Disappointment for Coláiste Iognaid as Royal School Armagh Crowned Kate Russell All-Ireland Hockey Schoolgirls Champions

The second and final day of the Kate Russell All Ireland Senior Schoolgirls’ Championships took place in Armagh  on Friday (22nd March 2024) with the hosts The Royal School of Armagh in poll position after Day 1, St. Angela’s in second place and Wesley College in third.

Each of the five participating teams had two more round robin games to play before the final positions were decided and the Champions, second and third place prizes awarded.

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DAY 2/ GAME 1: COLAISTE IOGNAID 0  WESLEY COLLEGE 6

Colaiste Iognaid, the Connacht provincial representatives, had been on the receiving end of a couple of hidings on Day 1 and went into this game with the defending champions determined that this trend would not continue. The first quarter was scoreless. Milla Fulton gave Wesley College the lead and exerted enormous pressure during the latter end of the second quarter. Half time score was Colaiste Iognaid 0 Wesley College 1. Galway’s Colaiste Iognaid defended their goal tenaciously and ensured that when the half time hooter blew they were only a goal behind. Colaiste Iognaid forced their first penalty corner in the third quarter as an indication of their improved performance in this particular match. Milla Fulton was yellow carded as was Sarah Ruttle so at one stage Wesley College were down to 9 players in the third quarter but Colaiste were unable to turn their numerical advantage into a goal. It remained 0-1 to Wesley at the end of the third quarter. One of Wesley’s most impressive performers was Annabel Squires, who is also an Under 19 cricket international player for Ireland. Wesley’s first penalty corner of the fourth quarter went wide. A second penalty corner saw Milla Fulton force a save from Iognaid keeper Emily Fitzgerald, but  Evelyn Quick reacted quickest to the rebound for Wesley almost within a minute to make it Colaiste Iognaid 0 Wesley 2. A third penalty corner for Wesley College resulted in the Dublin school being awarded a penalty stroke and Milla Fulton got her second of the game, when she made no mistake to leave Wesley College 3-0 ahead. Sarah Ruttle made it 4-0 for Wesley a minute later. Annabel Squires teed up Stewart who found Milla Fulton in space and she completed her hat-trick to make it 5-0. Culbert  found Sarah Ruttle made it 6-0 to Wesley just before the end.

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DAY 2/ GAME 3: COLAISTE IOGNAID 0  ST. ANGELA’S 2

St. Angela’s took the lead through Aine Power from a converted penalty corner in the first quarter. They added a second in the second quarter when St. Angela’s were awarded a penalty stroke. Aine Power converted with aplomb to register her second goal of the game.  It was Colaiste Iognaid 0 St. Angela’s 2 at half-time. Colaiste Iognaid had a penalty corner near the end of the third quarter, but they didn’t score. Aine Power and Beth Ann O’Farrell combined but could find no way past the Colaiste Iognaid defense early in the fourth quarter from another penalty corner. St. Angela’s finished strongly, forcing a couple of penalty corners late on, but they did enough to finish the game, winning 2-0 and remaining unbeaten going into their final pool match with Royal School Armagh who had 3 wins from 3 and 9 points. St. Angela’s having drawn one of their three matches to this point now need to beat Royal School Armagh in that match to win the Championship. St. Angela’s Aine Power was selected player of the match by the commentary team.

Team                              P  W  D  L  F   A   GD  PTS

The Royal School          4   3   1  0 12   3    9      10

St Angela’s College       4   2   2  0   7   3    3       8

Wesley College             4   2   1  1  10  5    2       7

Kilkenny College           4   1   0  3   7   5    2       3

Colaiste Iognaid            4   0   0  4   2 20 -18       0

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DAY 2 RESULTS

COLAISTE IOGNAID 0-6  WESLEY COLLEGE

THE ROYAL SCHOOL 1-0 KILKENNY COLLEGE

COLAISTE IOGNAID  0-2 ST. ANGELA’S

WESLEY COLLEGE 3-2 KILKENNY COLLEGE

THE ROYAL SCHOOL 2-2  ST. ANGELA’S.