Superb Hogan leads the way as Loreto advance to Junior schools decider

Emma Hogan led the way with a superb individual performance as Loreto booked their place in the All-Ireland Junior camogie final in Oranmore last week.

The Dicksboro sharpshooter scored 2-11 in total for the winners as the Kilkenny school saw off Connacht champions Presentation Athenry in rather emphatic style come the final whistle.

The last four affair was a repeat of the senior semi-final clash between the same two schools and it was a similar result as the Kilkenny city outfit ran riot in the second period.

Athenry got the scoring underway with a Rosin Caulfield free but before Presentation could build any momentum from the bright opening, Loreto bounced back with the next four points.

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Emma Hogan levelled up matters with her first score of the half and the talented forward then quickly added on two more efforts before Amy Walsh pushed the side in black and amber into a 0-4 to 0-1 advantage by the 10th minute.

Athenry then had a goal opportunity which Kayla Dolan blasted narrowly wide and when Ruby Mullins added on a point, Loreto moved four clear at the halfway mark of the opening period.

Mullins and Meabh Kenny got two more points for Loreto ahead of the half-time break but they didn’t go into the interval leading after Pres increased the pressure.

Points from Roisin Caulfield and Abbie Duffy arrived before Duffy herself bagged the opening goal of the game when blasting a shot past Leah Croke in the Loreto goal.

Kayla Garrett appeared as a sub towards the end of the opening period and she wasted no time in getting involved with her stoppage time free deadlocking the sides at 0-7 to 1-4 by the change of ends.

Garrett continued her accuracy on the frees when knocking over two placed balls at the start of the second half but remarkably those 31st and 34th minute efforts were to be the last of the entire game for the Galway school as Loreto hit them for 2-12 without reply in a stunning surge of scoring.

Helped by a big impact off the bench, Loreto immediately went after their opponents and although Meabh Kenny had a goal disallowed for a square ball, the momentum was building for the visitors.

Quickfire scores from Kenny herself and Emma Hogan quickly regained parity on the scorecard and from that point on it was all one way traffic as Loreto piled on the pressure.

Three Emma Hogan scores as well as sub Maura Barton and Ruby Mullins splitting the posts quickly put the contest beyond any doubt as the Loreto pace and power really suited the all-weather surface.

Jenna Trait was another replacement who showed well on her introduction and the first Loreto goal arrived after the Dicksboro star had a shot saved before her club teammate Emma Hogan knocked home the rebound.

Hogan would find the net again before the end as Loreto sailed home on a final 2-19 to 1-6 scoreline.

Teams and Scorers

Loreto - Emma Hogan (2-11, 9fs); Ruby Mullins (0-4); Meabh Kenny (0-2); Maura Barton, Amy Walsh (0-1 each)

Pres Athenry - Abbie Duffy (1-1); Kayla Garrett (0-3, 2fs); Roisin Caulfield (0-2, 2fs)

Loreto - Leah Croke (Bennettsbridge); Ruby Doyle (St Martin’s), Sinead Cash (Tullaroan), Eimear Cottrell (Rower Inistioge); Katie Mulcahy (Bennettsbridge), Sian Bolger (St Martin’s), Saidbh Farrell (Young Irelands); Amy Walsh (Dicksboro), Julia Healy (St Martin’s); Ruby Mullins (St Martin’s), Emma Hogan (Dicksboro), Rebecca Smith (Barrow Rangers); Holly Drennan (Young Irelands), Meabh Kenny (Rower Inistioge), Claire Kavanagh (Young Irelands).

Subs: Jenna Trait (Dicksboro) for Kavanagh, h-t; Maura Barton (James Stephens) for Kenny, 44 mins; Roisin Gibbons (Emeralds) for Drennan, 58 mins; Mia Rosnak (Bennettsbridge) for Mullins, 60 mins.

Pres Athenry - Ciara Doyle; Ciara Morrissey, Sarah Ni Bhearaigh, Emily Rabbite; Emily McDonagh, Katie Leen, Kayleigh Rabbite; Abbie Duffy, Meabh Cronin; Aoibheann Hannion, Ruby Burke, Leah Corcoran; Roisin Caulfield , Kayla Dolan, Anna Jordan.

Subs: Kayla Garrett for Corcoran, 24 mins; Chloe Murray for Burke, 43 mins; Aine Duffy for Cronin, 49 mins; Chloe Finnerty for Caulfield, 58 mins.

Referee - Mike Ryan