HOCKEY/Hermes 3 Trinity College 1:HERMES PROVED much too strong for Trinity College yesterday at Grange Road, where they retained the Jacqui Potter Leinster Senior Cup, winning the competition for the third time in four years with a 3-1 defeat of the students in the final.

The margin of victory would have been greater but for some wayward finishing by the Hermes attack and a fine display by Trinity goalkeeper Ciara Rowe, whose defence also showed admirable resolve in the face of almost ceaseless Hermes attacks, much of the threat coming from Nicola Evans and Anna O'Flanagan on the wings.

As early as the sixth minute Liane Costello came close to giving Hermes the lead, her strike from the first short corner of the game going just wide of the left post. But she was on target just four minutes later when she finished off some good work by O'Flanagan, forcing the ball past Rowe.

That Hermes didn't add to their score for another 37 minutes was largely a tribute to Rowe, who before the break made five key saves, twice denying O'Flanagan and Evans and thwarting Costello after she had been set up by Evans.

Twenty-two points separate the teams in the Leinster first division and at times yesterday the gap in class showed, Hermes particularly dominant around midfield where Linda Caulfield, Jenny Osborne and Elizabeth McInerney were in command.

But when the teams met in the league last October Trinity held Hermes, admittedly understrength, to a scoreless draw, and until Fiona Connery made it 2-0, 12 minutes into the second half, they were succeeding once again in frustrating their opponents.

By the time Connery fired home from her team's third short corner of the game Rowe had made saves, yet again, from Costello and Caulfield. But Trinity's resistance was comprehensively broken when Osborne made it 3-0, just two minutes after Connery's score, Evans creating the opening.

To their credit, though, Trinity finished the game with a surge, just when a drubbing of serious proportions might have been on the cards. Ciara Murphy in midfield and Danielle Costigan and Claire Hearnden up front prompted a spirited comeback that was rewarded with a goal after 57 minutes, Lindsay Watson converting at the end of her team's first attack of note in the game.

When they won their first short corner of the final, five minutes from time, Trinity briefly threatened to make a game of it, but Hermes defended with composure, the experience of Connery, Aoife McCarthy, Sinead McDonnell and Jill Hodgins showing.

Hermes, then, have one trophy safely stored in the cabinet this season, next they will turn their attention to the league, where they will triumph if they win their last three games - against leaders Pembroke Wanderers, Old Alexandra and, once again, Trinity.

HERMES: E Gray, J Hodgins, A McCarthy, F Connery (capt), S McDonnell, J Osborne, L Caulfield, E McInerney, C Devine, L Costello, A O'Flanagan. Subs: N Evans, S McGloughlin, A Keane.

TRINITY: C Rowe, M Horan, V Buckley, Caroline Murphy, R Murphy (capt), K O'Byrne, Ciara Murphy, L O'Connor, L Watson, C Hearnden, D Costigan. Subs: C Boyle, C Costigan, A Coyle.

Umpires: C Metchette and C O'Leary.