Monday, September 8 – Garryduff: A scintillatingly close Girls’ Interprovicial series came right down to the wire as Ulster U16 & U18 girls took home the silverware with wins in their final game.
U16 Girls
Hosts Munster kicked off the weekend as they faced Leinster South in Friday’s first tie. A neck and neck first half saw the sides enter the halftime break on level terms, before a Gabrielle Morrissey field goal broke the deadlock early in the second half. Leinster South continued to fight, but Munster eventually sealed the win with a duo of goals in the closing ten minutes, Ellie MacMahon & Eva Dullea finding the net to secure the win.
Reigning champions Leinster and Connacht were next on the docket. The title holders proved too strong for a Connacht side that fought until the final moments. Jamie Dagg and Georgia May Agnew opened the scoring in the first quarter, before Agnew got her second along with goals from Grace Galligan and Rebecca Ryan added further goals in the first half. A second half brace for Jilly Fox and goals from Bella Stafford and Sienna Boucher concluded the scoring.
Munster and Ulster closed out day 1 with a tense test. A goal on the stroke of half-time from Ulster’s Zara Moyo gave Ulster the confidence they needed going into the second half to get the job done. Grace Adamson doubled the lead just two minutes into the second half to build a two-goal lead that Ulster defended until the final whistle.
Leinster had to dig deep in the early hours of Saturday morning to grab their second win of the weekend over their provincial compatriots Leinster South. Rebecca Ryan opened the scoring for Leinster after just seven minutes, but defensive resilience of threatening attacking play saw Leinster South stay well in the fight for the remainder of the first half. A Jilly Fox goal just after half-time swung the momentum in Leinster’s favour, and Laura Carvalho e Silva Kracke got the third goal to seal the win in the closing minutes.
Ulster and Connacht kept the action coming as Ulster surged to a second win of the weekend with penalty corners proving the difference. A Molly Tumilty brace, a goal each for Ava Cunningham, Cassie McMaw, Poppy Hannath, Beth Kennedy and Ruby Caddoo handed Ulster a convincing win.
In the penultimate game of the day, Munster came from behind to secure a crucial point against Leinster. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Leinster found the net through Bella Stafford. However, with just three minutes remaining, Munster won a penalty corner which captain Emma McDonald converted to rescue a point. In the shootout, Munster secured the bonus point.
Leinster South and Connacht closed out day 2 with a cracking tie. A very level first half ended goalless, but Leinster South wasted no time in the second half, scoring back-to-back penalty corners thanks to Sofia Ball. A Connacht comeback looked to be on the cards as Liadhán Hatton pulled a goal back, but Sofia Ball was on hand to restore the two-goal cushion, complete her hattrick and grab a first win of the weekend for Leinster South.
It was all still to play for going into the final day, with Ulster and Leinster kicking off proceedings with a potential early title decider. An early field goal for Leinster from Darcy Carlin kicked the battle off, but Ulster eventually equalised in the third quarter through Ruby Caddoo. In the dying moments of the game, Ulster won a penalty stroke, giving them an opportunity to take control at the top of the table, an opportunity Nyla Mallon bravely took.
Munster closed out their campaign with a chance to secure silver, but needed a win over Connacht to do so. An exceptional performance from Connacht made life difficult for the hosts as the sides went into the break locked at 0-0. Munster eventually got their goal, Emma McDonald scoring from a penalty corner to give her side the lead. McDonald added a second from a corner four minutes later to lock down second spot for her side.
With the title secured, Ulster faced Leinster South in the final game of the U16 tournament with a chance to cap off the weekend with an unbeaten record. Early goals from Alex McCrea and Brooke Duncan got Ulster underway, before Leinster South scored a superb free flowing goal that was finished off by Ellen Daly to pull a goal back. Ulster however, proved too strong, adding five more goals courtesy of Katie Leslie, Poppy Hannath, Nyla Mallon, Brooke Duncan, and Mollie Tumilty to end the weekend on maximum points.
U18 Girls
Kicking things off for the U18’s was Munster ad Leinster South on Day 1. An exceptionally close match saw the sides battle throughout to take the lead, but neither could beat their opposition keeper, seeing them go into the half-time break level. Munster eventually took the lead when Ella O’Shaughnessy found the back of the net late in the third quarter. A penalty stroke from Kate Collins and penalty corner from Rachel Sweetnam secure the win for the home side.
Leinster and Connacht followed them on, with the theme of close encounters continuing. Superb defending from Connacht kept Leinster at bay for 44 minutes until they eventually made a breakthrough from a penalty corner converted by Holly Farrell. Connacht, however, threatened late on, but Leinster put any chance of a comeback out of question when Juliette Duffy doubled their lead in the 57th minute.
Munster and Ulster closed the day out with yet another fascinating battle. Munster took an early lead when Emma Grace found the net from a penalty corner. A second goal for the hosts in the first minute of the final quarter guaranteed them all three points, with Anna Rose Benson grabbing the decisive goal.
Leinster continued their winning ways in the first game of day two against Leinster South. Two early penalty corner goals from Daisy Costello and Juliette Duffy sent Leinster on their way, before Nicole Barry grabbed the team’s third in the closing minutes of the first half. Leinster maintained their lead throughout the second and Leinster South fought to find a way back into the game. A penalty corner from Leinster South’s Sally Hannon did eventually open the team’s account, but it proved a consolation only as Leister walked away as victors.
Ulster made no mistake in their second outing as they came away as 5-0 victors against Connacht. Four goals from Lara Wilson spread across the first and second half built an insurmountable lead for the defending champions before Beth Evans put the icing on the cake from a penalty corner in the final minute.
Leinster came out on top of a potentially decisive tie with Munster. Yana Yoakley’s penalty corner inside the first 10 minutes gave Leinster early confidence. Holly Farrell extended the lead to two before half-time, giving Leinster a lead they managed to defend until the final whistle.
Connacht and Leinster South closed out the day with an entertaining matchup as Connacht came from behind to grab their first win of the weekend. Aoife Chaney’s well taken gave Leinster South a lead that Connacht quickly cancelled out from a penalty corner. Connacht completed their comeback in the final quarter when Aoife Harrison found the net to hand Connacht their first win.
The third and final day began with a potential title-deciding tie as Leinster ad Ulster met; a draw would be enough for Leinster to secure the title, while Ulster had to win to go level on points and stay in the contest. There was very little to separate the sides, with Ulster pressing Leinster well and limiting their chances to counterattacks. A penalty stroke before half-time would separate the sides as Ulster’s Lara Wilson found the net to give Ulster a lead that they kept hold of for the remainder of the game.
Arguably the most dramatic game of the weekend came in the penultimate tie of the weekend as Munster and Connacht ended their campaigns with a fascinating battle. Defensive heroics and superb performances between the sticks from Connacht’s Eadaoin Burns and Emma Considine kept the sides level. After withdrawing their keeper, Munster continued to test Connacht as the clock ticked down. A counter-attack for Connacht in the final seconds saw them race up the pitch and find the back of the net to snatch the win in emphatic style.
The competition came down to the wire as Ulster met Leinster South in the closing game of the weekend needing a win to retain their title. The reigning champions showed their intentions early on, Beth Evans scoring a penalty corner after four minutes and Lara Wilson doubling the lead just before the end of the first quarter. Wilson got her brace in Q2 when she extended the lead to three from a penalty corner. Leinster South threathened a comeback a minute into the second half when Aoife Chaney scored from open play, but Ulster quickly regained control over the match and restored their three-goal lead through Zoe Hogan to secure the points needed to be crowned champions.
