Armagh regain schools' title

Royal School, Armagh, regained the All-Ireland Schools' title they won at their first attempt two years ago when they completed their programme of matches at Booterstown yesterday with a 100 per cent winning record - and they did it in some style, averaging four goals a game.

After Thursday's wins over hosts St Andrew's (4-2) and Munster champions Mount Mercy (3-2) Armagh concluded their campaign with 5-2 and 4-0 defeats of Galway's Coláiste Iognáid and Loreto, Kilkenny, respectively.

Alex Speers, an Irish under-16 international last season, scored a hat-trick against Coláiste Iognáid, with a Hannah Bowe penalty stroke and another goal from Amy Stewart, who celebrated her 13th birthday on Thursday, completing the scoring.

Speers brought her personal tally to six goals in four games when she scored twice against Kilkenny in a 4-0 win, the result that sealed the title for Armagh. By then Andrew's had kept the pressure on the Ulster side by beating Mount Mercy 4-0 but by the time they defeated Coláiste Iognáid 3-0 in the tournament's final game they had to settle for the runners-up spot, for the second year running.

The gifted RóisíFlinn did, however, secure her place as the finals' top scorer with two goals in each of those victories (to add to her five goals from day one), while Caitriona McGilp scored one of the goals of the tournament in the win over Coláiste Iognáid - a goal that was on a par with Julia O'Halloran's solo effort for Mount Mercy against Kilkenny in the first game of the day, one that gave them a 1-0 win.

The bad news for Royal School Armagh's rivals is that only two of their line-up will be completing secondary school education this year - in other words, this team, coached by Judith McVicker, has yet to reach its peak.

KATE RUSSELL ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS' FINALS (at St Andrew's College, Booterstown) - Mount Mercy 1 (J O'Halloran), Loreto, Kilkenny 0; Coláiste Iognáid 2 (E Fitzmaurice, S Lynch), Royal School 5 (A Speers 3, A Stewart, H Bowe pen); St Andrew's 4 (S Murray, R Flinn 2, A Black), Mount Mercy 0; Loreto, Kilkenny 0, Royal School 4 (A Speers 2, N Foster, D McKinstry); St Andrew's 3 (R Flinn 2, C McGilp), Coláiste Iognáid 0.