Loreto storm to emphatic All-Ireland success

Lidl All-Ireland PPS Junior A final

Loreto College, Cavan 10-14

St Mary’s, Midleton (Cork) 0-7

Paul Fitzpatrick at Abbotstown

To win any All-Ireland title is a great achievement but to claim a national crown, in the A grade, with 37 points to spare denotes a truly special team and performance.

That was the case today at the National GAA Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin as Loreto College cruised to an emphatic victory over Munster champions St Mary’s from Middleton in Cork.

The Cavan girls were simply magnificent and looked levels above their opponents in all areas of the pitch. Clearly very well coached, they played well all over the pitch and, in truth, the result was beyond doubt as early as 12 minutes into the game – or before.

By that stage, the Cavan side were 5-2 to 0-1 up. By half-time, they had extended that advantage to 6-8 to 0-3 and they continued to dominate, hitting the woodwork on a couple of occasions as they over-ran the Cork side, who battled hard but just found Loreto too good.

In a game where every player performed close to their maximum, a few individuals still stood out. Mullahoran’s Kate Fegan picked up the Player of the Match award with a sensational display of ball-carrying and finishing while full-forward Clodagh Clarke was deadly, as was captain Sarah Clarke, and the midfield pairing of the athletic Lauren Miney and Ruby Gilmartin completely dominated.

At the back, Caitlin Crowe was a tower of strength, with Ailbhe Kennedy playing the sweeper role to perfection. That is to name just a handful who stood out for this observer but the truth was that there was no weak link on the winning side, with the subs who came on also showing their class.

Loreto got off to a dream start when they forced a turnover and Fegan squared the ball for Katie O’Meara, who palmed to the net with two minutes played.

Moments later, Fegan ran at the defence and her speculative effort found the roof of the net. The Mullahoran player soon added a quality point from play and after good work from Rebecca Boyle Drought, Fegan registered another well-taken point.

A free from Ava McAuliffe, the Cork’s side’s key attacker, left it 2-2 to 0-1 but Loreto responded in style; the excellent Miney won possession and Clodagh Clarke linked with captain Sarah Clarke, who broke a tackle and smashed home from close range.

The kick-out was won by Loreto and Fegan calmly rounded the goalkeeper and tucked away – the scoreline was now a scarcely-believable 4-2 to 0-1 with 10 minutes played.

Fegan was again the provider for the next, Ballyhaise’s Clodagh Clarke beating the goalkeeper for Loreto’s fifth major. Drought supplied the next point, reacting quickest after the ball was spilled, and Lauren Miney galloped through the centre and planted the ball in the roof of the net for possibly the best of the 10 goals to make it 6-3 to 0-1 after 19 minutes.

Clodagh Clarke and Sarah Clarke (after build-up play from Cáit O’Reilly) both raised white flags and although McAuliffe pointed well with the outside of the boot, a Kate McSeain point and another for Fegan extended the Cavan school’s lead to 23 points.

Katie O’Meara and McAuliffe traded frees as Loreto went in holding a massive advantage, with their goalkeeper Orla McCabe having been superb from restarts when Midleton did manage to pin Loreto back.

Points from Drought and Fegan got the would-be winners up and running on the restart before Fegan tore through the middle and buried the ball in the bottom corner for another fantastic goal.

She added another point after Clodagh Clarke hit the crossbar; and Clarke got in on the act with a terrific score from her next involvement, then scored again from a free, which also clipped the bar on the way over.

By now, the result was beyond doubt but Loreto piled on more scores. Sarah Clarke found the top corner and sub Katie McGahern fired over from a tight angle before Orla McCabe saved smartly from Ava Coughlan at the expense of a point.

Fegan bundled home her fourth goal and added a point for good measure before, on the stroke of full-time, O’Meara rattled the top corner to complete the perfect 10.

Scorers: Loreto Cavan: K Fegan 4-6, K O’Meara 2-2 (1f), S Clarke 2-1, C Clarke 1-2 (1f), L Miney 1-0, R Boyle Drought 0-2, K McSeain 0-1, K McGahern 0-1.

St Mary’s Midleton: A McAuliffe 0-4 (4f), O Murphy 0-2, A Coughlan 0-1.

Loreto College, Cavan: Orla McCabe (Killygarry), Danielle McGovern (Drumlane), Caitlin Crowe (St Finbarr’s), Aoibhinn Galligan (Mullahoran), Aine McDwyer (Butlersbridge), Ailbhe Kennedy (Killygarry), Kate McSeain (Cornafean), Lauren Miney (Arva-Killeshandra), Ruby Gilmartin (Ballyhaise), Cait O’Reilly (Butlersbridge), Sarah Clarke (captain, Cavan Gaels), Kate Fegan (Mullahoran), Katie O’Meara (Cavan Gaels), Clodagh Clarke (Ballyhaise), Rebecca Boyle Drought (Cavan Gaels)

Subs: Kaitlyn Cahill (Crosserlough) for Galligan (42), Katie McGahern (Cornafean) for Boyle Drought (42), Einin Lawton (Cavan Gaels) for O’Reilly (48), Eve Murtagh (Butlersbridge) for McDwyer (52), Naoise Dempsey (Butlersbridge) for Miney (52).

St Mary’s, Midleton: N O’Connor, T O’Neill, K Saunderson, C O’Regan, S O’Rourke, K O’Sullivan, E Brenner (C), A Savage, A Coughlan, C Twomey, A O’Brien, A Walsh, A McAuliffe, O Murphy, A Dunlea.

Subs: A Fogarty for O’Neill (30), C Horgan for Walsh (36), M Cullinane for O’Rourke (39), L O’Regan for Saunderson (50), R Murphy for O’Brien (50).

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Dublin).