Champions hit five

MENS HOCKEY: All-Ireland club champions Pembroke Wanderers and Leinster champions Glenanne got their league campaigns off to…

MENS HOCKEY:All-Ireland club champions Pembroke Wanderers and Leinster champions Glenanne got their league campaigns off to winning starts on Saturday, both teams scoring five goals in wins over Kilkenny and UCD, respectively.

Craig Fulton, Craig Wilson, Conor Harte, Ian Symmons and John McIlroy shared the goals in Pembroke's 5-0 defeat of first division newcomers Kilkenny, while Alan Browne and Joe Brennan scored two apiece in Glenanne's 5-2 win over UCD at Belfield.

Monkstown and Three Rock Rovers both opened with 2-0 wins, Brian Groves and Zack Dutton giving Monkstown the points against Bray, while Peter McConnell and Maerten Sier, a summer arrival from Amsterdam, got the scores that gave Three Rock a home win over YMCA.

The weekend's most frustrated team had to be Fingal, who led Corinthians 2-0 with just six minutes to go, Dan Williams pulling a goal back before equalising right at the death.

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In Munster, Cork Harlequins used their seconds for target practice, Richard Gash scoring a hat-trick in an 8-0 win, while Church of Ireland beat Bandon 2-0.

Meanwhile in Ulster, Banbridge are reeling from the departure of their international Eugene Magee, who has joined the Irish contingent at the Dutch club HGC.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times