Ursuline Thurles unable to halt Loreto's four in a row march

CAMOGIE: Allianz All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior ‘A’ Final

Loreto College, Kilkenny 4-13

Ursuline SS, Thurles 0-9

Report: Michael Dundon In Gortnahoe

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Lucy Boyd (Loreto College, Kilkenny)

SCORERS - Loreto College: Lucy Boyd 2-4; Ona Kennedy 0-3 frees; Emma Hogan, Leah O’Donovan, 1-0 each; Shaune Mahoney, Eleanor Doheny 0-2 each; Hollie Ryan, Aoife Kirby 0-1 each.

Ursuline SS: Caoimhe Stakelum 0-8 (6 frees); Mel Flannery 0-1.

Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny’s dominance of the post primary schools senior camogie championship continues unabated, as at rain-swept Gortnahoe on Saturday they fully deserved their victory over Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, though the winning margin flattered them somewhat.

Bidding for their fourth title in a row, Loreto were firm favourites to triumph but an Ursuline outfit, seeking their first senior crown, made them work very hard.

Two first half goals paved the way for the Kilkenny success and they endorsed it emphatically in the second half with two more, their third time denying the Ursuline an initial success.

Heavy rain and a heavy pitch made life difficult for the players and Loreto’s physically stronger side adapted more readily to the demands of the occasion. Crucially, their defence dominated the Thurles attack whose three point return from play was nowhere good enough to win a national championship.

At the other end, Loreto always threatened to score once inside the Ursuline half with full forward Lucy Boyd a constant thorn in the side. She scored 2-4 from play, a huge contribution, in a player of the match performance.

The sides were level at 0-2 each, Caoimhe Stakelum the Ursuline scorer, when Loreto made their first significant strike, Boyd evading a number of tackles to shoot home. Stakelum points from frees were keeping the Ursuline in touch.

They were 0-4 to 1-5 behind when Emma Hogan finished a strong run from the wing with their second goal in the 22nd minute, and at the break they led 2-7 to 0-6, all Ursuline first half scores coming from Caoimhe Stakelum, the team captain who despite being closely marked all through led her side by example.

The Ursuline’s prospects were not helped either by the loss of midfielder Amy O’Connor through injury after 25 minutes.

They needed a big second half to make up the deficit but the worsening conditions did not help. They were dealt another body-blow six minutes after resuming when Lucy Boyd bagged her second goal.

Bravely though they tried, there was no way back for the Thurles girls now and their hopes were finally shattered when Leah O’Donovan netted Loreto’s fourth goal in the 42nd minute for a 4-9 to 0-7 lead.

The Ursuline battled bravely to the finish with points from Caoimhe Stakelum and Mel Flannery but Loreto were coasting, emptying their bench and still registering the last four scores of the game for a most comprehensive win.

It was a most disappointing outcome for Ursulines but the girls did themselve, their school and their families proud with a gutsy performance. They have a Munster title to show for their efforts this year, a prized achievement, and with the school’s junior side also contesting the All-Ireland final (also against Loreto), there is lots of young talent coming on stream, enough to suggest that the Ursuline’s big day cannot be far off.

Once again, Caoimhe Stakelum led the Thurles side with great determination and she was ably supported by goalkeeper Roisin Ferncombe, Kate Dowling, Mel Flannery, Alice Butler, and Molly Jones.

Lucy Boyd was Loreto’s top performer with great backing from Holly Ryan, Aoife Kirby, Una Kennedy, Eleanor Doheny, Shauna Mahoney, and Erin Morrissey.

TEAMS – Loreto College, Kilkenny: Ella Walton; Jill O’Brien, Erin Morrissey, Grace Brennan; Ciara Hickey, Ona Kennedy, Chloe Teehan; Shannon Doheny, Eleanor Doheny; Holly Ryan, Shauna Mahoney, Aoife Kirby; Emma Hogan, Lucy Boyd, Leah O’Donovan.

Subs: Katie Chambers for O’Brien (55); Eva Tynan for O’Donovan (55); Siofraidh Kennedy for Kirby (57).

Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles: Roisin Ferncombe (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Orla Gleeson (Knockavilla-D Kickhams), Louise McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill), Sarah O’Dwyer (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Rosie O’Brien (St Patrick’s), Kate Dowling (Moycarkey/Borris), Kate Duffy (Burgess/Duharra); Amy O’Connor (Cahir), Ella Frend (Toomevara); Molly Jones (Moyne-Templetuohy), Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields, Capt), Ruth Maher (Drom & Inch); Mel Flannery (Cahir), Jessie Shanahan (Slieve Felim Rapparees), Alice Butler (Slieve Felim Rapparees).

Subs: Clare Fitzgerald (St Patrick’s) for O’Connor (25 inj); Anna Carr (Slieve Felim Rapparees) for Maher (36); Sophie Coughlan (Moycarkey/Borris) for McGrath (53).

Referee: James Hegarty (Antrim).