Muckross make up for recent hurt

Schools Hockey Leinster Premier League final/ Muckross Park 2 Loreto Beaufort 1: After a string of hard-luck stories at Grange Road in recent years, in both cup and league competitions, Muckross Park had plenty to celebrate at the same venue yesterday when they beat reigning champions Loreto Beaufort in the Leinster Premier League final.

Muckross, coached by Orla Goode and Joe Brennan, were 2-0 up against the favourites midway through the first half, winger Ruth Dunne and sweeper Rachel O'Reilly both scoring from short corners, but had to withstand intense pressure from Beaufort for much of the rest of the games.

Aoife Lambert, in the Muckross goal, along with a defence in which Alex Lawless shone, thwarted Loreto until Patricia O'Dwyer pulled a goal back 12 minutes from time. Prompted by Aisling Campion, Zara Delany and Hannah Matthews Beaufort did everything but equalise in the closing stages, but Muckross, for whom Anna O'Flanagan impressed yet again, held on for victory.

Last season Muckross lost 3-2 at the semi-final stage of the competition, having a penalty stroke saved just to augment the agony. The team they lost to? Loreto Beaufort. Yesterday's triumph should, one imagines, erase that painful memory.

MUCKROSS PARK: A Lambert, R O'Reilly, J Murray, L Dineen, A Lawless, D Doherty, A O'Flanagan, E Ward, R Dunne, M Morgan, G Coleman. Subs: A Reddan, A O'Reilly, E Conway, C Conway, S O'Loughrin. Goals: Dunne, O'Reilly.

LORETO BEAUFORT: J Duffy, Z Ennis, A O'Leary, M O'Dwyer, V Redmond, A Campion, H Matthews, S Noonan, Z Delany, R Maunsell, S Barnwell. Subs: P O'Dwyer, S McGirr, R Murphy, R Kelly, C O'Farrell. Goal: O'Dwyer.

Umpires: C Metchette and D Acheson.