Six Ashbourne titles in seven years for Waterford Institute of Technology

Waterford Institute of Technology with three Waterford players involved (Trish Jackman {Gailltir}, Vikki Falconer {Butlerstown} and Valerie O’Brien {Roanmore}) are Ashbourne Cup winners for the sixth time in seven years after they overcame the challenge of 2014 winners University of Limerick at the Dublin City University over the past weekend.

This year’s final that the two sides had met in the final for the fourth year in a row.

Managed by Kilkenny legend Ann Downey and assisted by Wexford star and former Ashbourne Cup winner Ursula Jacob, Paddy Mullally and Waterford’s Conor Phelan, WIT reached the final after a 3-17 to 0-9 win over NUIG, the goals coming from Ciara Quirke in the first half and then Marie Morrissey and Miriam Walsh in the second half, while the 2014 champions had a much tougher battle to get through their semi final, beating UCC 0-14 to 0-8.

The Centenary Ashbourne Cup Final had to be delayed after the Purcell Cup game which preceded it ended in a draw. At the end of normal time the score stood at DIT 2-12 Mary I 1-15 and after two extra ten minutes the sides could still not be separated. (DIT 2-14 Mary I 1-17).

Another two periods of five minutes were played in a bid to find a winners, but at the sound of the final whistle, the sides could still not be separated (DIT 3-14 Mary I 1-20) which will mean that two will have to do it all over again to see which of the two college’s have their name engraved on the second tier trophy when it comes to third level camogie.

Two players featured on the DIT panel, Deirdre Brennan from Butlerstown and Becky Kavanagh, one of a number of Saint Anne’s players who have caught the eye in the last year or two, while on the Mary I panel were An Rinn’s Fiona Morrissey who won a Purcell Cup All-Star and Cappoquin’s Jenny McCarthy.

Elsewhere over the weekend Lismore’s Sarah Fenton was part of the NUIG panel that lost out to WIT in the Ashbourne semi finals, while Saint Anne’s Niamh Rockett was part of the UCC panel that lost to UL in the semi finals as was Lismore’s Johnanna Houlihan.

To win games, people say you need to do to things, have a good start and to score goals. In this game the Waterford students did both.

When the final did get underway, it was the Waterford side that had a perfect start, hitting the Limerick net inside the first minute of the game, after a high ball sent in by Sarah Crowley to Marie Morrissey who saw her shot carried over the goal line by Claire Keating in the UL goal while taking a step back.

The 2014 champions hit back to a point from a placed ball by top scorer Cait Devane but shortly afterwards, WIT extended their lead when Emma Comerford saw an effort for a point drop short and as Claire Keating attempted to bat the ball back out the field, it fell to Ciara Quirke who was in the right place to whip on the ball along the ground and into the Limerick net to give WIT a five point lead.

Emma Comerford and Cait Devane swapped scores in the minutes that followed, before player of the match Trish Jackman hit the first of her four scores in the final to give the Waterford side a six point advantage.

The 2014 champions pulled two points back through Julia White and Grainne Egan, but a brace from Trish Jackman and a single effort from Emma Comerford soon had WIT 2-5 to 0-4 in front.

The remainder of the half proved to be an evenly balanced affair as both sides traded scores.

Cait Devane pointed for UL only for Emma Comerford to cancel out the effort.  Cait Devane who finished the afternoon with nine points landed a brace of scores only for Trish Jackman to pull one back for the Waterford side.

Before the break Ciara Quirke and the impressive Cait Devane swapped scores to leave the Waterford College side in charge (2-8 to 0-8) at the break.

The Limerick College side opened the scoring through Aoife McGrath but for the 2014 champions, they were relying on scores from placed balls to keep them in the game.

Emma Comerford landed two points for the eventual winners to stretch their lead to seven (2-10 to 0-9).

Cait Devane landed another point for the Limerick College but it was followed with points from Emma Comerford and Miriam Walsh to stretch the Waterford sides lead.

The Limerick students did hit the last two scores of the game both off the stick of Cait Devane, but they proved to be mere consolation scores. It was goals that they needed to get back into the game, but against a water tight Waterford Institute of Technology defence, they were going to be hard to get.

After the final, nine of the Waterford College side was named in the Ashbourne Cup team of the weekend, including the Waterford pair of Vikki Falconer who captained the side to victory and Trish Jackman. Others on the Waterford panel to be named on the team of the weekend were Sarah Crowley, Meighan Farrell, Emma Comerford and Miriam Walsh from Kilkenny, while Louise Sinnott from Wexford, Laura Treacy form Cork and goalkeeper Orla McEniry from Tipperary also were included on the team of the weekend. Fiona Morrissey was the only Waterford player to be named on the Purcell Cup team of the weekend.

WIT: Orla McEniry; Jenny Logue, Vikki Falconer, Ruth Jones;  Meighan Farrell, Laura Treacy, Sarah Crowley; Sheila Ryan, Louise Sinnott;  Patricia Jackman, Julie McLoughlin, Emma Comerford; Marie Morrissey, Miriam Walsh,  Ciara Quirke. Sub Valerie O’Brien for Sheila Ryan.

Scorers: Emma Commerford 0-6 (4 frees), Trish Jackman 0-4 (3 frees, 1 ’45), Ciara Quirke 1-1, Marie Morrissey 1-0, Marian Walsh 0-1.

UL: Claire Keating; Niamh Ryan, Laura McMahon, Ciannait Walsh; Patrice Diggins, Niamh O’Dea, Debbie Flynn; Ereena Fryday, Caoimhe Maher; Sarah Fryday, Cait Devane, Julie White; Aoife McGrath, Eimear Kelly, Grainne Egan. Sub: Ellen Horgan for Sarah Fryday.

Scorers: Cait Devane 0-9 (8 frees, 1 ’45), Aoife McGrath, Julia White, Grainne Egan 0-1 each.

Referee: Jenny Byrne (Dublin).

Ashbourne Cup – Weekend Final Results:

Ashbourne Cup Final -        WIT 2-12 Mary I 0-12

Ashbourne Shield Final – UCD 4-7 DCU 3-3

Purcell Cup Final – DIT 3-14 Mary I 1-20 (after extra time after extra time)

Purcell Cup Shield Final – Maynooth 2-10 Queens University 2-7

Fr. Meachair Cup Final – IT Carlow 2-10 St. Mary’s University 1-10

Fr Meachair Shield Final - Trinity College 2-14 DIT2 0-8