Tesco Post Primary Schools All-Ireland Junior A Final Replay

Ursuline Thurles 1-8

Loreto Kilkenny 2-5

Report by Catherine Shanahan

Loreto Kilkenny and Ursuline Thurles returned to St Fenians, Johnstown on Friday to do battle again in the Tesco Post Primary Junior A All-Ireland final replay.

Both teams started briskly. The first scoring chance came for Thurles when they were awarded a free from 25m out. Sarah Corcoran landed the ball outside the square where a battle between both teams ensued however the ball went wide.

6 mins into the game Loreto were awarded a free. Rachel Dowling with the aid of the wind sent the ball over to open Loreto’s scoring with a point.

12 mins into the game and Tara McGrath sent the ball towards the Thurles goals, but Orla Ryan took no chances and cleared the ball resulting in a 45 for Loreto. Rachel Dowling stepped up and sent the ball over for her second point.

Marie O’ Keeffe, Tara McGrath and Rachel Dowling linked up and produced a great passage of play with Rachel striking the ball off her left side to score the first point from play for Loreto.

Finally, 15 mins into the game Lucy Purcell opened the scoring for Thurles with a great point. Another free for Loreto was converted by Rachel Dowling.

The pressure by the Thurles forwards was rewarded when they were given a free. Sarah Corcoran opened up her scoring when she sent the ball over the bar to reduce the deficit to 2 points with 18 mins gone.

Following a great solo run by Sarah Corcoran she slotted the ball over for another point to Thurles.

Aoife Kavanagh produced a great clearance in the Thurles defence sending the ball up to the forwards. It was gathered up by Lucy Purcell and with great power she sent the ball flying into the top of the Loreto net. 22 mins into the half and the Ursuline have turned the game around with a score of 1-3 to Loreto’s 0-4.

Thurles were awarded a free when Emma Corr was penalised. Sophie Corcoran landed the ball perfectly for Maria Ralph who picked it up, stepped away from goal, turned and with great confidence scored a super point.

Marie O’Keefe stepped up to take a Loreto free, which was caught by her teammate Tara McGrath, who sent a great cross field pass to Anna Doheny. Anna struck the ball high towards the Thurles goal. Orla Ryan, not taking her eyes off the ball as it made its way to her in goal, was ready and poised to handle the delivery. She produced an excellent save when she lifted the hurley above her head to bat the ball away from the goalmouth.

Moments before the end of the 1^st half Thurles were awarded a free. Sarah Corcoran slotted the ball between the posts, her 3^rd point of the game.

2 mins into injury time Rachel Dowling converted another point from a free. Score at half time Loreto 0-5, Ursuline 1-5.

1 min into the second half Thurles were awarded a free which was sent over the bar by Sarah Corcoran. Shortly after their point Thurles made a change when Andrea Quirke was replaced by Clodagh Ryan. With 15 mins gone Thurles made another change when Ava Bevans came on for Robbyn Fitzgerald.

With the game very nip and tuck, both teams couldn’t break each other’s defence and with 19 mins gone since the last score Sarah Corcoran sent the ball over the bar adding another point to the Ursuline tally. With 21 mins gone in the second half Maria Ralph hit the ball low and hard towards the Loreto goal, the shot was saved by Eimear O’Neil however Caoimhe Stakelum was in the perfect position to intercept the clearance and sent the ball into the Loreto goal. Thurles were now leading 2-7 to 0-5 and looking in control. With just over 6 mins left to play Loreto were rewarded a free. Rachel Dowling positioned the ball and dropped it in front of Ciara Dunne who turned and fired the ball into the Thurles goal.

Orla Ryan’s puck out landed favourably for Kate Ferncombe. With the ball on the hurl she went on a solo run and sent the ball over for another Thurles point. With 5 mins of normal time to play, Ursuline lead 2-8 to Loreto’s 1-5. Another change for Thurles saw Dervla Naughton come on for Maria Ralph. 3 mins into stoppage time and Loreto were rewarded a free. Rachel Dowling struck the ball low and hard into the top of the Thurles net. Thurles’s lead was now reduced to three points and they had to endure a nervy few final minutes.

Finally after 6 mins of stoppage time the ref blow the whistle for full time. Ursuline Thurles were triumphant with a final score of 2-8 to 2-5. Throughout both games the supporters were treated to an excellent exhibition of camogie from both teams. Credit to the Ursuline management team who deployed Aoife Burke back as a sweeper in the opening half to curtail the Loreto attack who were so clinical in the drawn game. A fantastic well-deserved title for Uruline after a great year.  Congratulations to Sarah Corcoran who was awarded player of the game.

Ursuline’s scorers: L Purcell 1-1, C Stakelum 1-0, S Corcoran 0-5 (0-4 frees), M Ralph 0-1, K Ferncombe 0-1.

Loreto scorers: R Dowling 1-5 (1-4 frees), C Dunne 1-0.

Ursuline’s : O Ryan, M Bourke, A Fitzgerald, T Ryan, C Fitzgibbon, A Kavannagh, P Quirke, S Corcoran j-capt, K Ferncombe, M Ralph, A Bourke, L Purcell, C Stakelum, R Fitzgerald, A Quirke

Subs: A Bevans for R Fitzgerald (44), D Naughton j-capt for M Ralph (62).

Loreto: E O’Neill, Á Dowling, A Carroll, O Kirwan, E Corr, M O’Keefe, A Doheny, E Smith, A Browne, T McGrath, R Dowling, L Kirby, J Lennon, C Keher-Murtagh capt, C Dunne.