First-half flurry does the trick for Ashton

 The Cork City school were all but of sight at half-time with a 4-0 advantage as their players’ greater experience of top-level senior club hockey told against a game Midleton College outfit.

David Hobbs’ side, looking to retain their crown as well as exact revenge for a heartbreaking loss to Midleton in an epic 2010 decider, went in front on 14 minutes after weathering some early pressure.

Philip Brownlow’s first touch brilliantly outfoxed his marker in the circle, and though he was bundled over by Midleton goalkeeper Daniel Moore, there was enough on his push to see the ball trickle over the line.

Until then, Midleton had claimed the better of it, with Alex Burns working the endline only to meekly push goalwards when a square ball might have been a better option, while James Phillips rushed out to smother Greg Chambers from the East Cork side’s first short corner.

But Ashton clicked into gear thereafter, with Richard Sweetnam and David Wolfe spraying dangerous passes everywhere while David Treacy found plenty of room to maraud down the right.

And they put the result all but beyond doubt with three goals in four minutes as the first half came to a close. David Whitaker’s drag-flick was saved by Moore but Gary Wilkinson returned the ball across goal with interest and Richard Lynch connected at the far post for 2-0.

Ireland U16 hitman Simon Wolfe then notched a cracking solo effort, drifting from right to left before reversing to the far top corner – third time lucky for him after he’s arrowed two previous backhand efforts wide.

And Calvin Casey – arguably Ashton’s man of the match as his runs caused Midleton endless problems – made it four off an improvised short corner, reversing home from the top of the D.

If Midleton were deflated after that, they didn’t show it and came out defiantly at the start of the second period. Greg Chambers won the ball high in the press to play in Marc Hornibrook, and the Munster U18 man squared for the diving David Stead to deflect home to give them a lifeline early in the second half.

Ashton were indebted to goalkeeper Phillips for keeping their goal intact with a series of stops amid a sin-binning for defensive totem Sweetnam, but a Whitaker drag-flick steadied them again with 10 minutes to go.

Midleton hit back almost instantly as Alex Simonin’s pace took him past the cover on a 50-metre run down the right, finished off with a bullet of a shot to the far corner.

With eight minutes to go, Ivan Leopold’s side kept pushing and should have had another as Burns again got in behind the Ashton rearguard and squared for Simonin, whose goal-bound sweep was agonisingly redirected over the bar by a stray team-mate’s stick.

The dream died there and then for Midleton, while Ashton – with just a handful of sixth years in their side – can perhaps start building towards making an impression on the national stage.

ASHTON: J Phillips (GK), R Sweetnam, D Treacy, D Whitaker, D Wolfe (capt), K Byrne, R Lynch, G Wilkinson, P Daunt, S Wolfe, C Buttimer, B O’Mahony, C Casey, D O’Grady Woods, P Coulter (GK), P Brownlow.

MIDLETON: D Moore (GK), Adam Colton, N Hodson, A Burns, S O’Sullivan, O Chambers, Andrew Colton (capt), G Chambers, A Deane, M Hornibrook, A Simonin, L Hevers, A McGregor, D Stead, J McEvoy, J Ryan (GK).

Umpires: M Coombes & A Gray.