WEARY after a strained league campaign in Leinster, Three Rock Rovers could not contain a better balanced, more virile Instonians side in the final game of the All Ireland hockey playoffs at Serpentine Avenue yesterday. Thus Instonians earned the berth in next year's European Championship after Cork C of I - having beaten Rovers 3-1 on Friday - had offered an exhilarating challenge in fighting back to draw 3-3 with the Ulstermen on Saturday.
Initially yesterday, there was a spark of hope for C of I when a defiant Robin Madeley broke away to score for Three Rock from an acute angle. Even at the interval, with Paul Cooke being lucky to equalise following a scrambled short corner in the 32nd minute, Instonians were not breathing easily.
In the second half, however, they proved to have much the greater stamina. They duly took the lead when Neil Cooke, set up by his brother Mervyn, found room to put away the chance at the second attempt. The third goal virtually signalled the end when Gavin Currie sent Mark Irwin to the back line to leave Neil Cooke to deliver the finishing touch.
Then any possibility of there being a penalty shoot out with C of I was firmly wiped out by a first time short corner shot by Paul Hollway (captain of both Instonians and Ulster). Finally, following another corner (the count was 7-1) Irwin deservedly hoisted his name onto the scoresheet.
So the victory was total and it's now up to Pembroke Wanderers to earn a Division A spot for Ireland's representatives on the Continent next season in Prague next month.
It seemed that C of I might take the ticket after composed defending by Ger Burns and a second half tour de force by Alastair Dunne were key elements in Instonians being pegged back on Saturday.
The international midfield trio of Neil Cooke, Paul Cooke and Hollway gave Instonians an almost total grip in the opening half, yet a yield of two goals in the 25th and 28th minutes by Hollway (short corner) and Jon Atkins, following one of Irwin's incisive thrusts, turned out to be insufficient at the time.
Still, after an inspired save by Mark O'Sullivan from Hollway at the start of the second period, it was surprising that Instonians surrendered the initiative. Dunne, assisted by the overlapping Andrew Chambers, plundered all before him, winning two corners to whip the ball on target, though the first goal needed to be put away off the crossbar by Burns.
Instonians rallied to snatch back the lead when a Hollway set piece drive crossed the goal line via a defender's stick, but C of I swept away to force a final corner and again Dunne set the net quivering - if ultimately in vain.
