Three Rock Rovers produced a superb second half performance to land the men’s Leinster indoor hockey league title, seeing off Railway Union 6-4 in the final at St Columba’s College, Rathfarnham.
As often the case in recent years, Ross Canning and Jody Hosking were the guiding lights as two of the code’s leading lights, fighting back from 2-0 down to win out from a fast-paced encounter.
Andy Colton turned in a Brendan Parsons’ cross and an excellently worked team move out of a hole down the left, ended with Kenny Carroll tearing through on the right and flicking in.
They led 2-0 after 13 minutes as their counter-attack set-up paid early dividends but Rovers picked off two corners within 60 seconds of each other with Canning slamming home each time for 2-2 at half-time.
Ben Walker did have another chance in the goal but was correctly adjudged to have hit the chance in on his reverse.
Rovers did go in front for the first time seconds after the break, a lovely team move with Hosking squaring for Harry Morris to touch home. Hosking flicked in the next from Jack McAllister’s lay-off for 4-2 in the 23rd minute.
Stephen O’Keeffe was playing a blinder in this phase with one of his saves managing to hit the roof at Columba’s. Canning tapped in the rebound while most queried what happened next but it a bully was the outcome.
Carroll’s low corner got Railway back in the mix with 12 minutes to go but Hosking kept his cool off the boards to shoot in for 5-3 a few minutes later.
Railway survived a spell with Colton serving a yellow card suspension but, back to a full complement, McAllister then killed off the result with a near post touch to Daragh Walsh’s pass, rendering Rob Abbott’s late goal a consoluation effort.
