SCHOOLS CUP/Salesians Celbridge 3 Templeogue College 2:PAUL O'BRIEN bagged a hat-trick in yesterday's FAIS Umbro Senior Schools Leinster Cup final at the Oscar Traynor complex.

On what was a fast surface, O'Brien used his strength and speed to good effect to help the Kildare school to a third success at this level.

The Kilcock Celtic man got off the mark on eight minutes when, having gone clear of a defender, he slotted the ball past the Templeogue goalkeeper.

But after Tom Boyle had headed Karl Duke's effort away for a corner, Duke's resultant set piece from the right saw Graham McInerney head home at the near post on 20 minutes to level proceedings.

O'Brien, however, was continuing to cause the Templeogue defence problems, and midway through the half he again stole clear of his marker before forcing Conor Hogan to pull off a good save.

And then after two chances had fallen to Robbie Cullivan at the other end, David Webster's free-kick from outside the box forced the Salesians goalkeeper, Paul Geraghty, to go down low to his right to avert the danger on 36 minutes.

Celbridge then extended their lead four minutes after the interval when, from a kick-out, Declan Molloy grabbed possession before setting up O'Brien for his second.

O'Brien completed his hat-trick with seven minutes to go when he curled his free inside the goalkeeper's left-hand post.

Templeogue pulled a goal back through Colm Corcoran in the last minute of injury-time.

TEMPLEOGUE COLLEGE: C Hogan, J Morrison, E Stevens, D Webster, G McInerney (G Corcoran, 50 mins), K Duke (S Murray, 80 mins), D Jones, D Duff, R Cullivan, C Corcoran, P Stewart (G Armstrong, 85 mins). SALESIANS COLLEGE CELBRIDGE: P Geraghty, A Walsh, E Powderly, C Bolger, P Connolly, D Molloy (D Mullen, 67 mins), T Boyle, R Creevy, J Mullen, J Biansumba, P O'Brien (M Brown, 89 mins).

Referee: C Beasley (Dublin).