March 17th 2018 will go down in the annals of Irish rugby as the day the historic third men's Grand Slam was secured, but a small corner of Dublin will also hold a place in the record books for Enniscorthy Hockey Club following a Saint Patrick's Day triumph over Rathfarnham side Three Rock Rovers.
Grange Road hosted Leinster Hockey's final's day, and Enniscorthy's under 16 girls – managed by the quadruple of Alan Smith, Judith Dunne, Elaine Smith and Laura O'Leary – brought the club to the promised land of provincial success in the Junior Jacqui Potter Plate final with a 2-0 win over host side Three Rock Rovers.
After being knocked out by a silver-goal sucker punch against eventual runners-up Railway Union in the Junior Jacqui Potter Cup, the Bellefield Road side entered the plate competition. Clontarf, Wexford, Naas and Boyne all fell to Enniscorthy en route to Saturday's final, which – Naas in 2016 aside – had been won by Dublin clubs since the competition's inception in 2011.
Their focus on attacking had seen 18 goals being scored in previous rounds and the side – captained by Eabha Farrell – opted to replicate this in the final. A penalty corner was won within the first five minutes and a second eight minutes later gave Enniscorthy the lead, Rebecca Ogilvie pouncing from close range.
At the other end of the pitch, Rovers' tactic of playing their forwards high was negated by Enniscorthy's well-drilled defence, which had not conceeded in the Plate competition. Instead it was Enniscorthy who struck next.
The second goal of the afternoon was a team effort right from the training manual. Enniscorthy's midfield pushed the ball forward and wide, stretching the Rovers defence. Working her way in along the end line, Emer Doyle's ball back to the top of the host's circle found centre forward Farrell. The captain, in turn, picked out Hannah Sweeney and her reverse-stick shot doubled Enniscorthy's lead. Two- nil and the Wexford minnows had one hand on the trophy.
Amy Murphy and Caoimhe Larkin both had opportunities to stretch the Slaneysiders lead in the second half, Larkin's shot missing the left post by milimetres while Murphy just missed out a deflection from a Leah Kidd shot. With ten minutes remaining Three Rock earned a penalty corner of their own but to no avail, and Enniscorthy had created their own bit of history.
Squad: Norah McGinty, Laura Smith, Aoife Mahon, Beibhin O'Brien, Hannah Graham, Niamh Ogilvie, Ciara Kelly, Leah Kidd, Caoimhe Larkin, Eabha Farrell, Hannah Sweeney, Eimear Doyle, Rebecca Ogilvie, Amy Murphy, Ellen Rogan, Martha Dunne
Grange Road hosted Leinster Hockey's final's day, and Enniscorthy's under 16 girls – managed by the quadruple of Alan Smith, Judith Dunne, Elaine Smith and Laura O'Leary – brought the club to the promised land of provincial success in the Junior Jacqui Potter Plate final with a 2-0 win over host side Three Rock Rovers.
After being knocked out by a silver-goal sucker punch against eventual runners-up Railway Union in the Junior Jacqui Potter Cup, the Bellefield Road side entered the plate competition. Clontarf, Wexford, Naas and Boyne all fell to Enniscorthy en route to Saturday's final, which – Naas in 2016 aside – had been won by Dublin clubs since the competition's inception in 2011.
Their focus on attacking had seen 18 goals being scored in previous rounds and the side – captained by Eabha Farrell – opted to replicate this in the final. A penalty corner was won within the first five minutes and a second eight minutes later gave Enniscorthy the lead, Rebecca Ogilvie pouncing from close range.
At the other end of the pitch, Rovers' tactic of playing their forwards high was negated by Enniscorthy's well-drilled defence, which had not conceeded in the Plate competition. Instead it was Enniscorthy who struck next.
The second goal of the afternoon was a team effort right from the training manual. Enniscorthy's midfield pushed the ball forward and wide, stretching the Rovers defence. Working her way in along the end line, Emer Doyle's ball back to the top of the host's circle found centre forward Farrell. The captain, in turn, picked out Hannah Sweeney and her reverse-stick shot doubled Enniscorthy's lead. Two- nil and the Wexford minnows had one hand on the trophy.
Amy Murphy and Caoimhe Larkin both had opportunities to stretch the Slaneysiders lead in the second half, Larkin's shot missing the left post by milimetres while Murphy just missed out a deflection from a Leah Kidd shot. With ten minutes remaining Three Rock earned a penalty corner of their own but to no avail, and Enniscorthy had created their own bit of history.
Squad: Norah McGinty, Laura Smith, Aoife Mahon, Beibhin O'Brien, Hannah Graham, Niamh Ogilvie, Ciara Kelly, Leah Kidd, Caoimhe Larkin, Eabha Farrell, Hannah Sweeney, Eimear Doyle, Rebecca Ogilvie, Amy Murphy, Ellen Rogan, Martha Dunne
