CORN BEAN UI PHUIRSEIL
LORETO ON TOP AFTER DAZZLING SHOW OF STRENGTH
LORETO RATHFARNHAM…………..2-6
ST PIUS X GNS……………………….0-3
Daire Walsh
BRYANNE Kennedy Kasia Gibney were amongst the goals as Loreto GNS Rathfarnham produced a strong second half display to overcome near neighbours St Pius X GNS in the Corn Bean Ui Phuirseil decider on Wednesday morning.
Located less than two miles from each other on the south side of Dublin, these two teams helped to kick-start the action on the second and final day of the Cumann na mBunscol primary finals in Croke Park.
This camogie showpiece looked set to go down to the wire with very little separating the sides on the scoreboard in the opening period.
That was before Loreto create some daylight on the resumption and subsequently pushed on for a hard-earned victory. Pius played their part in a fine spectacle, however, with a whole host of players producing powerful individual performances.
There was a cracking pace to the game right from the word go, even if scoring chances were initially few and far between. Five minutes were gone on the clock when Kennedy stepped forward to negotiate a long-distance free, but she split the uprights in confident style Loreto into the lead.
This was followed by an effort from Sophie Keary as the Rathfarnham outfit continued to set out their stall. Pius attacker Annika Eggen had a goal-bound strike turned away by opposition netminder Lauren Baynes Smyth, but Sadhbh King converted the resulting ’45’ to get the Terenure school up and running.
Kennedy responded with her second point of the half – this time out towards the left-wing – before Alannah Evoy found the target in similar style for Pius. This kept the Loreto cushion at a single point (0-3 to 0-2) at the interval, leaving the Ui Phuirseil crown very much up for grabs.
It was Loreto who came storming out of the blocks at the beginning of the second period, though, and Kennedy’s scrambled finish in the 21st-minute opened up a considerable gap for the first time.
Still, Pius kept in touch with an Eggen free before King clipped the posts at a right-hand angle on 27 minutes.
The dynamic centre-forward was also denied by Baynes Smyth from close-range later in the half, but Loreto had already enhanced their advantage by that point. After Nicola O’Hara pulled the ball towards the goal, Gibney was on hand to flick home for her side’s second major. This put Loreto within sight of a win, but Keary and Kennedy made sure of it with points on the stroke of full-time.
While Keary and Kennedy were impressive in the final-third quarter, defenders Clodagh Boland, Sarah Quinlivan and Annie McAuley also contributed handsomely to their success on the day. King, Eggen, Grace O’Sullivan and goalkeeper Greta Harte flew the flag for St Pius, who could count themselves unfortunate not to have been closer to Loreto in the final shake-up.
SCORERS – Loreto Rathfarnham: B Kennedy 1-4, K Gibney 1-0, S Keary 0-2. St Pius X GNS: S King, A Eggen, A Evoy 0-1 each.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Bryanne Kennedy (Loreto Rathfarnham).