Glenanne claim first Mills Cup hockey title in nine years

Keogh and Micklem star as Tallaght side edge much-decorated Monkstown in shoot-out

Monkstown’s Kyle Good who’s sudden-death shoot-out penalty was saved by Leo Micklem to spark Glenanne victory celebrations. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Glenanne 2 (E O’Malley, S Brownlow) Monkstown 2 (D Cole 2)

Glenanne win shoot-out 3-2

David Keogh and Leo Micklem were the toast of Glenanne as the duo combined to hand the Tallaght club their first Mills Cup title in nine years, beating a much-decorated Monkstown side in a pumped up tie.

Keogh scored two audacious shoot-outs – one in the regulation first five, the other in sudden death – while goalkeeper Micklem made five quality saves to land the Leinster senior title.

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They had spent a long time in arrears, trailing to two David Cole drag-flicks in the first half, counter-attacking Eddie O’Malley’s classy opening goal for 2-1 at half-time.

But the Glens are famed for their battling spirit and pushed on higher and higher with Keogh and Richard Couse forcing the issue. And, after a series of penalty corners, Stephen Brownlow nailed their equaliser with a rasping straight flick for 2-2 with six minutes to go.

Clive Kennedy and Neil Byrne went close to winning it in normal time and their wait for glory was prolonged further when the shoot-out yielded only one goal from either side from the first five rounds.

Keogh, though, crowned his day with a second perfect finish before Micklem denied Kyle Good to spark the celebrations in earnest.

GLENANNE: L Micklem, D Keogh, R Rixon-Fuller, N Byrne, P Byrne, E Tucker, E O’Malley, S Ronan, J Brennan, S Brownlow, C O’Neill, G Shaw, S O’Connor, C Kennedy, A Clayton, R Couse

MONKSTOWN: D Fitzgerald, N Dee, G Groves, K Smith, D Carson, J Lynch, D Cole, S Cole, G Cole, K Lynch, K Kenning, S Hyland, R Quirke, K Good, M Romoli, D Poff

Umpires: S MacAllister, R Abbott