St Gerard’s claim first ever Leinster hockey title

St Gerard’s 1 Alexandra College 0

Lena Tice's low bullet three minutes from time saw St Gerard's win the Leinster Schoolgirls Senior Cup title for the first time, denying Alexandra College at Grange Road on Thursday.

She merely shrugged her shoulders to celebrate, perhaps exhausted after a superb performance at the base of the Bray school’s defence, breaking up numerous attacks and distributing brilliantly into midfield and the forwards.

And when the penalty corner chance arrived, she found theperfect shot for the game’s defining moment.

Alex – bidding to win a record-breaking 13thtitle – had looked for a long time the more likely side to snatch a winner. Gerard's forced three early stops from Ruth Cullen but, from there on, the Milltown school were in the ascendancy.

From the pick of their chances, Sophie Roopnarinesingh's slide-rule pass through to Ava Beatty was halted by a superb Lucy Ashmore sliding stop.

In combination with Katherine Ryan and Freya McDermott, they won four penalty corners but Gerard's scramble defence kept their scoresheet blank.

Their counter-attacks were fleeting, mainly via Sarah O’Louhglin, but they did produce a move of real quality to create the winning moment.

Tice started it from half-way and two quick, first time passes between O’Loughlin and Susie Cannon’s back-door touch, opened the door.

Alex’s efforts to clear popped up dangerously and Tice duly nailed her drag-flick for a famous win.

Earlier, Sophie Dolan got the only goal in Loreto on the Green's Senior One final victory over Newpark, netting 12 minutes from time to secure the result.

Alexandra College: R Cullen, L McCollum, K Egan, S Roopnarinesingh, R Stockell, C Harrison, S Wickham, H O'Connor, L O'Brien, M McAleese, L Wolfe, A Beatty, E Murphy, F McDermott, A Barton, I Delamar, P Diepman, C Nugent

St Gerard's: L Ashmore, E Dunne, P O'Reilly, L Tice, D Kissane, S McCarthy, O Flanagan, S O'Loughlin, S Cannon, H Gallagher, M O'Neill, R Neville, M Cullen, E Collins, L Finnerty, R Murray