Merriman hits golden goal

Men's hockey/Leinster Senior Cup final/ Corinthians 5; Glenanne 4: Glenanne had this one in the bag with 18 minutes remaining yesterday at Grange Road.

Seeking their second successive Leinster Cup, the holders led Corinthians 4-2 and looked comfortable until a late rally turned the match on its head.

Corinthians, seeking their first senior trophy since the 1930s, squeezed hard for the remaining fraught minutes of normal time and were rewarded with a golden goal when Phil Merriman struck from the crown of the circle for 5-4 and the trophy.

The winning goal not only crowned the new champions in an old-fashioned glorious cup comeback sort of way but also handed Merriman his hat-trick. In addition the game marked the departure of their main force in midfield for the past seven years, Justin Benson, who played his last game for the club.

For so long Glenanne led the game while Corinthians chased and the winning strike was the first time Corinthians were actually ahead. John Goulding grabbed two goals, firstly on Glenanne's fourth short corner and then nipped in on 36 minutes to give his side a 2-0 lead.

Irish under-18 Chris Pelow's direct flick from Corinthians' third corner brought his side back into the match but Joe Brennan again put daylight between the sides at a switch from Glenanne's sixth corner for 3-1. Merriman again pegged it back to 3-2 for Corinthians with a reverse drill from the crown, and Brennan once more gave the Glens a two-goal cushion on 52 minutes from the penalty spot.

Corinthians seemed buried but to their credit chased the game, Merriman touching in from a corner on 57 minutes and Andrew Sutton hitting the equaliser in the final minute of normal time.

By then Corinthians had the momentum, and Merriman's third goal arrived four minutes into golden-goal time.

CORINTHIANS: C Henderson; C Blennerhasset, A Blennerhasset, A Sutton, C Pelow, J Benson, D Williams, P Merriman, A Missen, S Walcher, N Young. Rolling. Subs: R Byrnes, P Fitzroy, S Williams, P Tuthill.

GLENANNE: I Clarke; K Bolger, C Murphy, J Brennan, P Fitzpatrick, G Shaw, D Kehoe, A Browne, R O'Donoghue, C Murphy, J Goulding. Rolling. Subs: M Lambe, D Shaw , E O'Malley, K O'Malley, N Munir.

Umpires: G Caulwell, G Conn.