W.I.T. wins fifth in a row.

Waterford Institute of Technology have retained the Ashbourne Cup following a sensational win over University of Limerick on the Limerick colleges’ home soil.

Many people involved in reporting of games sometimes refer to a game as ‘Roy of the Rovers stuff’. Sometimes this reporting is over sensationalised but to refer to this final as ‘Roy of the Rovers stuff’ would be very fitting.

The sides finished the game at the end of normal time deadlocked at 2-9 a piece and even after two periods of ten minutes of extra time the sides could not be separated ending at 2-11 a piece.

With time almost up after another two five minute periods it looked as if it was the home side that were going to come through, but there was a sensational twist to the tail.

The host side played the first half with a breeze at their backs and used it to their advantage racing into an early lead with scores from Julia Walsh, Cait Devane and Niamh O’Dea.

The 2012 side began to come more into the game with Sarah Anne Fitzgerald and Patricia Jackman beginning to dominate, Emma Commerford hit some much needed scores to keep them in touch.

The home side however retired at the break leading 1-5 to 0-5 the goal coming from Cait Devane, proving the crucial score.

The Suir Side college side began the second half the better of the two sides ad Shelly Farrell hit an early goal. Cait Devane hit back with scores for the Shannon-side students but a second goal for the eventual winners from Katrina Parrock gave them a three point lead and looking good to secure a fifth final in a row.

Cait Devane and Jean Brady traded scores for their respective side before Cait Devane hit a second goal for the Limerick College which gave them the lead and it was they that now were looking as if they were going to wrestle the trophy from the grasp of WIT.

However, experience in such competitions can never be underestimated and in the final moments of the game the holders drew on every ounce of experience amassed in recent years and they were rewarded for their efforts when Emma Commerford put over a free to send the game to extra time.

In the extra twenty minutes that were added, the two sides went at each other as much as they could as the players on both sides began to tire.

Katie Power, Marie McGrath and Julia Walsh all registered scores which looked good enough to win the game for the hosts, but again in the closing moments in the game, UL gave away a free which for the second time Emma Commerford put over the crossbar to send the game into another two periods of extra time.

At half time in the second period of extra time, not for the first time it looked as if the host college were going to be presented with the winners trophy as they held a two point lead and things got better for them in at the start of the second half when they went three points up.

However, a game is never over till the referee blows the last whistle of the game and the WIT students knew this.

They never gave up and were rewarded for their efforts.

Inside two minutes form the end, Denise Gaule send an unstoppable shot to the home sides net to draw the sides level and with just seconds left, Waterford won for themselves a free inside their own half of the field.

In such a situation, there is only one player you would want on your side.

Gaultier and Waterford star Trish Jackman has won the ladies section of the annual Puc Fada competition four years in a row (2009-2012). Her ability to shoot from distance is well known and therefore there is only one player that you could call upon to stand over the ball.

Knowing that the strike that she was going to take was possibly the most crucial of her career, she made no mistake putting the ball over the crossbar and so securing a 3-13 to 2-15 victory for Waterford Institute of Technology.

Weekend Final Results:

Ashbourne Cup: Waterford Institute of Technology 3-13 University of Limerick 2-15 (A.E.T. x2)

Purcell Cup: Dublin City University 2-11 Mary Immaculate College 1-9

Ashbourne Shield: University of Ulster Jordanstown 1-13 University College Cork 0-13

Fr. Meachair Cup: St Patrick’s/Mater Dei 2-5 Institute of Technology Carlow 1-3.