Kenny Carroll (pictured) got his hands on the Irish Senior Cup last night but only after the closest final in the competition’s 25-year history.

For the Railway Union captain, who transformed himself from an Ireland A hopeful into a World Cup finals pick in the space of four months, it was a fitting finale to an unforgettable season.

But he had to rely on his team-mates in a pulsating finale as No 11 James Rogan pulled his first ball to the fine leg boundary and finally end Rush’s heroic comeback.

When Carroll and Niall O’Brien were adding 83 for the first wicket the Rush total of 207 on a slow pitch looked woefully inadequate. But the loss of five wickets in 33 balls for 27 runs turned a tepid contest into a clash worthy of Ireland’s premier club knock-out competition.

The man that defied Rush for 21 overs, and ultimately won the match, was Adrian Murphy. The dynamic West Indian was out immediately after bringing up his 50, with his side just seven runs short of victory. But the last-gasp drama had only begun.

Gourav Singh, much to his disbelief, was given out caught behind second ball, and with the scores tied Gary Black played no stroke to Niall Mullen and was leg before. It was Rogan, the diminutive wicket-keeper, however, who was to break Rush’s hearts and give Railway their first Irish Cup success.

Dan van Zyl, Rush’s South African’s off spinner, had ended the opening stand with a return catch off Carroll and in his next over forced Niall O’Brien into a false stroke and the Kent and Ireland wicket-keeper was palpably leg before.

When a third member of Ireland’s World Cup squad was also trapped in front in the following over, Rush were back in the game. When Mullen then dismissed his namesake Conor and Mohammad Tariq with successive balls in his next over the men from Fingal were probably favourites.

With the scalps of North Down, Clontarf and last year’s winners North County on the way to the final it was a confident Rush who believed they could finish the job.

But the strength of this Railway team is its depth and Murphy, first in partnership with Ross Wynne and then, decisively, Gary Black put the south Dubliners back on the winning course.
Brian O’Rourke, the Rush captain, tried every bowling combination but when Naseer Shoukat and Shahid Iqbal’s overs ran out, the game was up for the side who can still win the Section A league title.

The Rush innings never got going until the last five overs. After winning the toss, O’Rourke and Fintan McAllister were so desperate to avoid losing wickets the runs became secondary. The first wicket stand of 55 used up 20 overs and the 50 runs for the fourth wicket took another 16.

It was no more than a competitive total but Rush’s never-say-die spirit almost turned it into a winning one. This though, thrillingly, was Railway’s day.