HOCKEY: Wesley College and St Andrews will meet in the inaugural final of the Leinster Schoolgirls' Premier League final on Wednesday week
(January 28th) after beating Alexandra College and High School, respectively, in yesterday's semi-finals at Grange Road.
A year ago, after beating High School in the semi-finals, Andrews won their first ever Leinster Senior Cup with a hat-trick from Suzi Murray in the final against King's Hospital. The same player helped herself to three more goals in yesterday's game, scoring in the fifth, 12th and 21st minutes to all but seal St Andrews' victory by half-time.
High School, then, were swept aside even before they had a chance to settle, but they pluckily attempted a comeback, winning a flurry of short corners before Roz Campbell pulled a goal back in the second half - and they might have narrowed the deficit further if it wasn't for some smart defending, by Hannah Leggett in particular.
In the first semi-final of the day Wesley prevailed by a comfortable margin, 3-0, but Alexandra put up a spirited battle, with forward Holly Jones and winger Julie Keane a threat for them throughout, and sweeper Katie Darling also impressive at the back.
Wesley, though, had the upper hand once Jenny Heggie opened the scoring for them in the first half, a lead they doubled soon after the break through Katie Syme. Mayla Lambert ensured that Alexandra's challenge was finally subdued four minutes from time when she added Wesley's third goal of the game.
Wesley, then, will attempt to regain the title they last won in 2000 (the Premier League is, effectively, the same as the Senior League) in a fortnight's time, but with a squad that still includes 11 of last year's cup-winning panel Andrews have the look of a team capable of maintaining 2003's exceptional form.
PREMIER LEAGUE - Semi-finals (at Grange Road): Wesley College 3 (J Heggie, K Syme, M Lambert), Alexandra College 0; St Andrews 3 (S Murray 3), High School 1 (R Campbell).
WESLEY COLLEGE: D O'Farrell, J Boate, G Smyth, J White, A Warren, J Heggie, E Richardson, F Medow, L Darling, K Syme, M Lambert. Subs: S Byrne, B Curtis, C Hearnden, W Adams, M Galvin.
ALEXANDRA COLLEGE: B McEntee, K Darling, M Purcell, S Smith, V Buckley, K Ward, H Jones, E Balbirnie, H Taaffe, A De Burgh, A George. Subs: P O'Donnell, K Coughlan, A Raftery, J Keane.
ST ANDREWS: B Luke, H Leggett, K Nelligan, N Doyle, S Mawhinney, A Morris, F Flinn, S Murray, R Flinn, V Taylor, C McGlip. Subs: K Langstein, A Black, L Burdett, K Stewart, R Burke.
HIGH SCHOOL: G McMurray, C Nugent, G Nugent, S O'Hare, O Walsh, J McRann, L Watson, N Daly, R Campbell, A Stewart, C Boyle. Subs: H Warren, R Rolfe, K Smith, A Lett, S Johnson.
