HOCKEY/Leinster Schoolgirls' Senior Cup: Muckross Park ended Loreto, Bray's hopes of winning their third successive Esat Digiphone Leinster Senior Schools' Cup at Grange Road yesterday when they beat the holders 1-0 in the day's first semi-final. They will have to wait to find out who they will play in next Thursday's decider after the second semi-final, between St Andrew's and Mount Anville, was abandoned after 40 minutes due to atrocious weather conditions.
Ruth Tevlin got the only goal of the first semi-final after seven minutes when she collected Sarah Cooney's pass on the right of the circle and fired past Claire Lundberg in the Bray goal. By then Muckross captain Nikki Keegan had almost given her school a spectacular start when she charged forward from the first whistle, only to be denied by Lundberg.
Bray, without seven of last year's victorious team, responded by winning two short corners in quick succession, but it was following the breakdown of the second that Muckross swept forward to score. They threatened to double their lead in a lively spell that saw them win two corners but it was Bray who finished the half the stronger team.
Cecelia Joyce saw her shot deflected just wide of the Muckross goal before Lyndsey Kane was denied by goalkeeper Nuala Maguire from a short corner. A smart "one-two" between Kane and Gráinne Howe almost led to the equaliser just before half-time but, again, Maguire was quick off her line to avert the danger.
Bray goalkeeper Lundberg made the save of the game soon after the break when she diverted Cooney's short-corner strike which was bound for the bottom left corner, but, with the rising wind making conditions almost unplayable it was Bray who poured forward in the final third of the game in search of an equaliser.
Howe fired in a superb cross from the right wing that, agonisingly, evaded Kane's outstretched stick in front of goal before Bray won two more short corners in the dying moments. From the first, Isobel Joyce's shot was cleared by Gemma Coughlan, a member of a steadfast Muckross back four completed by Clara McCormack, Gillian Lewis and Claire Picard.
Quite how the players of St Andrew's and Mount Anville kept their feet on the ground one will never know. For 40 minutes they battled against the stormy elements before the umpires took pity on them and agreed, with the respective coaches, that it would be better if they all came back another day.
When play was abandoned the game was still scoreless, thanks in no small part to St Andrew's goalkeeper Carla Dalton, who made three fine saves, her best from Mount Anville right winger Claire Sexton. The re-arranged semi-final will be played at Grange Road on Monday at 4 p.m.
MUCKROSS PARK: N Maguire, C McCormack, G Coughlan, G Lewis, C Picard, J Motherway, S Cooney, C Devan, N Keegan (capt), F Wade, R Tevlin. Subs: B Murphy, G Fitzpatrick, S O'Brien, K Clear, D McCourt.
LORETO BRAY: C Lundberg, I Joyce (co-capt), M Burke, G Howe (co-capt), L Barrie, C Joyce, R Hughes, C Ni Chearbhaill, M Butler, L Kane, C Waddell. Subs: J McAndrew, C Duffy, A O'Grady, K Leonard, M Bailey, B Snow.
Umpires: A Murray and P Hale.
