Cross & Passion claim historic place in schools final.

Cross and Passion College Kilcullen senior girls soccer team have qualified for their first ever Leinster Schools Final.

At a cold and windy AUL soccer grounds in Dublin they defeated a hotly fancied Killester team 1-0 with almost the last kick of the game in an absorbing semi-final between two very evenly matched teams.

After an exciting but scoreless 70 minutes both teams headed into 20 minutes extra time hoping to avoid an imminent thunder storm gathering in the distant dark sky over Dublin Airport. With extra time failing to break the stalemate and the dreaded penalty shoot-out looming the Kilcullen girls launched one last attack.

A long ball beat the St. Mary's defence and Regina Hamilton took it round the ,thusfar ,unbeatable keeper and keeping an admirably cool head slotted the ball into an empty net.

There was barely time for the Dublin girls to kick off before the referee blew the full time whistle sparking wild celebrations in the Kilcullen camp.

This victory capped a very successful season for the CPC senior soccer team. The previous friday they were narrowly beaten on penalties by a strong Heywood Community School team, thus just failing to retain the midland league title they won in some style last year.

The Heywood defeat was the Kilcullen girls first loss in 12 matches over the last two seasons and qualification for the prestigious Leinster Final goes a long way to easing the dissappointment felt.

With the Leinster winners qualifying for a tilt at the All-Ireland crown, excitment and anticipation in Kilcullen is very high. The final is provisionally fixed for wednesday march 15th again at the AUL grounds near the airport, but with the other semi-final not yet resolved the CPC girls do not yet know the identity of their opponents.

One thing they know for sure however, is that if they produce the same skill and committment shown in previous rounds then their opponents , whoever they might be, will have to play extremely well to deny these girls their historic first ever Leinster soccer title.

The panel of players is: Sarah Duignan, Deirdre Burke, Amy Moran, Yvonne Schwer, Lesley Maher, Sheena Hubbard, Jenny Murphy, Shauna Cleary, Laura Gibson, Regina Hamilton, Clare Kelly, Emma Doyle, Amanda Boland, Aoife Molyneaux, Jayne Peacocke.

A Wheeler.