Delight for Cork school Scoil Mhuire as they're crowned Munster hockey champions

Scoil Mhuire, Cork 4 Crescent College, Limerick 1

Scoil Mhuire were crowned So Hockey Munster Schoolgirls Hockey Cup champions at Garryduff on Wednesday.

Two goals in the second quarter were the key scores as the Cork school defeated the defending champions in front of a crowd of just over 1,000.

This was an impressive team display from the winners, with the likes of Lily May Kelleher, Amy Noonan, Sofie Moloney, and Player of the Game, Susanne Burke, leading by example.

Crescent had started the better of the two sides and had the first real chance of the tie, with Isabelle Healy saving Eimear Keogh’s effort after two minutes.

Again, Scoil Mhuire had Healy to thank as she saved from Holly Murnane and Ava Doupe with 11 minutes gone.

Scoil Mhuire broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when Noonan set up Rebecca O’Connell to score.

Two minutes later and Scoil Mhuire doubled their lead from a penalty corner.

Emma McAuliffe pushed the ball to Kelleher, and she played it back to McAuliffe, who gave Madigan no chance of saving to make it 2-0.

Crescent hit back within two minutes, from their fourth penalty corner, with Grace O’Dwyer finding the back of the net.

Scoil Mhuire responded, and with three minutes to go to half-time, they restored their two-goal advantage.

From their second penalty corner, McAuliffe played the ball to Moloney, and her pass found Noonan as she rattled the net to make it 3-1 at the break.

Four minutes into the second half, and that task became even harder as the Cork school went further ahead from another penalty corner.

This time, Ada Ryan pushed the ball out to Noonan as she scored her second, and her side’s fourth, to put the result beyond doubt.

Credit to Crescent they never gave up with Elizabeth Scully going close. But Scoil Mhuire ran out deserving winners for their first win since 2023 in this competition.

Scorers for Scoil Mhuire: Amy Noonan (2), Rebecca O’Connell, Emma McAuliffe.

Crescent College: Grace O’Dwyer.

SCOIL MHUIRE: I Healy, S Moloney, A Sheehan, E McAuliffe, A Noonan, J O’Farrell, A Ryan, S Burke, E Kingston, A Bermingham, LM Kelleher, G Kelleher, E Blackwell, R O’Connell, K Burke, A Martin, E Walsh, S O’Keeffe.

CRESCENT COLLEGE: G Madigan, N Stackpoole, A Buckley, I O’Carroll, C Scully, A Baggott, G O’Dwyer, A Reddan, E Scully, S Horgan, A Coughlan, E Keogh, MK Ryan, H Murnane, A Doupe, A Shields, A Robertson, M Murnane.

Umpires: Mark Mulcahy and David Murray.