TWENTY-YEAR-OLD goal-keeper Stephen Kinsella - who is considering an invitation to play in Germany - became one of the youngest captains to hold aloft one of the world's oldest hockey trophies after Avoca Il had beaten Harlequins Il, 2-0, in the Irish Junior Cup final at Garryduff on Saturday.

Greater exposure to the game at a higher level turned out to be a telling factor as Avoca scored two second-half goals to leave Harlequins still without an all-Ireland trophy.

"We stepped it up after the interval," agreed the winners' coach Brendan Quigley. "The experience gained by some of our players in Reading (in the European Cup Winners Cup) made us sharper."

Indeed, no one was more incisive than Enda Gallanagh, who had missed scoring chances for the first XI in the European A division competition. The highly skilful right winger not only loosened the Harlequins cover but put away the two goals following short corners in the 48th and 61st minutes.

He slotted home the first when David Hanna's shot was parried by Wesley Bateman and volleyed the second into the roof of the net when the ball came up off a defender's stick from a cross by Graham Dowling.

While Gallanagh provided the finishing touches, an equally valuable role was performed by a fellow senior medallist, Philip Sarratt, who operated with complete authority at sweeper. Brendan Shiels also played with notable assurance at the back while in the attack Ian Cox, on the left wing, kept the Harlequins defence at full stretch.

The Harlequins back four, along with Bateman, did not yield at all easily. But, in retrospect, it will be felt that the side may have functioned too defensively, due in some measure to the absence through injury of Eoin Lane, necessitating the switch of David Lombard to left-back.

Ultimately, when the forceful Lombard moved into an offensive role, there was a threat to Avoca's composure. David Deady fired a shot over the bar and a Lombard short-corner strike was too high.

So Kinsella, who was required to cope with eight set-piece manoeuvres (to nine at the other end) remained unbeaten in leading Avoca to their back-to-back senior-junior double.

It remains to be seen if Pembroke Wanderers can emulate this achievement in reverse when they take on Lisnagarvey in the Irish Senior Cup final at Belfield next Saturday.