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Irish Hockey

By Graham Hamilton

It's wonderful how much things can change in just a few months.

At the start of the season Lisnagarvey were still homeless, had lost several of their stars to other teams, and were in danger of having a second successive season without a meaningful trophy.

Now the diggers have moved in to start work on their new ground, they've snapped up Irish international Ivan Steen to strengthen their squad, and they've reached the Powerade Kirk Cup final scheduled for Monday December 27.

Yes, Peter McCabe's lads had much to celebrate yesterday afternoon when they broke Annadale's stranglehold on the domestic trophies with a 3-2 semi-final Kirk success at Banbridge's Havelock Park.

They came into the game as underdogs but they answered their critics by storming back from two goals down to score three times in the last 19 minutes.

And make no mistake about it, they were the better team and deserved their place in the December 27 decider against Instonians who won the other semi-final 3-1 against Bangor just two hours earlier.

Annadale, despite having seven internationals in their ranks, were fortunate to go in at the interval a goal ahead, and even when they added a second early in the second half, it was Garvey who looked the more likelier.

Dale's usually reliable defence capitulated under the pressure and more worryingly the team distinctly lacked the desire to knuckle down and battle when things weren't going well.

Timmy Cockram did much of the damage although he didn't get his name on the scoresheet.

His speed tore open the Annadale defence on a number of occasions but he blotted his copybook by missing a penalty stroke after goalkeeper Johnny Moore upended him early in the first half.

Twice more he was denied, as was Brian Waring and Ivan Steen, and it cost them dearly when Johnny Quigley latched unto a through ball at the other end two minutes from the break and roofed a beauty on the reverse stick.

Ian Hamilton converted the first penalty corner of the game two minutes into the second half and it seemed Annadale were home and dry.

But then supersub Jonathan Bloomfield arrived on the scene.

First he put away Garvey's first penalty corner and then Mark Robinson levelled matters with a sweet shot on the reverse. And finally Bloomfield popped up in the circle again to deflect in the winner with just four minutes left.

Instonians had to come from behind in the curtain-raiser too - Bangor had taken the lead through Gareth Morton but when Andrew Cousins levelled eight minutes into the second half there was only going to be one winner.

Clarke Kennedy got Inst's second and Cousins came on again after being yellow-carded to set up their third for Julian Lewis.

Meanwhile Vi-Sport Premier League leaders Banbridge were held to a 1-1 draw at Civil Service on Saturday while bottom club Raphoe lost 3-1 against Cookstown to almost surely spell relegation for them, even at this early stage.

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