Colaiste Iognaid retained the Palmer Cup and Connacht schools’ hockey crown on Tuesday at Dangan with a performance as stylish and ruthless as the 5-0 scoreline suggests.
Dominant throughout, a Jes squad packed with underage internationals were far too crafty for Our Lady's Bower. Solid at the back, clever in midfield, and clinical up front, the Jes settled impressively and never relinquished their grip on the game.
Three first-half goals laid the foundation for victory, and though the Bower improved after the restart, Jes added two late strikes to decorate the triumph.
Displaying the necessary skill and spirit, the Jes commenced the contest admirably. With player of the match Brenda Flannery bossing affairs in the centre of the park, Jes struck in the 10th minute.
Tara Melvin's drilled pass provided the assist for Katie Codyre, who flicked an opportunistic shot home. Emboldened by that goal, Jes poured forward, and Flannery notched a quickfire brace with two sweet efforts on 15 and 18 minutes.
The Bower dug in and were resolute for vast chunks of the second period, but to no avail. Instead Melvin rifled a blistering penalty corner to put Jes four ahead in the 52nd minute. Moments later Codyre sealed the deal with a tidy close-range stroke that reflected Iognaid's utter supremacy as Jes advanced to the All-Ireland series.
Colaiste Iognaid: C Molloy, T Melvin, O Callanan, L Trainor, A Ryan, E Murphy, I Mortimer, M Carey, B Flannery, G Mulkerrin, K Codyre. Subs, S McLaughlin, M Russell, D D'arcy.
