Mount Mercy out to roll back the years

MOUNT MERCY will be keen to evoke memories of a golden era when they face down Crescent College Comprehensive in today’s Munster Senior Schoolgirls Cup final at Rosbrien in Limerick (3pm).

The Model Farm Road school had a vintage crop of players in the middle of the last decade – four of whom have gone on to become Irish internationals – culminating in All-Ireland glory in 2006.

Skipper Yvonne O’Byrne is the class of 2010’s taliswoman, leading by example from the back. Jennifer Murphy and Emily O’Leary are others with top-level club experience, while goalkeeper Susan Peters is one of the youngest members of this year’s Munster U21 side.

Standing in their way is a Crescent side that has flourished under the guidance of Ollie O’Connor and captain Geena Kinevane.

The return of prolific centre-forward Aileen McMahon – who sat out the 1-0 semi-final win over Scoil Mhuire, but has scored in the majority of games she has played this term – is a significant boon for them.

Goalkeeper Aoife McNamara and Ciara Moloney have been in fine form, while in Ireland U16 international Roisín Upton Crescent possess one of the most precocious talents in the country.

As well as taking bragging rights in Munster, today’s winner will also qualify for the ESB Kate Russell Cup, an All-Ireland competition to be held in Galway in a fortnight.

CRESCENT: A McNamara (GK), C Moloney, G Kinevane (capt), T Lyons, K Flinn, O Hickey, O Donworth, C Nolan, R Upton, C O’Sullivan, L O’Kane, L Barrett, G Fleming, O Joyce, K Fitzgerald, E McManus, K McGrath, A McMahon.

MOUNT MERCY: S Peters (GK), Y O’Byrne (capt), C Lucey, Emily O’Leary, Elisa O’Leary, K O’Herlihy, C Mullane, S Browner, J Murphy, A Moore, G Kelleher, A O’Donovan.