Loreto Kilkenny show class in Leinster Junior victory

It proved to be a perfect afternoon for Loreto Kilkenny in Fenagh as the defending champions sauntered to success over their namesake from Wexford in the Leinster Schools Junior ‘A’ camogie championship final.

The Wexford girls went into the game with high hopes, having put in a fantastic performance to see off Presentation (Kilkenny) four days earlier (1-7 to 1-6), but their exploits in that game appeared to take their toll as a flat performance against an outstanding side proved futile.

Even in tip-top shape, with every bounce going in their favour, Loreto (Wexford) were well up against it here.
The Kilkenny outfit were tremendous from 1-15 and their substitutions looked lively too, meaning there was no weak point to attack in their armour.

Naturally the Wexford girls will be disappointed by the result but at least they got out on the field and gave it a shot.

It would have been easy to throw in the towel when they trailed by 4-14 to 0-1 at the interval, but the fact Kilkenny only managed 2-5 in the second-half was a testament to their battling qualities.

There’s even an argument that it would have been prudent to mail it in at that stage and protect from any injuries on a hard, unforgiving surface and coast to the finish line, but not for a second was that ever a consideration as Loreto (Wexford) gave it all they had.

Even by Kilkenny camogie standards, this looks an exceptional group of players in Loreto with the likes of captain Ciara Dunne, Lucy Boyd, Aoife Shealy and Louisa Gilmore all marking themselves as potential future stars.

There was a huge difference on the scoreboard by the final whistle but the game looked competitive to begin with and there was a little promise in the opening moments for a fair contest as Layla Stafford responded to an opening Lucy Boyd free with a cracking point from an angle.

However, it wouldn’t be until first-half injury-time when Loreto (Wexford) seriously threatened another score.

In the meantime, corner-forward Boyd was marking herself out as the best player on the park and someone who will surely be seen in a Kilkenny Senior jersey in a few years’ time.

She added two more points as her school moved 0-5 to 0-1 in front after 11 minutes.

The Kilkenny girls would score 4-9 in the last 16 minutes of the first-half to end the game as a contest. It was just a barrage of attacks as the black and ambers took complete control of the middle third.

Aoife Shealy got their first goal to round out the opening quarter, Boyd flashed home their second in the 20th minute, and Louisa Gilmore added a third on the run to make it 3-9 to 0-1.

A fourth followed from Ciara Dunne, and Loreto (Wexford) were indebted to a couple of excellent stops on the goal-line, preventing further damage.

Molly Chin did float an effort onto the crossbar in added-time for the Wexford school, but they went in trailing by a big margin.

The start of the second-half proved similar to the first, with Layla Stafford countering a quick Shealy point at the other end (4-15 to 0-2).

She would be the width of an upright away from a third point, but Loreto (Wexford) didn’t score again.

However, they defended and battled with great heart as a unit, and their opposition added just 2-4 in the rest of the half, with Dunne completing a major hat-trick to see Loreto (Kilkenny) home to a 17th Leinster Junior ‘A’ crown.

The victory sees the Kilkenny city school complete the double of Junior and Senior Leinster titles in an exciting few weeks for Loreto.

Loreto (Kilkenny): Eimear Brennan; Shannon Doheny, Angela Carroll, Ciara Hickey; Ellen Murphy, Anna Doheny, Grace Brennan; Ona Kennedy (0-1), Louisa Gilmore (1-2); Aoife Shealy (1-3), Aoife Kirby, Sarah Kehoe; Eleanor Doheny (0-2), Ciara Dunne (capt., 3-1), Lucy Boyd (1-9, 0-4 frees). Subs. - Shauna Mahony (0-1) for E. Doheny (43), Ayesha Belalaoui for Gilmore (48), Ella Walton for S. Doheny (52), Amber Laherty for Shealy (53), Síodraidh Kennedy for Boyd (59).

Loreto (Wexford): Sinéad Cullen ; Jemma Cousins, Emma O’Leary, Isabelle Wilde ; Molly Moran, Ciara Whelan, Cara Parker; Layla Stafford ( 0-2, 1 free), Molly Chin; Erin O’Brien, Lauryn Murphy, Kitty Roche; Isabelle Carty, Chloe Whelan, Rachel Whelan. Subs. - Orlaith Flynn for Carty (43), Rachel Cullen for Murphy (49), Keelin O’Reilly for Cullen (49), Mollie Quirke for R. Whelan (57).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).