Greenfields are hoping to make club history when they line out against Catholic Institute of Limerick in this year’s Irish Trophy final at the National Hockey Stadium in Belfield on Sunday (1.30pm ).
Catholic Institute , beaten in last year’s final, enter the decider as favourites, and they will be looking to former Irish international Elaine Bromwell and current international Naomi Carroll to lead their side to victory. They have beaten Skerries, Clontarf, Knock and Portadown en route to the final.
However Greenfields, although in their first final, will not be daunted by the occasion. Last year Catholic Institute were lucky to get past the first round when local rivals Galway Hockey Club, whom Greenfields beat in this year’s quarter final, brought the game to strokes in Limerick. The previous season they were even luckier to overcome Greenfields in the quarter-final when they turned around a Greenfields two-goal lead to bring the game to extra time before prevailing with a 3-2 victory.
Greenfields will not want to leave this one behind them. They boast considerable experience in their ranks, including u-18 international Brenda Flannery and several interprovincial players Neassa McGettigan, Marlyn Huygens, Aoife Smyth, Aine Collins and Catherine Moore.
The clash is expected to be an intriguing contest. Greenfields’ coach Bryan Madden is a former coach of the opposition before moving to the west two years ago, while Marese Mannion, who previously played for Catholic Institute, will be facing her sister Sheena. It will also be a busy week for Jes girls Brenda Flannery, Alison Ryan and Ciara Power, who are also playing in the All Ireland School finals this week.
Greenfields, who accounted for Terenure, Omagh, Galway Hockey Club and Wexford en-route to the final, are well up for this final challenge and the chance to make history. Qualification for the final entitles both teams to play in next season’s Irish Senior Hockey Cup.
