Irish Senior Cup Finals match reports.

WOMEN’S IRISH SENIOR CUP FINAL

MONKSTOWN 3 CATHOLIC INSTITUTE 1

Defending champions Catholic Institute ended up surrendering their Irish Senior Cup title after a closely fought encounter with Monkstown.

Monkstown began the game well and forced an early penalty corner which did not produce the opening goal however. Aoife Hickey received a green card in the 12th minute but not even this temporary reduction to 10 players did anything to break the deadlock.

In a quarter with lots of end to end play it was Catholic Institute who took the lead from open play in the 18th minute through Rebecca Barry.

Insta carried this 1-0 lead well into the second quarter until the final minute when Monkstown got on the scoresheet. Natasha Twomey with a field goal got Monkstown back level just on the stroke of half time. Short of their internationals Roisin Upton and Naomi Carroll who were not available due to international commitments Institute battled gamely throughout the game.

In the third quarter Monkstown took the lead and it came from a set piece. Monkstown had forced numerous penalty corners in succession and been repelled repeatedly by the Institute defence.

Eventually Chloe Watkins found Sara Twomey who converted following a penalty corner on 34 minutes to give Monkstown a 2-1 lead at half time.
Despite pressure from Institute, Monkstown weathered the storm and increased their lead in the final quarter when Emily Kealy converted another penalty corner in the 68th minute.

The final score was Monkstown 3 Catholic Institute 1. Monkstown are the Irish Senior Cup Champions 2023 in their first ever final as a club.

MONKSTOWN: Martina Duignan, Emily Kealy, Sophie Moore, Jennifer Hamill, Claire O’Reilly, Rebecca Carhy, Sara Twomey, Natasha Twomey, Aoibhin Murdoch, Suzie Kelly, Olivia Brady, Millie Jermin, Orla Young-Hughes, Charlotte O’Neill, Chloe Watkins [capt.], Caoimhe Seymour Sub GK

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE: Pamela Smithwick-Hearne, Christina O’Shea, Roisin Begley, Aoife Hickey, Alison Clein, Leah Clery, Laura Foley, Ciara Moloney, Clodagh Moloney, Eimear Ryan [capt.], Michelle Barry, Aine Ryan, Rebecca Barry, Anna Horan, Elizabeth Ryan, Aoibheann Collins, Jennifer Clein Miriam O’Callaghan Sub GK

MEN’S IRISH SENIOR CUP FINAL

BANBRIDGE 2 GLENANNE 2 ( Banbridge won 4- 1 in shootout)

Banbridge were already the EY Men’s Division Champions having won the League after 18 rounds of tough fixtures. Last weekend they added the Champions Trophgy to their trophy haul to secure a place in next season EHL in European Club competition. Going into today’s Irish Senior Cup final thre was the prospect of landing a grand slam of all of the three key trophies in men’s hockey in Ireland. The only thing in the way was a Glenanne side whom they were meeting for the fourth time in competitive hockey this season. There had been some very tight games between the teams in the Champions Trophy and one League game in particular. One heavy defeat for Glenanne.

Josh Moffett opened the scoring for Banbridge from a penalty corner on 8 minutes. The lead didn’t last very long. Jason Rogan getting an equaliser for Glenanne from open play 60 seconds later. Charlie Rowe picked up a green card for Banbridge in the 15th minute temporarily reducing his side to 10 players. Louis Rowe was green carded on 24 minutes but as Jonathan McCormack picked up a green card for Glenanne a minute later both sides were down to 10 players for around 3 minutes, before Neil Byrne collected a second green card reducing Glenanne to 8 players.

It remained 1-1 at the half time break. There was no scoring in the third quarter and in the 59th minute Owen Magee got the lead goal from open play in the 59th minute and almost immediately got himself yellow carded.

Glenanne ratcheted up the pressure in the final minute of the match forcing three short corners in the closing seconds in rapid succession, the third of which resulted in Brad Venter’s equaliser with the last play of normal time. Full time result 2-2 and that meant a shoot out.

Eugene Magee took Banbridge’s first penalty and scored 1-0 to Banbridge. Sam O’Connor took the first for Glenanne and missed. Peter Brown scored the second for Banbridge to make it 2-0. Richard Couse scored his penalty for Glenanne to make it 2-1. Louis Rowe made it 3-1 to Banbridge with his penalty, Shane O’Donoghue missed his effort to leave it 3-1 going into the next one for Banbridge. Charlie Rowe made no mistake to make it 4-1 to Banbridge and the Irish Senior Cup was on it’s way to the Havelock Park club house to rest alongside the Champions Trophy and League Trophy already secured. A Grand Slam treble secured congratulations to Banbridge.

BANBRIDGE: Luke Roleston, Alexander Tinney [capt.], Peter Brown, Hugh McShane, Jake Rowe, Joshua Moffett, David Finlay, Eugene Magee, Thomas Edward Dobson, James Evans, Mark Barlow, Sam Farson, Owen Magee, Elliott Haw, Matthew McKee, Mark Cowan, Louis Rowe, Charlie Rowe

GLENANNE: David Lawless, Neil Byrne, Jonathan McCormack, Richard Couse, Jason Rogan, Shannon Boucher, Brad Venter [capt.] Shane O’Donoghoe, Richard Shaw, Paul Byrne, Theo Boiter, Kevin Venter, Gary Shaw, Gavin Gibney, Sam O’Connor, Mark Keppel, Rory O’Donoghue, Michael Green