Sunday, November 10th, served up an exceptional day of hockey in the 2024 Boys and Girls Inter Provincial Series.
In the Girls’ competition, Leinster and Ulster faced off in both finals at Monkstown Hockey Club. Leinster U16 capped off an unbeaten campaign with their 2-1 win to secure the silverware. Ulster U18s soared to a 3-0 victory over Leinster, having been beaten by their opposition 4-0 just a couple of weeks before.
U16 Girls Final
LEINSTER 2 ULSTER 1
It was anyone’s guess who would triumph in the first final of the day. Both sides boasted excellent records coming into the game, with Leinster holding a slight upper hand having beaten Ulster 2-1 earlier in the competition.
The game began at a very high pace, with Leinster dominating possession and scoring after just 2 minutes when Pippa Beatty latched onto a loose ball in the circle, the ball appearing to deflect off an Ulster stick before it looped into the net.
However, Ulster wasted no time in refocusing and gaining a foothold in the game. Just six minutes later, they pulled themselves level when Lucy Megaw intercepted the Leinster clearance from within the circle and calmly flicked into the top corner of the net.
The sides remained gridlocked for the remainder of the first half, and indeed the third quarter with both team’s goalkeepers being called into action on multiple occasions but making no mistake.
However, the decisive moment was to come for Leinster in the 59th minute. Leinster Captain Emi Walsh stepped back onto the pitch from her time in the sinbin to immediately make a tackle right on halfway, connect with fellow teammate Olivia Lacy for a one-two, and drive into the circle to win a penalty corner. Leinster followed the move up with a perfectly executed penalty corner variation, going from top circle back to injector Emi Walsh to push the ball to the back post where Isabelle Carroll-Breen laying in waiting to deflect into the goal.
Ulster continued to ask questions of the Leinster defence as they continued to fight valiantly to draw level. But Leinster remained resolute, seeing out the game to secure the silverware.
U18 Girls Final
LEINSTER 0 ULSTER 3
It wouldn’t have been unfair to state prior to today’s final that Leinster were favourites coming into the tie. Having beaten their opposition 4-0 in Banbridge back in October and finishing the campaign unbeaten. Leinster were very much a team firing on all cylinders. However, Ulster were not to be written off and had left no stone unturned in their preparation for the rematch.
It was end-to-end in the opening phases, with chances coming for both sides. But Ulster were the side to open the scoring when Erin Pim latched on to a long ball, twisted and turned her way onto the baseline and delivered a pinpoint ball back to Katie Herron on the penalty spot to graciously tap home. Heroic saves from Ulster’s Anna Wilson and Leinster’s Lucy McGoldrick meant the score remained 1-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite a sustained period of pressure from Leinster which resulted in a penalty corner heroically saved on the line by Ulster, it was Ulster who scored next. Katie Herron grabbed her second of the game when Joni Cunninham penalty corner drag flick found her on the right post to deflect goalward.
Ulster extended their lead further before half-time through Rebekah Lennon. The side opted for another variation from a penalty corner, this time slipping the ball left for Lennon to powerfully slap into the net at the near post. In her post match interview, Lennon revealed the move was not a pre-practised routine, but instead a clever call from teammate Scarlett Taylor.
With a mountain to climb going into the final quarter Leinster continued to throw everything they had at Ulster to find a way back into the tie, pulling the keeper in the final minutes. Ulster remained resolute in defence, threatening on several occasions to extend the lead further, and eventually saw out the game to win 3-0.
