Three Rock Rovers 2 Lisnagarvey 0
Three Rock Rovers’ winning streak just keeps on rolling as they landed their third successive EY Champions Trophy crown, making it 12 trophies since 2017 across outdoor and indoor competition.
This was more robust and than free-flowing as the Rathfarnham side’s defensive rigidity - underpinned by a masterful Luke Madeley performance - quelled the Lisnagarvey threat.
The player of the tournament will be a big loss next term, confirming he will join the pro ranks in Belgium along with Daragh Walsh.
After Garvey made the early inroads, with Matthew Nelson to go to striker, Rovers settled and Madeley whipped Rovers into the lead with a low drag-flick for a 28th minute lead.
Again, Lisnagarvey looked to make the prettier patterns but found no way through the flat tackles of Ravin Nair and Harry MacMahon while Jamie Carr cleaned up everything behind them.
And the killer blow came 15 minutes from time when Ben Walker drilled in through the middle of the circle. He should have passed earlier to John Mullins but a ricochet in the tackle meant the ball did get to the forward - a nephew of Dublin legend Brian - and he pummelled home for 2-0.
The closing minutes were in exercise in severe frustration for Garvey - who won the regular season title - as they could find no way through the packed defence as old hands Mitch Darling and Jody Hosking ran out the timer.
It earns Rovers another European trip, most likely to Barcelona next October, while Garvey await their fate on that front, too.
The two sides meet again next Saturday at Grange Road in the Irish Senior Cup.
Elsewhere, Munster will have no representative in the men’s EY Hockey League next term after Cork C of I lost in a shoot-out to UCD. Normal time ended 4-4.
Lisnagarvey: J Milliken, J Lorimer, J Bell, B Nelson, M McNellis, J Corry, D Nelson, P McKibbin, A Edgar, M Nelson, T Chambers
Subs: J Lynch, A Williamson, H Morris, R Arneill, C Chambers, O Kidd, F Carnduff
Three Rock Rovers: J Carr, R Nair, R Canning, M Darling, L Madeley, D Walsh, H Morris, J Hosking, M English, A Flynn, H MacMahon
Subs: D Kane, C Empey, J Mullins, B Walker, K Mullins, S O’Brien
