WOMEN’S NATIONAL INDOOR FINALS
Galway, January 28th: The women’s National Indoor Finals took place at the Kingfisher Centre in Galway on Sunday. Taking part were Railway Union, and Corinthians who came 1st and 2nd respectively in Leinster, Ulster champions Ards and Connacht Champions University of Galway. In the first semi-final University of Galway took on Railway Union.
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY 1 RAILWAY UNION 11
University of Galway took the lead in the 4th minute when Ellie Hughes scored from open play. The defending national champions Railway Union responded in the 12th minute when Sarah Patton converted a penalty corner 1-1. Matilde Errico scored from open play, in the 13th minute to give Railway Union a 2-1 lead. Ailish Long scored two open play goals in the 14th minute to leave Railway Union 4-1 ahead. Orla Fox converted a penalty corner in the 15th minute to make the score 5-1. Amy Benson scored from a penalty corner in the 22n d minute 6-1. Matilde Errico scored another open play goal to make it 7-1 in the 23rd minute. Amy Benson from open play made it 8-1 from open play in the 25th minute. Katie Fearon made it 9-1 in the 33rd minute also from open play. Sarah Patton made it 10-1 in the 35th minute and Amy Benson rounded off the scoring in the 38th minute to send Railway Union through to the National Final.
In the second semi-final Corinthians took on Ulster Champions Ards.
CORINTHIANS 4 ARDS 2
Sharon Seaton opened the scoring for the Leinster women in the 3rd minute from open play. Jessica McGrane added another goal from open play in the 5th minute to make it 2-0 to Corinthians. Isabel Maleady added a third goal from open play in the 24th minute. Ards got off the mark in the 26th minute with a first goal of the match for Ellen Robinson to make it 3-1. Anna Richardson made it 4-1 for Corinthians with her converted penalty corner in the 26th minute. Ellen Robinson completed the scoring for Ards with a 32nd minute field goal and the final score was Corinthians 4 Ards 2 . Corinthians into the National final and Ards to take on University of Galway in the 3rd place play off.
3RD AND 4TH PLACEPLAY-OFF
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY 2 ARDS 8
Ailbhe Folan opened the scoring for University of Galway in the first minute from open play. Alyssa Boyd got Ards on the scoresheet and Ailbhe Folan added a second open play goal for University of Galway to make it 2-1 and Ellen Robinson made it 2-2 also in the 5th minute. Susannah Cotter gave Ards the lead in the 11th minute 3-2. Rebecca Beggs got a goal from open play in the 14th minute to make it 4-2. Frankie Brown made it 5-2 in the 16th minute. Susannah Cotter made it 6-2 in the 22nd minute with a goal from open play. Rebecca Beggs made it 7-2 in the 28th minute from open play and Frankie Brown added another one in the 29th minute to secure the bronze medal for Ards on an 8-2 score line.
FINAL
RAILWAY UNION 2 CORINTHIANS 2 (RAILWAY UNION WIN 3-1 IN SHOOT-OUT)
In the opening minutes it was a very close affair and there were no goals for over 20 minutes. When the lead did come it was the defending National Indoor Champions who got it. Railway Union were awarded a penalty stroke in the 20th minute and Orla Fox made no mistake.1-0 Railway Union. Ava Maleady equalised for Corinthians from open play in the 28th minute 1-1. Orla Fox converted a penalty corner in the 32nd minute to make it 2-1 for Railway Union. Sophie Barnwell converted a penalty corner in the 34th minute to make it 2-2. There was no further scoring and it went to a penalty shoot-out
SHOOT OUT Sarah Patton scored the first penalty for Railway Union
Sharon Seaton missed Corinthians first penalty, 1-0 Railers.
Micaela Sanderson scored for Railway Union and Sophie Barnwell scores the second penalty for Corinthians2-1 Railers. Orla Patton scored for Railway Union to secure the National Indoor title on a 3-1 score line.
MEN’S NATIONAL INDOOR FINALS
SEMI-FINAL 1
THREE ROCK ROVERS 5 CORINTHIANS 1
Local rivals Three Rock Rovers and Corinthians played in the first semi-final of the Men’s National Indoor Championships on Sunday. Captain Ross Canning got the scoring under way for Three Rock Rovers by converting a penalty corner in the 16th minute 1-0 to Three Rock Rovers. Jonas Althusmann scored from open play to give Rovers a 2-0 lead in the 18th minute. Jody Hosking converted a penalty corner in the 25th minute to make it 3-0 and James Kyriakides made it 4-0 from open play in the 26th minute. Craig Mackay got Corinthians on the scoresheet from open play on the half hour mark. A final Ryan Williams goal for Three Rock Rovers in the 36th minute from open play secured a 5-1 win and a ticket to the National Indoor Final.
SEMI-FINAL 2
COOKSTOWN 2 RAILWAYUNION 5
Ulster Indoor Champions Cookstown took on Leinster Champions Three Rock Rovers in the second of the two semi-finals at the Kingfisher Centre in Galway. It was the Greg Williams show for Railway Union as he opened the scoring in the 1st minute from a converted penalty corner. Daniel Nelson responded for Cookstown in the10th minute from a converted penalty corner to make it 1-1. Greg Williams got his second of the match from open play in the 16th minute to restore Railway’s lead 2-1. A third of the game for Greg Williams made it 3-1 to Railway from open play in the 26th minute. A Michael Kerr goal from open play for Cookstown in the 29th minute reduced the deficit to a single goal Cookstown 2 Railway Union 5. Railway Union were awarded two penalty strokes in the 34th and 39th minutes respectively and Greg Williams made it 4-2 with the first of these and 5-2 with the second of these to reach the National Indoor final against Three Rock Rovers.
3RD AND 4TH PLACE FINAL
CORINTHIANS 4 COOKSTOWN 4
Scott McCabe put the Ulster Champions 1-0 ahead in the 5th minute from open play. Cookstown increased their lead a minute late with a Michael Kerr goal from open play 2-0 to Cookstown. Daniel Kerr increased it even further in the 8th minute with another open play goal 3-0 to Cookstown and Michael Kerr made it 4-0 to Cookstown in the 11th minute also from open play. Corinthians began their Lazarus like comeback when Ben O’Grady converted a penalty corner on 14 minutes to make it 4-1. Craig Mackay scored from open play in the 19th minute to make it 4-2 and again in the 23rd minute to make it 4-3.Craig Mackay completed his hat-trick to secure a 4-4 draw in the 26th minute. Third place was shared by both sides and no shoot out ensued.
FINAL
THREE ROCK ROVERS 5 RAILWAY UNION 3
Three Rock Rovers won the Men’s National Indoor Hockey Championship at the Kingfisher Centre in Galway beating Railway Union 5-3 in today’s final. Three Rock Rovers took the lead in the 12th minute through James Kyriakides from open play. Railway Union equalised within 60 seconds when they were awarded a penalty stroke which Greg Williams converted to make the score 1-1. Ross Canning restored Three Rock Rovers’ lead in the 18th minute to make it 2-1 to Rovers. Daragh Curley scored for Railway Union from open play to level matters at 2-2 in the 23rd minute. James Walker made it 3-2 for Three Rock with a goal from open play. Jody Hosking added another goal for Three Rock from a converted penalty corner in the 33rd minute, to make it 4-2. Ben Ryder’s goal in the 37th minute from open play sealed a 5-2 victory for Three Rock Rovers and the National Indoor Championship Trophy will live in the Trophy Cabinet at Grange Road for the next year.