Scoil Chríost Rí retain Lidl PPS Leinster senior A title

Lidl Leinster PPS senior A ladies football final

Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise (Laois) 3-13
Loreto S.S. (Wexford) 2-9

From Jackie Cahill at Éire Óg GAA club, Carlow

LAOIS senior star Emma Lawlor collected 2-7 and the player of the match award as Scoil Chríost Rí retained their Lidl PPS Leinster senior A title on Monday.

The Portlaoise school won two-in-a-row by coming from five points down at Éire Óg GAA club in Carlow to get past the challenge of Wexford opponents Loreto S.S..

Loreto, who started excellently in cold conditions, were five points ahead twice in the first half but Scoil Chríost Rí embarked on a run that yielded 2-9 without reply either side of half-time.

Loreto were 0-3 to 0-0 ahead before Lawlor’s first goal in the seventh minute levelled matters.

Rachel Bennett and Emma Codd were looking really sharp in the Loreto attack and Bennett responded to Lawlor’s effort with a 17th minute goal.

Approaching the break, Loreto were 1-7 to 1-2 clear but with Lawlor’s Laois senior team-mate Erone Fitzpatrick covering acres of ground, Scoil Chríost Rí worked their way back into contention.

A Sarah Larkin goal in the 25th minute was a real tonic, as the midfielder’s incisive run was rewarded with a looping shot over the head of Sally Walker and into the far corner.

By half-time, Scoil Chríost Rí were level at 2-4 to 1-7 and they opened the second half in unstoppable fashion.

Scoil Chríost Rí grabbed an unanswered 1-7 after the restart to take this game away from Loreto, as Lawlor pounced for her second goal in the 42nd minute.

Loreto finally broke their long run without a score midway through the second half when Ciara Banville netted but any faint hopes of a comeback were extinguished two minutes later when Sarah Harding Kenny’s penalty was saved by Jasmine Burke.

Scoil Chríost Rí could even afford a late sin-binning for sub Kiahara Dempsey as they ran out seven-point winners to claim the provincial crown.

Scorers for Scoil Chríost Rí: E Lawlor 2-7 (0-3f), S Larkin 1-0, J O’Neill & I O’Toole 0-2 each, E Fitzpatrick & O’Hennessy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Loreto: R Bennett 1-3 (0-1f), C Banville 1-0, E Codd 0-3, B Hamilton, L Whelan & E Coakley 0-1 each.

Scoil Chríost Rí: J Burke; N Crowley, R Reddin, C Byrne; Z Keegan, E Daly, J Cahill; S Larkin, I O’Toole; J Murphy, E Fitzpatrick, J O’Neill; A Byrne, E Lawlor, O Hennessy.

Subs – A Daly for Keegan (41), K Dempsey for Crowley (54).

Loreto: S Walker; C Jackman, S McCarthy, A O’Gorman; M Carty, S Harding Kenny, A Halligan; E Cousins, L Whelan; E Codd, R Bennett, J Dempsey; N Dunne, B Hamilton, C Banville.

Subs – A Hennessy for Cousins (37), M Carthy for Carty (37), E Coakley for Hamilton (42), A Gouldson for Dempsey (51).

Referee – Jonathan Murphy (Carlow)

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