Mount Anville ... 3 Muckross Park ... 0Mount Anville made it through to their third successive Leinster Schools League final with a 3-0 victory over Muckross Park in the semi-finals at Grange Road yesterday, writes Mary Hannigan.
Irish under-18 international Carol McGowan got two of her school's goals against the team Mount Anville also beat in last season's Leinster Senior Cup final.
Muckross Park, though, started much the brighter team with Nikki Keegan, who plays senior club hockey with Loreto, twice threatening the Mount Anville goal with bursts from deep, but she could find no way past the flawless trio of goalkeeper Laoise Coady and defenders Rachel Copeland and Dearbhla McGuinness.
Sheena Geoghegan's charge down the right wing after 13 minutes led to the game's opening goal, with McGowan slotting home the winger's perfect centre from the back-line. Three minutes later Geoghegan made it 2-0, capitalising on uncertain Muckross defending, with McGowan sealing the win three minutes from time with a fine solo effort.
MOUNT ANVILLE: L Coady, R Copeland, D McGuinness, J Donohoe, A Tierney, K O'Donnell, C McGowan, S Geoghegan, C Quinlan, C Sexton, K Hutch. Subs: A McKeating, K Carton, R Reddy, E Conway, E J Coughlan.
MUCKROSS PARK: D McCourt, S O'Brien, E Dunne, T MacArthur, S Cooney, F Wade, B Murphy, N Keegan, R Tevlin, S Gowan, C Devan. Subs: B D'Arcy, C McCormack, D O'Donoghue.
Umpires: A Murray and B Cahill.
