Monday, March 16, 2009

St Patrick's Day final schedule

Grange Road plays host to Leinster's showpiece final's day tomorrow with just one reigning champion involved, meaning both the boy's U-16 trophy and the men's Mills Cup will be finding new homes by this time tomorrow.

Railway Union have the chance to make it a double as they get the action underway at 11.30am with the Benny Atkinson Cup final before their senior ladies side play reigning Jacqui Potter champions Hermes.

It should be an intriguing battle between the two side currently heading the way in the Leinster U-16 league. Three Rock draw heavily on the Wesley contingent with Nick Armstrong, Shane Madeley, David McCrea, Tom Samuel and Conor Quinn all at their disposal while Ross Canning is another quality player.

Railway, though, have set up good pathways from non-hockey playing schools in recent years to re-emerge as one of the leading Leinster breeding grounds for underage players.

Indeed, Jeffrey Spillane - who has had a couple of division one outings already - and Kevin Wong's development comes down mainly to the work done in the club as they attend rugby behemoth Blackrock College while Oatlands pair Mark Ingram and David McCarthy were also Leinster U-16 players this season.

Railway conquered Corinthian 5-1 last Sunday while Rovers eased past Monkstown's B team 6-1, setting up a repeat of the 1996 final. Railway coach Brendan Parsons was a player that day and will hope to overturn the result from that day as a Christian Judd-led Three Rock took the honours.

Railway's ladies will hope to repeat their double league success over Hermes this term in the second match on court but will be wary of having a full interprovincial programme in their legs after nine players across three provinces were involved in Cork.

Hermes claimed the title last year with a comfortable 4-1 win over Trinity, a victory which started a big wind-up in form, ultimately leading to the Club Championship title. They also had few interprovincial players in action and so should, conceivably be the fresher side.
Railway's last final appearance came three years ago when they fell at the hands of UCD but much has changed, including a large difference in personnel, since Mick McKinnon took charge of the Sandymount side.

In the final act of the three-part play, Corinthian hope to repeat their extra-time cup win over Glenanne of five years ago to pick up their first major trophy since that famous day.

They are bouyed by the increased representation of homegrown talents Brian Doherty and Chris Pelow in senior representative squads to challenge Pembroke - last year's runners-up.
Benny Atkinson U-16 Cup final: Three Rock Rovers vs Railway Union, 11.30am*
Jacqui Potter Cup final: Hermes vs Railway Union, 1.30pm
Leinster Senior Mills Cup final: Corinthian vs Pembroke Wanderers, 3.30pm

All to be played at Grange Road

* Please note correction

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

will the bar be open?

Anonymous said...

are you sure its 11.15 start for the u16, I thought it was a 11.30 start

Stephen Findlater said...

I was sent 11.15am as the start time but have had no time yet to confirm that.

As for the bar, I hope it's going to be open!

Anonymous said...

timing should really be 11.30, 1.30 & 3.30 - this allows for extra time and strokes -

Anonymous said...

cant wait for these finals... should be a great day up in grange road. HERMES FOR THE TITLE

Anonymous said...

come on Railway - with the U16's great work has been done within the club because most of the team are from non hockey playing schools, this just shows what a great sport hockey and it can be enjoyed by all and not just the elite few

Anonymous said...

Alan White also plays for wesley and three rock


Dave

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention Alan White another quality player from the wesley junior team also playing for T.R.R.Should be a good match

Anonymous said...

Should be a great game between railway & hermes. Would be nice to see railway win their first trophy!

Anonymous said...

When was the decision made to deduct 3 points from Corinthians? Did I miss something?

Anonymous said...

Corinthians docked point?

http://www.leinsterhockey.org/Public/LeagueResults.php

Anonymous said...

Railway too strong for Hermes but should be a good match.GOOO RAIIILLEERS

Anonymous said...

The score last year in the womens was 3-1 not 4-1 to Hermes Findlater!

Anonymous said...

how can this Alan White play for TTr as well .. is that not against some rule?

Anonymous said...

Mills Cup Champions

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Anonymous said...

Why Who else does he play for apart from T.R.R?

Anonymous said...

Thought the ladies game was very poor. Expected the two best teams in Leinster to provide a bit more entertainment instead of hitting and hoping every ball. The mens team was very entertaining and atleast t was end to end. Well donr CHC. Nice to see others Teams winning the silverwear