Evening Echo
by Therest O'Callaghan
10th March 2003

All Ireland Colleges Senior A Final
Colaiste Bride, Enniscorthy 3-10  St. Mary's Charleville 3-4
Sat 8th March 2003

Coachford community school celebrated, while St Mary's Charleville had to endure disappointment in All-Ireland colleges camogie fixtures.

Defending All-Ireland champions St Mary's bowed out of the Senior A Championship after a poor opening half cost them against Colaiste Bride Enniscorthy in the penultimate stage at Belfield on Saturday.

The six point difference (3-10 to 3-4) was all the more painful for the Cork girls considering that they did not do justice to themselves.

"We just never got going," said a dejected coach Vincent Harrington. "However, I cannot take from Enniscorthy. They were the better team, but we are more disappointed because we never played to our potential."

The Leinster champions ran in three goals in the opening half, which effectively proved to be insurmountable.

Only for an Emer Watson goal close on half-time the visitors would have been in deeper trouble.

They were already finding it difficult to curtail the influence of the outstanding Jacqui Codd and Una Leacy who had supplied their three first-half goals.

After the change-over Charleville had high hopes of a revival, but with goalkeeper Ciara Storey, daughter of Martin, not in any mood to relent, scores were hard to come by.

However, they did eventually wear down a resolute Enniscorthy defence with goals from Sheehan and Anna Geary.

But it was too little too late as time ran out, as did their quest of an All-Ireland double.

Their junior team have already qualified for the All-Ireland final.

Elsewhere in the senior B grade manager Rob Lotty brought Coachford Community School to an historic first-ever All-Ireland final after his side defeated Borris Vocational School of Carlow in Borris on Saturday on a scoreline of 3-7 to 0-5.

Ably led by midfielder Fiona Buckley, the Munster champions forged ahead with two first-half goals from Ciara Murphy and Marie Cosgrave.

It was all one-way traffic for the closing 30 minutes despite the best efforts of Eilish Meaney who fired over three points for Borris.

They will meet either Presentation Athenry or St. Louis on April 5 in the All-Ireland final. The Junior B semi-final replay between Presentation and St. Fergal's was postponed.