Hermes dig deep to lift first Senior Cup

UP until Saturday afternoon she was known as DJ Carey's kid sister who "plays a bit of hockey". After she scored the goal that won Hermes the Irish Senior Cup DJ better get used to life as Caitriona Carey's big brother, the one who "plays a bit of hurling".

"God, if they called me that I'd be in shock," said 18-year-old Carey after the match. "I'm well used to being known as DJ's sister by now." Whatever she'll be known as in the future Carey will go down in the history of Hermes Hockey Club as the player whose goal won them the Irish Senior Cup in their first appearance in the final of the competition.

The goal, which came three minutes from time, capped a remarkable second half Hermes performance that bore no resemblance to the lacklustre one they produced in their defeat by Muckross in the final of the Leinster Senior Cup a week before.

It had threatened to be another miserable afternoon for Roy Horsfield's team when they conceded a freak goal two minutes in to the second half of the final. Goalkeeper Tara Browne allowed a Clodagh McMoreland pass, from outside the circle, roll in to the goal, seemingly unaware that Muckross captain Teresa Hurley had got a touch on the ball inside the circle.

What the naked eye struggled to see television pictures confirmed later in the day that Hurley did get a touch on the ball and umpire Alison McCloskey's decision was correct - a decision Browne agreed with after the match.

"To be perfectly honest with you I actually don't know what I was doing at the time - I'd like to think I was just trying to give our lot some incentive to score," she said.

Browne's "cunning" plan had the desired effect with the goal seeming to have a considerably more positive impact on Hermes than it had on Muckross.

Muckross dominated much of the first half and came close to scoring on a number of occasions through the ever-dangerous Mary Logue and Ciara McGrath. However, once Hurley scored, Hermes dug deep to produce a stirring performance, largely inspired by the magnificent Fiona Manning in midfield.

With 15 minutes to go an inspirational run from the back by captain and sweeper Helen Kilroy led to Hermes' equaliser. Jenny Burke collected Kilroy's pass at the edge of the circle, turned her marker Clodagh Grealy and superbly reverse-sticked the ball past Sandra O'Gorman in the Muckross goal.

The match's most controversial moment came four minutes from time when Grealy was sent off for "deliberately kicking the ball". A minute later an unmarked Carey took full advantage of Grealy's absence from the Muckross defence by converting Manning's fiercely struck cross-cum-shot from the left.

Three Muckross short corners in the last two minutes, the last, coming with just 38 seconds left, on the clock, almost left the huge Hermes contingent in the crowd in need of medical attention but the team survived and Kilroy, in her ninth season with the club,, stepped forward to collect the most prized trophy of them all.

Kilroy had some sympathy at the end of the match for what remains an outstanding Muckross team. "I feel for Muckross - for some of them that's seven defeats in eight finals and I suspect when we equalised that preyed a little bit on their minds," she said of a team that has lost the last three Irish Senior Cup finals. Kilroy can now look forward to leading her team in to next season's European Club Championships - heady days for Hermes HC.