they had to cling on for long periods of the second half against St Andrew’s who have won the crown seven times since the turn of the century.
But this is a rare year for Loreto and they have a number of underage internationals in their ranks who helped them fashion this success.
The Booterstown outfit had started in composed fashion, enjoying much more of the play with Gaby Lewis a constant threat up front.
Foxrock, though, created the more meaningful chances with Siofra O’Brien and Sorcha McCooey both dynamic forces.
Hamill's goal came from the first of their big openings, a lovely piece of sleight of hand in front of goalkeeper Iseult Cambay after Aoife Taaffe's excellent run down the right wing.
Lauren Tracey then fizzed another effort past the left post while Sarah O’Leary almost converted turnover ball into a second goal.
After the break, it was St Andrew's turn again to storm forward with Katie-Jane Marshall and Amy Elliott driving them on.
Lewis slammed one in from the top of the circle but it was chalked off – following a referral between the umpires – for not moving the ball five-metres from a free-in.
Soon after, Kate Orr's powerful drag-flick was blocked on the line by Aimee Lanigan. Captain Orr stepped up to take the stroke but it came back off the base of the post. Another penalty corner chance came and went before Foxrock got a handle on things, Emma Dawson and Tessa May both rock-solid at the back as they held firm to seal the victory.
Foxrock now go on to the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirl Championships where they will join Kilkenny College and Rainey Endowed.
The Munster representatives will be decided on Friday in Fermoy where Limerick’s Crescent Comprehensive face Cork’s Mount Mercy in the decider.
LORETO FOXROCK: C Cullitan, E Dawson, A Taaffe, S McMahon, T May, S McCooey, K Tracey, C Sherin, C Hamill, S O’Brien, O Golden, S Dillon, S Kavanagh, S O’Leary, E Reidy, J Naughton, A O’Dea, A Lanigan
ST ANDREW’S: I Cambay, S Bulger, L O’Reilly, A Orr, G Lewis, K-J Marshall, A Elliott, J Barrett, D Aikens, S Temperley, R O’Leary, R Lewis, A Lord, R Diggin, K Orr, R Quirke, M McCready, H Bateson
