Republic of Ireland Schools captured the elusive Bob Docherty Cup at Ulster University over the weekend, running out 2-1 winners over England, in what fai.ie describes as a crunching encounter.
England deservedly took the lead just before the interval, with Lydia Hudson finishing off neatly after Alyssa Aherne’s initial effort was blocked by Therese Kinnevey.
Ireland Head Coach Richard Berkeley introduced Erin McLaughlin at half time and the change worked wonders, as both McLaughlin and Jessie Stapleton came close to grabbing an equaliser early on but inform Kiya Webb denied the duo.
Irish momentum paid off midway through the half as Muireann Devaney created a sensational goal to level proceedings
The Irish then took the lead through super sub McLaughlin, as she headed home a Shauna Brennan cross with only 6 minutes remaining.
In the other pairings on Match Day 3, the Northern Ireland ‘A’ squad enjoyed a 2-0 victory over defending champions Wales, while Northern Ireland ‘B’ were outdone 3-0 by Scotland.
