A week after becoming the first club to win the Champions Trophy two years on the trot by beating Loreto in Banbridge, Railway Union rounded off an exceptional season by getting the better of the same opposition to retain the AIG Irish Senior Cup at Belfield on Saturday.
A 10th-minute goal from Sarah Patton and a Róisín Upton penalty stroke three minutes from time sealed the win for Railway, Loreto getting a late, late consolation score through Nicola Torrans.
As they have done all season, Railway’s defence and their goalkeeper Emma Maloney excelled, Loreto racking up 15 penalty corners in the game but failing to get any joy from them until it was too late.
A Patton sister act opened the scoring, Sarah turning home Orla’s cross from the right in the first quarter, but it wasn’t until the dying moments that they added their second when Upton sent her stroke high to Liz Murphy’s right after Sarah Patton had been fouled in the circle.
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Loreto, seeking their first success in the completion in 15 years, finally got a return from their penalty corner count when Torrans scored from a rebound, but by then the hooter had sounded and Railway’s job was done.
It’s the second season in a row that Railway, coached by Una McCarthy, and Loreto have won all three major domestic honours between them, the latter having retained their Hockey League title last month.
