High-level challenge awaits Alexandra

HOCKEY/Leinster Schools Senior Cup: A year after losing out to St Andrews in the Leinster Schoolgirls Cup final, Alexandra College will have a chance to atone for that disappointment after they won through to their second successive final yesterday, beating Loreto Beaufort by a single goal at Grange Road.

They will meet High School, Rathgar, 3-2 victors over Kings Hospital in the day's second semi-final, in Thursday week's decider.

Alexandra and Beaufort looked destined for extra-time in their semi-final before Lucy Dockrell finally broke the deadlock eight minutes from the end when she converted Aoife Raftery's centre from the right. By then there had been little to choose between the teams, both enjoying spells of dominance, both being put on the back foot at times.

Alexandra began brightly, with Helen Taaffe and Martha Purcell getting a grip in the centre and providing Julie Keane and Holly Jones with a plentiful supply of possession, but Beaufort came good towards the end of the first half with Izzy Horan and the Leinster under-18 pair of Anne Marie Byrne and Orlagh O'Shea behind much of their best work.

In contrast, there were goals galore in the second semi-final. Fielding six of the team that started and won last year's Junior Cup final, High School came back from going a goal down after 13 minutes, when Jill Kenny was first to the rebound following a Jessie Elliot save, to go 3-1 up, two of their scores coming from the excellent Nicci Daly.

The first goal was a gem, Daly beating three players before firing home with a beautifully struck shot, the second, scored just five minutes later, a corner converted by Daly after a switch from Julie McRann.

Kings Hospital rallied, though, and even after Holly Warren made it 3-1 seven minutes from time they battled on, narrowing the lead through Emma O'Connell and threatening to force an equaliser from three late short corners.

Wesley College, overcoming a strong challenge from Newpark yesterday (2-0), are moving towards another Leinster Schoolboys Senior Cup Final against St Andrew's. Wesley, though, still have to eliminate Kings Hospital who beat St Columba's 2-1 in yesterday's other quarter-final. St Andrew's were too strong for Kilkenny, winning 7-0.

LEINSTER SCHOOLGIRLS CUP - semi-finals (at Grange Road): Alexandra College 1 (L Dockrell) Loreto Beaufort 0; The High School 3 (N Daly 2, H Warren), The King's Hospital 2 (J Kenny, E O'Connell). The final takes place at Grange Road on Thursday, February 24th.

MUNSTER SCHOOLGIRLS' SENIOR A Cup semi-final (at Thurles): Ursuline Convent Thurles 3 (M O'Keeffe, C Finnegan, M Hickey), Laurel Hill Colaiste Limerick 2 (C Synnott, K Daly). (Ursulines will meet Mount Mercy College, Cork in the Munster final).

MUNSTER SCHOOLGIRLS MINOR A Cup quarter-final: Mount Mercy College Cork 3 (K Lee, M Ryan, J Ryan), Midleton College 0. MINOR B LEAGUE: Ursuline Convent Thurles 3 (M Burke 2, P Coffey), Pres Secondary School Thurles 0.

LEINSTER SCHOOLBOYS SENIOR CUP - quarter-finals: Newpark 0, Wesley 2 (D Walker, G Murray); St Columba's 1 (D Manning), Kings Hos 2 (L Davis, H Butler). Semi-final: St Andrew's 7 (A Sothern 3, G O'Halloran 2, D McFarlane, S Lowry) Kilkenny Col 0.