THREE ROCK ROVERS, fresh from their Euro Hockey League campaign, cemented their position as the dominant force in the domestic game with an imposing victory over Pembroke Wanderers in the Irish Senior Cup final this afternoon.
Luke Madeley’s clinical and consummate drag-flicking proved to be the difference at the end of a thrilling decider which ebbed and flowed before Three Rock landed a couple of knockout blows, eventually winning 5-2, a scoreline which suggests it was more one-sided than was actually the case.
Four of their five goals came from short corners with Madeley netting a hat-trick and while Pembroke stayed in the contest through their Irish duo of Kirk Shimmins and Alan Sothern, all-conquering Three Rock had too much firepower.
John Mullins deflected home from another slick set-piece move to give his side a two-goal buffer and when Pembroke sacrificed their goalkeeper in search of a route back into the game, Ross Canning sealed victory with a stinging reverse.
A first Senior Cup crown since 2014, and 11th overall, hands Three Rock — led by skipper Jody Hosking — a fifth piece of silverware of a remarkable season, with the Mills Cup, Neville Cup, National Indoor Trophy and Eurohockey Indoor Challenge II already in their possession.
With Madeley’s sharpshooting a potent weapon at one end, Rovers are a powerful unit under the stewardship of coach Niall Denham, and in Irish internationals Mitch Darling and Ben Walker, have quality throughout.
Pembroke ‘keeper Mark Ingram was forced to pull off a couple of smart saves in the opening exchanges as Rovers set a frenetic pace in Belfield, before penalty-machine Madeley took centre stage.
Shimmins reduced the deficit with a virtuoso individual goal down the left, a mazy run only bettered by a delicious finish over Jamie Carr from a near impossible angle, and Pembroke were level when Alan Sothern’s low drag-flick crashed off the backboard.
But as has been the case all season, there was no stopping Three Rock as Madeley completed his hat-trick and Mullins and Canning further demonstrated their side’s clinical edge to eventually end Pembroke’s brave challenge.
Earlier in the day, UCD cruised to victory over Pegasus in the women’s Irish Senior Cup final, retaining their trophy and landing a fourth title in seven years.
Miles Warren’s side are an impressive outfit at full tilt and they moved through the gears seamlessly to comfortably dispatch Pegasus, with sisters Emma and Abbie Russell to the fore and Katie Mullan and Sorcha Clarke also getting in on the scoring act.
Men’s Irish Senior Cup final:
Three Rock Rovers (Madeley [3], Mullins, Canning) 5-2 Pembroke Wanderers (Shimmins, Sothern)
Three Rock Rovers: J Carr, D Kane, R Nair, J Mullins, M Darling, B Walker, L Madeley, D Walsh, K Mullins, J Hosking, M Samuel.
Subs: C Empey, R Canning, H Morris, R Pautz, H MacMahon, B McCrea, C Quinn.
Pembroke: M Ingram, K O’Hare, K Shimmins, S Sweetnam, K Crawford, J Ryan, A Sothern, N Burns, C Mushiete, R Sweetnam, R Flannery.
Subs: R Lynch, P Shanahan, T Hill, M Treacy, S Sullivan, W Brownlow, S Thornton.
Women’s Irish Senior Cup final:
UCD (E Russell, A Russell, Mullan, Clarke) 4-0 Pegasus
UCD: C Cassin, K Egan, L Ewart, E Curran, K Mullan, E Russell, A Richardson, L Tice, O Patton, S Robinson, D Duke.
Subs: S Twomey, B Barr, S Clarke, A Russell, S Young, E Young, A Daly.
Pegasus: S-J Greer, H Grieve, R Maguire, M Harvey, L McKee, K McKee, A Speers, R McMillan, G Irwin, P Glass, S Thompson.
Subs: C Harvey, T Doherty, K Morris, K Gourley, V Surgeoner, M Bowyer, J Perry.
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