Three Rock Rovers 5 Pembroke 2
A hat-trick from Three Rock Rovers’ Luke Madeley helped secure the oldest trophy in hockey in Sunday’s Irish Senior Cup final at UCD.
Rovers never once lost the lead to Pembroke in a high scoring game, where Madeley’s execution on strike at the set piece, especially in the early phase of the match, gave Rovers the upper hand and forced Pembroke to chase.
In a high tempo contest in drizzling rain, that sharpness from the winners was the difference between the sides in a match in which both goalkeepers, Rovers Jamie Carr and Pembroke’s Mark Ingram were both kept busy. It is Rovers second win since 2000, their last victory coming just four years ago.
Madeley opened the scoring after only 13 minutes. His first strike was blocked but quick reactions gave him time to pivot and slap a backhand past goalkeeper Ingram for 1-0.
Within three minutes Madeley was lining up again and after his first strike hit a defenders knee, the retaken penalty corner went high into the net to the goalkeeper’s right for 2-0. Stung by the early strikes Pembroke struck back immediately with a perfect riposte as seconds later international Kirk Shimmons dribbled down the left and along the backline before finding the thinnest of spaces for a delicate flick, which almost impossibly slipped in at the far post for 2-1.
Then just short of the half hour mark, a drag flick low and to the goalkeeper’s right found the backboard on Pembroke’s second penalty corner of the day, Alan Sothern claiming the score.
The sides went into the break level at 2-2. But three minutes into the second half Madeley’s penalty corner strike deflected off Ingram’s stick for 3-2 and his hat-trick was complete.
Pembroke had chances but Rovers more so and looked the sharper on circle penetrations. Pembroke had an equaliser disallowed before Rovers hit their fourth goal on 58 minutes, the deflection of John Mullins going high at their seventh corner for 4-2.
Ross Canning completed the Rover’s scoring when Pembroke were chasing the game and had taken off their goalkeeper to go with 11 outfield players. His reverse stick slap on 66 minutes closed out Pembroke securing the 2018 trophy for the Grange Road side in their 125th year.
Pembroke defeated Lisnagarvey 3-0 in Saturday’s semi-final with Rovers coming through 5-1 against Glenanne at St Andrews School.
