Sacred Heart 34
Coláiste Muire 7
DEFENDING champions Sacred Heart Secondary School Clonakilty are back in the Girls’ Schools U19 Munster Senior Cup final after a commanding semi-final win against Coláiste Muire, Ennis in Virgin Media Park on Tuesday.
In a repeat of last year’s final, the Clonakilty school were emphatic winners.
Sacred Heart led from the 17th minute onwards and despite a scare at the start of the second half, they held firm.
Rachel Twomey opened the scoring with a try coming after a great turnover by Kate Burton. Roxanne Llewellyn played it to Twomey who crossed the whitewash. Llewellyn then showed her defensive capabilities too by holding up a certain Ennis try to keep Clon ahead.
After some great build-up on 29 minutes, Sacred Heart scored their second try as Clodagh McCarthy finished off the move. Five minutes later, try number three came as Emer Moroney got in on the act after some brilliant handling from the West Cork school, who led 15-0 at the break.
Ennis hit back with a converted try early in the second half to cut Sacred Heart’s lead to eight, but the champions showed great determination to not allow Ennis another score.
Instead, Jo McCaughey grabbed the clinching try after a powerful carry with the conversion applied by Twomey; it was 22-7 with eight minutes left. From there, Clon put in the finishing touches as replacement Laura Sexton and Clodagh McCarthy, again, added further tries. Clon now progress to the decider against either St Annes Community College, Killaloe.
Sacred Heart Clonakilty: Clodagh McCarthy; Allannah Ní Dhonnabhain, Maria O’Donovan, Jo McCaughey, Ella O’Sullivan; Rachel Twomey, Caoimhe McCarthy; Meghan Coakley, Emily Moloney, Sara O’Sullivan; Leona Arra, Emer Moroney; Amy Giles, Kate Burton (captain), Roxanne Llewellyn.
Subs: Ciara O'Driscoll, Saoirse O'Sullivan, Niamh Hilliard, Charlotte McCabe, Eva McAuley, Julie Finn, Laura Sexton, Annabel Tapia, Chloe Galwey, Aideen O'Sullivan.
