Mount Mercy look to roll back the years

Mount Mercy will be keen to evoke memories of a golden era when they face down Crescent College Comprehensive in today’s Munster Senior Schoolgirls Cup final at Rosbrien in Limerick (3pm). The Model Farm Road school had a vintage crop of players in the middle of the last decade — four of whom have gone on to become Irish internationals — culminating in All-Ireland glory in 2006. While the class of 2010 doesn’t have quite as many star names, there is the nucleus of a fine side, who will be keen to avoid the fate suffered by the Cork school two years ago, when they were humbled by Laurel Hill Coláiste in the decider.

Skipper Yvonne O’Byrne is the class of 2010’s side’s taliswoman, leading by example from the back. Jennifer Murphy and Emily O’Leary are others with top-level club experience, while goalkeeper Susan Peters is one of the youngest members of this year’s Munster U21 side. Standing in their way is a Crescent side that has flourished under the guidance of Ollie O’Connor. The Limerick school were defeated in the last four by eventual winners Bandon Grammar last term, but avenged that loss by ending the west Cork school’s reign in the quarter-finals, and led by captain Geena Kinevane, have proven themselves to be a tough nut to crack. The return of prolific centre-forward Aileen McMahon — who sat out the 1-0 semi-final win over Scoil Mhuire, but has scored in the majority of games she has played this term — is a significant boon for themCrescent. Goalkeeper Aoife McNamara and Ciara Moloney have been in fine form, while in Ireland U16 international Roisín Upton, Crescent possess one of the most precocious talents in the country. Still just 15, Upton has slotted comfortably into senior hockey with Catholic Institute this season, and possesses a mean drag-flick, a rare talent at any level of the women’s game. As well as taking bragging rights in Munster, today’s winner will also qualify for the ESB Kate Russell Cup, an All-Ireland competition to be held in Galway in a fortnight. Royal School Armagh became the latest to advance to that competition on Wednesday, seeing off Omagh Academy 2-0 in the Ulster decider. CRESCENT: A McNamara (GK), C Moloney, G Kinevane (capt), T Lyons, K Flinn, O Hickey, O Donworth, C Nolan, R Upton, C O’Sullivan, L O’Kane, L Barrett, G Fleming, O Joyce, K Fitzgerald, E McManus, K McGrath, A McMahon. MOUNT MERCY: S Peters (GK), Y O’Byrne (capt), C Lucey, Emily O’Leary, Elisa O’Leary, K O’Herlihy, C Mullane, S Browner, J Murphy, A Moore, G Kelleher, A O’Donovan.