Girls and Women's Hockey
ESB Kate Russell Schools Finals and ESB Women's Senior Cup Final.
March proved to be a highly successful month for Ulster hockey, with Royal School Armagh winning the ESB Kate Russell All-Ireland schools' title in Dublin, the province's seventh triumph in the tournament in eight years, and the mighty Pegasus beating Pembroke Wanderers in the ESB Irish Senior Cup final.
It was the 12th victory for Pegasus in the competition, drawing the Belfast club level with Pembroke in the ISC roll of honour, two behind Dublin's Muckross who won the cup 15 times between 1936 and 1994. A richly deserved success it was too for the hot favourites, although as captain Arlene Boyles, the former Irish sweeper, admitted after, "we made hard work of it".
They did too, but while Pembroke caused the Ulster champions few problems at the back, their defence and goalkeeper, Mary Goode, were outstanding throughout, standing up to a wave of Pegasus attacks, which included 10 short corners.
Goode, battling it out these days with Loreto's Louisa Healy for the job of first choice Irish goalkeeper, was called in to action no less than 12 times, in contrast to her opposite number, Sharon Moffett, who was only once tested by Pembroke.
"Patience was the name of the game," said Boyles," and I think we showed that." That patience was finally rewarded four minutes in to the second half when player of the match Claire McMahon, another retired Irish international, volleyed home Alex Speers' deflected cross from the left.
Until then McMahon had done everything but score, the winger at the centre of the bulk of her team's best attacking work, and might have had a hatful of goals but for Goode's goalkeeping and some fine interceptions and blocks from the Pembroke defence.
It's 32 years since Pembroke, one of Irish hockey's most famous clubs, last won the cup – ironically beating Pegasus in that 1975 final – but so dominant were the Ulster champions in the 2007 final the Dubliners never looked like bridging that gap. Pegasus, then, made it two wins in four years in the competition, Pembroke captain Susan Ryan paying tribute to them after the game by admitting they "gave us a lesson in hockey today".
More than a few of the Royal School Armagh players who won their school its third All-Ireland title in six years are likely to feature in Irish Senior Cup finals in the future, such is the depth of talent in their ranks. Perhaps most gifted of them all is Amy Stewart, the 15-year-old who, remarkably, made her senior Irish debut against France last month, succeeding her sister Emma (19) as Ireland's youngest ever senior international.
Stewart helped Armagh to victories over Taylor's Hill (Connacht), Crescent College (Munster) and Loreto Wexford (South-East) at Grange Road before taking the point they needed from Alexandra College in the tournament decider. Alexandra, the Leinster Cup holders, took the runners-up spot in the competition.
By Mary Hannigan
