SCHOOLS HOCKEY LEINSTER SENIOR CUP Alexandra College 3 Mount Sackville 0:ST ANDREW'S showed their experience to get past the challenge of Mount Anville on Leinster Schoolgirls' Senior Cup semi-final day at Grange Road.
Goals from Ireland A international Chloe Watkins and Shauna Kavanagh confirmed their place in next Tuesday’s final and a shot at retaining the title.
Watkins turned home an excellent Sophie Marshall square ball inside the first ten minutes, a lead they were full value for after three early penalty corners had slipped just wide.
The Booterstown school had to play most of the second half without the influential Niamh Atcheler due to a jarred knee while Watkins was sin-binned for a bad tackle.
Gillian Pinder – another A international – showed her class to create the insurance goal. She raced past three defenders and while her initial shot was blocked by Lisa McCarthy, the ball rebounded perfectly for Kavanagh to sweep home from close range.
ST ANDREW'S: T Ellis, N Atcheler, L Stephens, V Taaffe, L Pinder, H Sarratt, C Watkins (capt), G Pinder, S Woodrooffe, S Marshall, H Meredith, H Kinsman, S Kavanagh, A Spain, L Gray, J Lavery.
MOUNT ANVILLE: N Walsh, L McCarthy, A Naughton, C Walsh, J Maguire, K O'Connor, J Ryan, J Fennelly, C Noble, G Appleby, R Murphy, L Smith, A Crotty, N O'Connor, A O'Shea, A O'Connell, K O'Donovan
Alexandra turn on the style
Alexandra College 3 Mount Sackville 0:ALEXANDRA COLLEGE turned on the style in the second half of their semi-final against Mount Sackville as Aisling Burke, Erica Hinkson and Robyn Traynor all netted in the last quarter.
Mount Sackville, powered forward by Orla Fox and soccer international Olivia Smartt, gave as good as they got for long periods.
But Alex, with youth internationals Emily Beatty and Deirdre Duke to the fore, always had the edge in class and eventually took the lead when Traynor fired home a loose ball first time for the lead in the 46th minute.
Burke made it 2-0 before Hinkson slotted home after excellent Beatty approach work in the closing moments.
ALEXANDRA COLLEGE: L Porter, L Lenehan (capt), N Gray, D Duke, E Beatty, A Burke, L Gibney, R Evans, R Traynor, S Gibbons, S Mulkerrin, G Mulkerrin, E Hinkson, J McArdle, H McDermott, K Lenehan.
MOUNT SACKVILLE: Alison Garrigan, E Sweeney, O Fox, A McDiarmada, M Spillane, R Hinkson, A O'Brien, S Quinn, S McLoughlin, S O'Connell, P Cashin, O Smartt, D Gibney, S Hinkson.
*Newpark came through their Leinster Schools' Minor Cup semifinal yesterday against Kilkenny College when they won 3-1 on penalties. The two schools finished the match in normal time level at 1-1 with Newpark progressing after the penalty shoot-out.
