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Eamon's accuracy enough for College
Hockey
THE SENIOR BOYS hockey team won the first cup for the College since 2000 when they overcame the High School in dramatic fashion on Wednesday.
Playing in the inaugural Trophy Final were Kilkenny College and the High School, both of whom came through their respective sides of the knock-out competition to meet in this final before going on into the semi-final of the traditional cup.
The College had overcome John Scottus and St Columba’s to reach this point.
The game opened evenly for the first half with perhaps Kilkenny having the better of the exchanges.
However the stout Dublin defence by Glenanne’s Shane O’Donohoe and the High School’s skipper goalkeeper Gareth Carragherwere equal to the constant probes by Eamon Walshe, Jeremy Duncan, Ben Jacob and the buzzing Evan Matthews.
O’Donoghue constantly hoisted the ball safely out of defence to give the Dublin side a break up front.
However it was the Kilkenny side who broke the deadlock as they got the dream start after the break when Walshe put the ball in the net on the reverse.
Despite constant pressure from Kilkenny, the High School replied when Rathgar’s Irish under 18 International made it 1-1 and ten minutes from the end Moore struck home with a cracking volley for the provincials to make it look as if it was all over.
Loftily Converted
The High School were writing the script at that point and deep in the last few seconds secured a penalty corner which O’Donoghue loftily converted.
Extra time proved no breakthrough and as many predicted, it came down to the dreaded strokes.
Not even the gallant skipper keeper George Smyth stepping out of his goal to take one of the strokes could help - and then he had to step back in again and face the next barrage.
There was little to separate the takers as they succeeded and missed and eventually after deadlock at 3-3 brought the game down to sudden death.
It took two rounds to produce a winner and as the High School failed to convert with Smyth launching low to save; it was Eamon Walshe who sent the ball home to bring the trophy to Kilkenny for the very first time ever.
It was the first major win for the premier team for more than a decade.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
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