Maynooth Educate Together crowned All-Ireland PPS champions

Maynooth Education Campus  defeated St Ronan's College 10-6 to 4-7 in the final of the Lidl PPS All Ireland Junior B Championship at Abbottstown this afternoon.

Aoife Murnane turned in a Player of the Match performance as Maynooth Educate Together won comfortably on a final scorer line of 10-6 to 4-7.

While St Ronan’s from Lurgan, Armagh, enjoyed a purple patch in the opening minutes, it wasn’t long before Maynooth EC put their stamp on the game, with Aoibheann Birchall and Hannah Merrick both finding the net early on.  

St Ronan’s did find the net themselves in the opening half, with Aoibhin Donohue netting a hat trick of goals, including two penalties.  However, Maynooth EC proved stronger and Eimear Behan, Poppy Byrne and Merrick all found the net as they were ahead by two points (5-2 to 3-6) at the break.  

The second half was a cagier affair as both sides sought to shore up their defences but the Maynooth attacking line proved too good. A fine solo run from Murnane found the net while a minute later Aoibheann Birchall got her second goal, which ended the game as a contest. 

Poppy Byrne, who finished with 3-2 in total, hit a brace of goals as Maynooth went on to celebrate their All Ireland success after their defeat in the Junior C Championship decide last year. 

Scorers: Maynooth EC: P Byrne 3-2 (1f), A Birchall 2-2, H Merrick 2-0, A Murnane 2-0, E Behan 1-1, I Lambert 0-1. 

St Ronan’s College: A Donohue 3-0, C Henderson 1-1, E Moore 0-2, O McAlinden 0-2, L McAlinden 0-1 (1f), A Lavery 0-1 (1f). 

Maynooth EC: E Leavy, A O’Riain, G Munro, E McNally, E Heflin, C Noone (C), K Gormley, H Merrick, M McDonagh, A Murnane, E Behan, A Birchall, K Flynn,P Byrne, I Lambert. Subs: E McIver for Gormley (36), L Martin for Lambert (56) 

St. Ronan’s College: E Drake, C French, E McCavigan, E Stevenson, A McGibbon, A Delaney, K O’Toole, E McCafferty, O Campbell, L McAlinden, A Donoghue, E Moore, C Henderson, A Lavery, O McAlinden (C). Subs: A O’Hara for Drake (8), A McDonald for McCavigan (22). 

Referee: Sinead McHugh (Dublin).