Schools hockey: Scoil Mhuire defeat Regina Mundi to land Munster Cup for first time since 1975
Scoil Mhuire captain Emily Nolan celebrates with the Munster Cup. Picture: Denis Boyle
The celebrations at the end said it all as Scoil Mhuire won the SoHockey Munster Senior Schoolgirls Hockey Cup final at Ashton.
The last time the school lifted the cup was 1975 so their long wait is over and no doubt it will be a win they will cherish and celebrate in style.
Overall there can be no arguing that the better team won, led by Player of the Game Susie Nolan. She was outstanding in midfield, helped by others like Ruby Walsh, Isabelle Martin, and Amy Noonan.
But this was a real team display with all playing their part in ensuring they came out on the right side of the result.
As expected it was tight early on, before Scoil Mhuire started to get the upper hand.
They took the lead nine minutes in when Amy Noonan picked up the ball at the edge of the circle and her shot found the back of the net to put them in front.
But credit to Regina Mundi they kept going with Katie Twomey leading their attack.
They deservedly were back on level terms when Sally Murray picked out Twomey in midfield and she drove at the heart of the Scoil Mhuire defence.
She beat several players before passing to Roisin O’Mahony to make it 1-1.
Scoil Mhuire thought they had retaken the lead when Amy Nagle found the back of the net from a penalty corner, but it was deemed too high, and thus a dangerous ball and ruled out.
However, with 20 minutes gone, they were in front again, when a switch from a penalty corner saw Nolan make it 2-1.
With four minutes to half-time, they went further ahead, when Nolan got her second of the afternoon, to see them lead 3-1 at half-time.
Regina Mundi keeper, Lucy Nixon made a triple save early in the second half to stop her side going further behind, with Jane Egar going close at the other end for them.
But four minutes into the second-half Scoil Mhuire wrapped up the tie when Isabelle Martin made it 4-1 and from here it was an uphill task for Regina Mundi.
Katie O’Keeffe made it 5-1 when Scoil Mhuire robbed the Regina Mundi defence and she tapped home to put the icing on the cake.
They will now go on to represent Munster in the Kate Russell All-Ireland series in March, which is due to be held in Cork.
S Nolan (2), A Noonan, I Martin, K O’Keeffe.
R O’Mahony.
L Nixon, E Smith, A Noonan, R Walsh, J Olden, S Nolan, I Martin, A Nangle, K O’Keeffe, E Nolan, S Moloney, E McCauliffe, Z Byrne, A McSweeney, P MacKeown, G McSweeney, S Cunningham, I Healy.
M Harney, S Peterson, A Ahearne, S Ahearne, J Allen, D Butler, E Costigan, E Curran, S De Courcy, J Egar, C Maye, M McCarthy, K Moore, S Murray, R O’Mahony, A O’Neill, S O’Sullivan, K Twomey.
Liz Clifford and Brian Attridge.
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