A quick glance at their respective league tables will put Enniscorthy as firm favourites ahead of their Leinster Division 7/8 Cup final clash against Naas on Sunday, but the Wexford side – captained by Julie Watchorn – can hardly afford to be complacent against a side who have scored more than fifty goals in all competitions this season.

Indeed, Enniscorthy have plenty of firepower of their own, with five players – Irish underage trialist Niamh Ogilvie, Sonja Rynhart, Ciara Kelly, May Wickham and Nancy Dunphy – all into double figures for the season. Enniscorthy’s success in this campaign has been based on their ferocious attack, as they swept to Division 7 league honours with five matches remaining, losing just once and scoring 78 times in the process.

The coaching team has blended youth with experience in an impressive fashion, and it’s difficult for observers to ignore Enniscorthy’s successes last season. 2017-18 was the club’s first exposure to Leinster ladies hockey, and after a promising first half of the season, their title challenge faltered. At the same time though, many of the current squad members were playing a prominent role in the capture of the Junior Jacqui Potter Plate in March last year, only the second side from outside Dublin to do so. That team also supplied five players to the South East under 16 inter-provincial panel; there were a further three club members on the under 18 panel. 

Team discussion before a 15-0 crushing of Monkstown in November

All these particular stars then aligned for the 2018-19 season. One of the under 16 interprovincial stars, goalkeeper Norah McGinty, has marshalled one of the meanest defences in Leinster, with it only conceeding 5 goals in 23 matches between league and cup. Team captain Julie Watchorn has provided plenty of experience at the back while commuting weekly from her base in Dublin has no doubt proved inspirational to her team mates. 

Leah Chapman will be an integral part of Enniscorthy’s double drive against Naas

There’s plenty of other experience throughout the squad, with Laura Smith, Jessie Flood and Ciara Kelly former interprovincial caps, Isobel Walsh lined out for Kilkenny College earlier in the year in the All Ireland Schools Finals, while Leah Chapman can add Irish Masters expertise. Put together, there’s big hopes for Enniscorthy to collect their first league and cup double in more than a decade.

Leinster Hockey Association Ladies Division 7/8 Cup final, Sunday 7th April. Tip off 3 p.m. at the back pitch, Three Rock Rovers HC, Grange Road, Rathfarnham. Admission €10 adults, €5 OAP and students, children free.