U16s make hockey history
ENNISCORTHY THREE ROCK ROVERS 2 0
MARCH 17, 2018, will go down in the annals of Irish rugby as the day the historic third men’s Grand Slam was secured, but a small corner of Dublin will also hold a special place in the memory for Enniscorthy Hockey Club following a St. Patrick’s Day triumph over Rathfarnham side Three Rock Rovers.
Grange Road hosted Leinster Hockey’s finals day, and Enniscorthy’s Under-16 girls - managed by Alan Smith, Judith Dunne, Elaine Smith and Laura O’Leary - brought the club to the promised land of provincial success in the Junior Jacqui Potter Plate final with a 2-0 win over host side Three Rock Rovers.
After being knocked out by a silver-goal sucker punch against eventual runners-up Railway Union in the Junior Jacqui Potter Cup, the Bellefield Road side entered the plate competition.
Clontarf, Wexford, Naas and Boyne all fell to Enniscorthy en route to Saturday’s final, which - Naas in 2016 aside - had been won by Dublin clubs since the competition’s inception in 2011.
Their focus on attacking had seen 18 goals being scored in previous rounds and the side - captained by Eabha Farrell - opted to replicate this in the final.
A penalty corner was won within the first five minutes, and a second eight minutes later gave Enniscorthy the lead, with Rebecca Ogilvie pouncing from close range.
At the other end of the pitch, Rovers’ tactic of playing their forwards high was negated by Enniscorthy’s well-drilled defence, which had not conceded in the Plate competition. Instead it was Enniscorthy who struck next.
The second goal of the afternoon was a team effort right from the training manual. Enniscorthy’s midfield pushed the ball forward and wide, stretching the Rovers defence.
Working her way in along the end line, Emer Doyle’s ball back to the top of the hosts’ circle found centre forward Farrell.
The captain, in turn, picked out Hannah Sweeney and her reverse-stick shot doubled Enniscorthy’s lead. It was 2-0 and the Wexford minnows had one hand on the trophy.
Amy Murphy and Caoimhe Larkin both had opportunities to stretch the Slaneysiders’ lead in the second-half, with Larkin’s shot missing the left post by millimetres while Murphy just missed out a deflection from a Leah Kidd shot.
With ten minutes remaining Three Rock earned a penalty corner but to no avail, and Enniscorthy had created their own bit of history.
Squad: Norah McGinty, Laura Smith, Aoife Mahon, Béibhín O’Brien, Hannah Graham, Niamh Ogilvie, Ciara Kelly, Leah Kidd, Caoimhe Larkin, Eabha Farrell, Hannah Sweeney, Eimear Doyle, Rebecca Ogilvie, Amy Murphy, Ellen Rogan, Martha Dunne.