Alexandra College ... 1 Loreto Dalkey ... 0A goal from Vanessa Buckley seven minutes into the second half proved enough to defeat defending champions Loreto Abbey, Dalkey at Grange Road yesterday and put Alexandra College into the final against Mount Anville on January 29th, writes Mary Hannigan.

The teams were so evenly matched in the day's second semi-final that extra-time, and even penalty strokes, seemed almost inevitable, but despite completely dominating the game after going a goal down, Dalkey failed to find an equaliser.

The holders were handicapped by the absence of key midfielder Kate Dillon, who had a back injury.

Emma Smyth, like Dillon a first team regular with Railway Union in the Leinster League, led Dalkey's fightback in the closing stages but on the one occasion, five minutes from time, she managed to find a way past the defensive pairing of Katie Darling and Emilie Balbirnie, Alexandra goalkeeper Chloe Kassis-Crowe brilliantly denied the Dalkey midfielder.

ALEXANDRA: C Kassis-Crowe, K Darling, A George, D Stanley, M Purcell, E Balbirnie, K Coghlan, L De Burgh, L Beresford, J Keane, V Buckley. Subs: A De Burgh, H Jones, J Hanlon, S Smith.

DALKEY: L Kennedy, P Grehan, M McCarthy, K Morrissey, R A Kilty, E Smyth, S Ryan, B Maguire, M Hughes, F McCormick, A Lim. Subs: L Quinn, J Touhy, C McNestry, A Durken.

Umpires: P Hale and J Connolly.