Armagh maintain Ulster dominance

HOCKEY/ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLGIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL:ROYAL SCHOOL Armagh won their fourth All-Ireland title in seven years at Grange Road yesterday when they beat Leinster champions Loreto Beaufort 3-1 in the final of the tournament.

The victory makes Armagh the first school in 21 years to successfully defend their All-Ireland crown, Wesley College the last to achieve the feat.

Armagh had the better of the opening exchanges and took the lead after nine minutes, Anna-Mae Morton deflecting home a short corner strike.

Beaufort, seeking their school's first success in the competition since 1982, battled well and still only trailed by a goal going in to the break.

They fell further behind, though, early in the second half when Armagh's senior Irish international Amy Stewart made it 2-0.

With eight minutes to go, however, player of the tournament Zara Delany gave her school hope when she converted a short corner, but Stewart ended any prospects of Beaufort completing a comeback when she made it 3-1 with a beautiful strike two minutes from time. The All-Ireland title, then, goes to Ulster for the seventh time in eight years.

ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS' FINALS (at Grange Road) - Fifth-sixth: Sullivan Upper 1 (K Hewitt), Loreto Wexford 2 (S Bowe, A Rossiter). Third-fourth: Jesuits 2 (T Melvin, A Walsh), Laurel Hill 3 (A de Burca 2, S Ni Dhea).

FINAL: Royal School Armagh 3 (A M Morton, A Stewart 2), Loreto Beaufort 1 (Z Delany).