Women's Hockey/Irish Senior Cup final Hermes 1 Old Alexandra 0: There was none of the drama of last year's final, when they needed penalty strokes to beat Ballymoney, this time a single goal, from former United States international Molly Powers, proved enough for Hermes to retain the ESB Irish Senior Cup against Old Alexandra at Belfield yesterday.
A confident display it was too from Hermes, even if they never got the second goal that would have made their afternoon more comfortable, but Alexandra, after a bright opening, weren't quite able to lift their game to the level that would have been required to beat the favourites.
Much of this Hermes side, though, has done it all in Irish hockey, with their midfield trio of Linda Caulfield, Mary Logue and Jenny Burke the possessors of over 400 caps between them. That level of experience showed, most notably in the second half when Alexandra's attempts at applying some pressure were, more often than not, thwarted by Hermes' simple ability to retain possession.
What proved to be the winning goal came after just eight minutes when Caitriona Carey and Kristin Farrell harried the Alexandra defence into losing possession at the edge of the circle. Carey broke on the right, cut the ball back for Farrell and after Shauna Frey had blocked her shot Powers, waiting on the left post, forced home the loose ball. "A no-brainer of a goal," as the American, who also scored in last year's final, modestly described it.
Carey could have doubled the lead soon after but following fine work down the left by Aoife Mitchell her attempt on goal was smothered by Frey, one of several fine saves by the Irish under-21 goalkeeper.
Alexandra, though, had their own chances in the first half, an unmarked Laura McCoy, in front of goal, almost getting a touch on Kerry Hiles' long ball, while Barbara Fitzgerald went close when she put Jan Perrin's pass just wide. Zanya Dahl came closer still late in the half when she fired a short corner, the first of the game, just wide to the left of Nikki King's goal.
Hermes weathered those mini storms, however, and were the better side in the second half, with King, Alexandra's former goalkeeper, rarely troubled and their defence of Aoife McCarthy, captain Jenny Osborne, Jill Hodgins and Fiona Connery hardly putting a foot wrong.
Frey, meanwhile, was keeping her team in the game, twice denying Burke from short corners, the second an excellent save from the midfielder's reverse stick shot, before another superb reflex save from a deflected cross.
Hermes, then, were creating the bulk of the second half chances, but, largely due to Frey and Sarah O'Connor and Gillian O'Shea at the heart of the Alexandra defence, couldn't find the goal to kill the game off. Alexandra, though, couldn't force any opening to give themselves hope of an equaliser, despite the best efforts of teenager Jeamie Deacon, probably her team's outstanding outfield player.
Carey, like Caulfield, Farrell, and Alexandra's Zanya Dahl only back last week from international duty in Argentina, was named player of the match, reward for being at the heart of most of her team's best attacking moments, most of which she created with her trademark trickery and sublime skill.
The Loreto Kilkenny old girl was, like her club, playing in her seventh final in 10 years, but the 'balance sheet' looks healthier after yesterday - Carey and Hermes have now won four and lost three of the finals they have reached. And, by winning yesterday, they have become only the third Leinster club to retain the Irish Senior Cup in over 50 years.
HERMES: N King, A McCarthy, J Osborne (capt), J Hodgins, F Connery, M Logue, L Caulfield, J Burke, K Farrell, C Carey, M Powers. Subs: C Devine, D McDermott, C Sullivan, A Mitchell.
OLD ALEXANDRA: S Frey, S O'Connor, G O'Shea, K Hiles, A M Cullen, J Perrin, Z Dahl, J Deacon, A Bowers (capt), K Whelan, L McCoy. Subs: L Dowling, B Fitzgerald, A Flinn, A Budd.
Umpires: C Metchette and J Beamish.
