Schoolgirls' Hockey All-Ireland finals tournamentTwo years after winning the All-Ireland Schools' finals at their first attempt Royal School Armagh are on course to regain the title, won by Lurgan College last year, after taking maximum points from their games on the opening day of the tournament at Booterstown yesterday.

Four of Armagh's Irish under-18 panellists - Alex Speers, Emma Stewart, Hannah Bowe and Diane McKinstry - got the goals that gave the Ulster Cup holders a 4-2 win over hosts St Andrew's in the crucial opening tie of the finals, before a first-half McKinstry hat-trick proved enough to take the points from Cork's Mount Mercy in a 3-2 win.

Mount Mercy, coached by the irrepressible Cyril Daunt, fought back bravely, with second-half goals from Julia O'Halloran and Lesley Ann Daunt.

Galway's Coláiste Iognáid were day one's only other unbeaten team after their 0-0 draw with Loreto Kilkenny and 2-2 draw with Mount Mercy, when Emma Fitzmaurice and Christina O'Connor scored.

Roisín Flinn of St Andrew's finished the day level with McKinstry on five goals - after scoring once against Armagh she added four to her day's tally in the 6-0 win over Kilkenny.

Four points from their games against Coláiste Iognáid and Kilkenny today would seal the title for Armagh and make it four All-Ireland titles in a row for Ulster. St Andrew's, runners-up to Lurgan last year, must beat Coláiste Iognáid and Mount Mercy and hope Armagh slip up if they are to become the first Leinster side to win the tournament since Loreto Bray in 2000.

ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS' FINALS (at St Andrew's College) - St Andrew's College 2 (S Murray, R Flinn), Royal School Armagh 4 (A Speers, E Stewart, H Bowe, D McKinstry); Loreto Kilkenny 0, Coláiste Iognáid, Galway 0; Mount Mercy Cork 2 (J O'Halloran, L A Daunt), Royal School 3 (D McKinstry 3); Loreto Kilkenny 0, St Andrew's 6 (R Flinn 4, A Morris, C McGilp); Mount Mercy 2 (A O'Flynn, J O'Halloran), Coláiste Iognáid 2 (E Fitzmaurice, C O'Connor).

Today: Mount Mercy v Loreto Kilkenny, 9.30; Coláiste Iognáid v Royal School, 11.0; St Andrew's v Mount Mercy, 12.30; Loreto Kilkenny v Royal School, 2.0; St Andrew's v Coláiste Iognáid, 3.30.

P W D L F A Pts

Royal School 2 2 0 0 7 4 6

St Andrew's 2 1 0 1 8 4 3

Coláiste Iognáid 2 0 2 0 2 2 2

Mount Mercy 2 0 1 1 4 5 1

Loreto Kilkenny 2 0 1 1 0 6 1