Holy Child Killiney end 75-year wait for first Leinster Senior Schoolgirls Cup

Holy Child Killiney 2 Newbridge College 0

They’ve being playing hockey at Holy Child Killiney since the school was established in 1947, but despite their best efforts they could never add a Leinster Senior Schoolgirls Cup to their sporting roll of honour. Until now.

A 2-0 win at Belfield on Sunday over Newbridge College, also making their first ever appearance in the final of the competition, broke the duck, goals from captain Alex Purcell and Izzy Napier putting Holy Child's name on the trophy.

Having beaten St Andrew’s and Alexandra College en route to the final, those two schools winning 12 of the last 20 finals between them, Holy Child had reached the decider the hard way. But they were up against a school that had made it to the semi-finals of the last three runnings of the competition. So, no little pedigree there.

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But after having the better of the opening exchanges, their high-press putting Newbridge on the back foot, Holy Child took the lead early in the second quarter from the first penalty corner of the game, Purcell’s drag hitting the bottom left corner of the goal.

There were, though, no more goals until the dying moments of the game, both defences, despite the efforts of gifted attacks and midfields, coming out on top. Jessica O'Donovan and Sophie Meir impressed for Holy Child, while Ella Kelly and Lara Prendergast, ably assisted by captain Róisín Sexton, shone for Newbridge.

Chances were rare enough, both schools winning three penalty corners, and it was only when Newbridge took off their goalkeeper in the final quarter, to give them an extra outfield player, that Holy Child sealed the game when the impressive Napier rounded off a swift counterattack by tapping home in to an empty goal.

Coach Simon Lowry’s charges, then, ended a 75-year wait for that first Leinster Senior Cup. Judging by the talent on show, 10 of their squad being fourth- or fifth-year students, you’d have a notion they won’t be waiting as long for their second.

HOLY CHILD (squad): C Green, H Gerlitz, K Meir, R Jackson, J O'Donovan, E McCann, A Purcell (capt), S Meir, J Baily, S McFarland, I Napier, L Schwer, M Jerman, H Miles, A Davis, O Napier, S McLaughlin, H Murphy. Coach: Simon Lowry.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE (squad): S Morrissey, L Harkin, E Kelly, A Brennan, L Prendergast, R Sexton (capt), M Cashman, L Ross, G Murtagh, B Howard, I Collins, J Blake, J Zebedee, J Duggan, S Galvin, K Byrne, K Halford, L Hannon. Coach: Gary Ruddock.