End of historic run
Late rally not enough as Loreto Wexford bow out
THERE was heartbreak for a gallant Loreto side in De La Salle, Waterford on Saturday lunchtime last as St Angela’s Ursuline fought off a powerful second half fightback to book an All-Ireland Colleges Senior ‘A’ camogie final berth.
After winning their first Leinster title against camogie stronghold Loreto Kilkenny a few weeks earlier, hopes were high that the Wexford school would be able to push on and make a national decider.
However, they came up against a school side loaded with quality and struggled to keep in the contest in the first half.
Eleven of the Ursuline starters come for the Gailltír club, All-Ireland Intermediate finalists, and their familiarity with each other was obvious throughout.
There was an impressive crispness about their play, a trait rarely seen at this level of the game. Ursuline were full value for their 2-7 to 2-3 interval lead and, in truth, it could have been more.
However, it was all change the longer the game went on. An athletic Loreto were spending more and more time in the hosts half, they ploughed forward in numbers, were winning all the fifty/ fifty battles and chipping away at the advantage.
When you come up two points short it’s always heartbreaking and there are generally reasons. Ursuline defended well but Loreto rarely got the rub of the green with borderline refereeing decisions and there was clear frustration as a result.
Things didn’t get off to a great start either.
Ursuline’s best player, Annie Fitzgerald, had two points on the board before the tricky Rachel Bennett opened the Loreto account. Lara O’Brien had earlier been tested by Abby Flynn but she could do nothing to deny Fitzgerald a 6th minute major.
Still, with Lettie Whelan knocking over a couple of points and sending in the ball that Amy O’Leary scrambled over the goalline, Loreto took their first lead of the tie in the 13th minute (1-3 to 1-2).
Three points in a row were meagre rewards for a strong Ursuline ten minutes but Loreto nipped back up the field in the 27th minute Ciara Butler was on hand to turn another rebound from a Whelan shot into the net to make it 2-3 to 1-5.
The last few minutes of the half did not go well for the travelling side.
Aoife Fitzgerald got in for her teams second goal and further points were added by the two Flynn’s, Abby and Alisha, as the home school went in four points ahead.
When Abby Flynn’s shot from distance found the rigging just two minutes into the second half, Loreto had a mountain to climb (3-7 to 2-3). A Whelan free halfted the slide but Annie Fitzgerald responded to leave seven between the schools with nineteen minutes left.
Seldom in those final minutes did Ursuline put a meaningful attack together. All over the field Loreto held the upper hand.
The introduction of St Ibar’s Ciara Banville certainly helped, she added extra bite in the attacking third and quickly got on the scoresheet.
Loreto were awarded a penalty when Rachel Bennett was fouled in the 43rd minute but Whelan’s dead-ball was comfortable enough for goalkeeper Leah O’Donoghue. Whelan and Bennett pointed to narrow the gap to just four heading into the last ten minutes.
It always felt like Loreto would need another goal, yet they struggled to create a clear opening. Ciara O’Connor knocked over two frees, the second in added-time but the pressure was just about repelled by Ursuline as they advanced to the final.
As painful as this loss will be and as long as the ‘what might have been’ feeling will last, this was still an historic run for Loreto, one that will be remembered in the school for many a year to come.
LORETO: Lara O’Shea (Glynn-Barntown); Caitlin Carroll (St Ibar’s), Anna Hennessy (St Martin’s, joint-capt., 0-2 frees), Mikaela Lanigan (St Ibar’s); Ciara Banville (Taghmon-Camross), Ciara O’Connor (St Martin’s, joint-capt.), Aoife O’Connor (St Martin’s); Ella O’Connor (St Martin’s), Ann Marie Bennett (St Anne’s); Amy O’Leary (St Martin’s, 1-0), Rachel Bennett (St Anne’s, 0-2), Sarah Harding Kenny (St Ibar’s); Ciara Butler (Glynn-Barntown, 1-0), Lettie Whelan (St Martin’s, 0-4, 3 frees), Amy Cousins (Kilmore). Subs. Ciara Banville (St Ibar’s, 0-1) for O’Leary (38), Aoife Dempsey (St Martin’s) for Cousins (58).
ST ANGELA’S: Leah O’Donoghue; Sorcha Cantwell, Lucy Hogan, Emma Flynn; Shauna Farrell, Leah Sheridan, Hannah Flynn; Clodagh Carroll, Kate Lynch; Rachael Walsh, Jodie Tuohy, Abby Flynn (1-1); Annie Fitzgerald (1-5, 0-4 frees, capt.), Aoife Fitzgerald (1-1), Alisha Flynn (0-1). Subs. Alannah O’Sullivan for Tuohy (46).
REFEREE: Conor Quinlan (Galway).