Goals key as Loreto Kilkenny secure 10th Corn Sceilge title

CHAMPIONS: A GOAL in the moments before half-time and then another after 58 minutes clinched a 10th Allianz Corn Sceilge All-Ireland senior schools’ title for Loreto Kilkenny in TUD Grangegorman Saturday afternoon despite a huge challenge from Ulster champions St Patrick’s Maghera. Pic: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Allianz Corn Sceilge All-Ireland Senior A final: Loreto Kilkenny 2-8 St Patrick’s Maghera 0-10

A GOAL in the moments before half-time and then another after 58 minutes clinched a 10th Allianz Corn Sceilge All-Ireland senior schools’ title for Loreto Kilkenny in TUD Grangegorman Saturday afternoon despite a huge challenge from Ulster champions St Patrick’s Maghera.

Kilkenny also made it a third successive title, beating Maghera on the way to each crown. They have to thank Ona Kennedy’s goal in the 29th minute and the second came from a deflection off Ciara Dunne whose grandmother had died a day earlier.

Although Kennedy picked up the Player of the Match award, Maghera’s free-taker Emma Quinn, who will face Presentation Kilkenny in the Corn Gobnait Junior final on March 1, was for many the star of the game with eight points for her side, seven from frees from all distances and angles.

Mary Therese McCullagh opened the scoring with a Maghera point in the third minute, but the free-takers, Kennedy and Quinn, then took over. Kennedy nailed four and Quinn three to take the teams towards the break on 0-4 each.

Then Kennedy took a pass from Lucy Boyd, dropped the shoulder to bye-pass a couple of defenders and fired to the Maghera net.

Katie McCloskey hit back with a point on the re-start before a period of sustained pressure from Loreto resulted in just one additional score – from Kennedy.

Quinn’s frees in the 37th, 42nd and 45th minutes tied the teams on 0-8 to 1-5 and, although Anna Doheny from a long range free became Loreto’s second scorer, the Swatragh player added another in the 50th minute.

Aoife Shealy edged Loreto ahead and the score of the game came a couple of minutes later with Holly Ryan on the end of a fine Kilkenny move. Five scoreless minutes followed before another long free from Anna Doheny got a touch from Ciara Dunne that went beyond Orlaith Johnston in the Maghera goals.

It killed off Maghera who still await a first title despite an excellent defensive performance in which Aoife McWilliams, Ellie Griffin and Branna Brolly excelled. However the experience of Doheny, Dunne and Kennedy, all collecting a third successive medal, saw the Leinster champions home once more.

Scorers for Loreto: O Kennedy (1-5, 0-5 f), C Dunne (1-00, A Doheny (0-1f), H Ryan and A Shealy (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Patrick’s: E Quinn (0-8, 7 f), MT McCullagh and K McCloskey (0-1 each).

LORETO: E Walton, S Doheny, A Carroll, G Brennan, E Murphy, A Doheny, E Smith, L Gilmore, S Kehoe, S Mahoney, O Kennedy, H Ryan, A Shealy, C Dunne, L Boyd.

Sub: E Doheny for Lucy Boyd (42) 

ST PATRICK'S: O Johnston, O McCartney, E Griffin, A McWilliams, R Doherty, E Murray capt, B Brolly, C Conway, MT McCullagh, G Kelly, K McCloskey, L Cassidy, A Mulholland, C Chambers, E Quinn 

Subs: B Donaghy for A Mulholland (59), E Conway for E Murray (60) 

Referee: L Bannon (Cavan).