Chloe Watkins matched her cousin David's exploits from a day earlier, inspiring Andrew's to a Leinster senior double, scoring twice and creating two goals for Sarah Woodroofe.
4-0 was a harsh reflection of a cagey tie with Mount Anville with both sides in the ascendancy at different moments but the Booterstown school finished superbly, notching three goals in the final four minutes to seal the tie after Watkins had brilliantly opened the scoring in the first half.
Up to that 21st minute strike, Mount Anville had shaded the opening exchanges, Jane Fennelly and Aisling Naughton combining to win an early corner.
Indeed, Naughton tormented down both flanks with her pace but Andrew’s grew into the tie with Woodroofe and Harriet Kinsman going close.
And they took the lead via a superb counter-attack. Niamh Atcheler launched an overhead from the edge of her own circle, finding Watkins on halfway and, with Anville players committed to attack, found acres of space.
She raced goalwards and while she was shepherded onto her reverse, the midfielder fizzed a low bullet past Nicola Walsh.
Naughton earned another two penalty corners to no avail before the break while another run 20 seconds after the interval was fired just wide by Jessica Ryan. Jenny Maguire also saw a shot slip by the post as Mount Anville enjoyed another decent patch.
But Andrew’s had the star quality to take full control in the closing stages as Gillian Pinder made a trademark burst, ending with Walsh saving well low down while Sophie Marshall had two decent chances.The key moment came, though, following Ciara Noble’s very harsh sin-binning, adjudged to have dangerously taken down a high ball.
Reduced to ten players and chasing the game, the gaps began to appear and the insurance goal came Andrew’s way when Pinder’s reverse-stick shot was deflected onto the post by Harriet Kinsman.
Walsh pushed the rebounding ball deliberately over the endline, leading to another rough decision – a penalty stroke rather than a probable corner. Watkins was not about to develop a guilt complex and slammed home from the spot.
And she still had time to truly stamp her mark on the final with two superb assists for Woodroofe in the closing three minutes, both with pin-point right wing crosses.
In the minor final, Andrew's prevailed on sudden death penalty strokes after normal and extra time could not produce a winner. Abbey Sarratt netted the vital stroke for a 4-3 win.
Senior Premier League final: St Andrew's 4 (Chloe Watkins 2, Sarah Woodroofe 2) Mount Anville 0
St Andrew’s: T Ellis, N Atcheler, L Stephens, V Taaffe, L Pinder, H Sarratt, C Watkins (capt), G Pinder, S Woodroofe, S Marshall, H Meredith, H Kinsman, S Kavanagh, J Lavery, A Spain, L Gray, L Moran
Mount Anville: N Walsh, F O’Donovan, K O’Connor, C Noble, R Murphy, K Walsh, K Williams, A O’Connell, S Moore, A Naughton, M Crowley, L Smith, J Maguire, L McCarthy, J Ryan, J Fennelly
In the minor final, Andrew's prevailed on sudden death penalty strokes after normal and extra time could not produce a winner. Abbey Sarratt netted the vital stroke for a 4-3 win.
It was a performance of true grit and graft as Alex made much of the running but Andrew’s fought for every inch Ciara Hennessy epitomising that spirit, moving into midfield in place of Rachel O’Brien who picked up a bang.
Anna Barrett stood tall throughout and she was eventually to shine in the shoot-out denying a trio of Alex strokes. Sarratt, Danielle Quinn and Hannah Marshall all scored to make it 3-3 after the regulation five rounds before Barrett made her third save to finally hand the title to the Booterstown school.
Minor A Cup final: St Andrew's 0 Alexandra College 0; Andrew's win 4-3 on strokes
* Photos from the St Andrew's vs Mount Anville Premier League final can be seen here. Photos of the Minor final can be seen here
3 comments:
cleaning up
is there minor pics and info?.
Stephen your blog is always excellent and photos of a high quality. Well done.
Any chance of some photos of the Minor A Girls final.
Patrick Spain
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