ReigninG All-Ireland schools' champions Loreto, Bray retained the Esat Digiphone Leinster Senior Cup at Grange Road yesterday with a 1-0 win over Muckross Park, in a top-class final between two well-matched teams.

The scoreline was a reverse of the result between the schools when they met in February's League semi-finals with Linda Byrne scoring the decisive goal a minute before half-time. Impressive midfielder Linda O'Neill picked out an unmarked Byrne on the right of the circle and she drilled the ball low into the net.

The loss through injury of O'Neill, one of Bray's two Irish under-21 panellists (the other being Catherine Murray), early in the second half heralded Muckross Park's best spell of the game, during which they forced three short corners, the first of which saw a fine Jean McDonnell shot saved by Doyle.

Keegan, who had a sparkling game for Muckross up front (one that was matched by her sister Rachel's display as sweeper), very nearly snatched a late equaliser when McDonnell found her in the circle with a long ball but, having controlled it superbly, she was thwarted by the alert Doyle who rushed off her line to clear the danger.

MUCKROSS PARK: O McGuinness, R Keegan, L Phelan (capt), S Cooney, C Picard, J McDonnell, A McCormack, C Devane, J Motherway, N Keegan, F Wade. Subs: B Murphy, G Fitzpatrick, C Collins, F Lambert, S Seery.

LORETO BRAY: L Doyle (co-capt), S Doyle, R Hughes, L O'Neill, I Joyce, C Joyce, C Murray (cocapt), L Barrie, R Freeman, L Byrne, G Howe. Subs: C Brady, M Butler, K Leonard, C Lundberg.

Umpires: P Errity and J Beamish.