While the two top-pedigree pairings in the Leinster Senior League on Saturday were decided by 1-0 margins, the richest individual strike came at Ballinteer where Graham Berry, a 26-year-old recruit from South Africa, hit four goals for Railway Union in their 5-1 defeat of transitional YMCA. Berry, with keen support from Owen Butler and Stephen Moulton, notched a first-half hat-trick. The Natal man's sharp finishing will probably allow Railway to become challengers for a top-three placing as the season develops.
Apart from several penetrative passages in the first half, during which Simon Kershaw put away the only goal of the game at Whitechurch Park, champions Pembroke found themselves harried tenaciously by Corinthians.
There was, too, a new dimension to Corinthians's approach with Wesley Rothwell overlapping menacingly from right back. Nigel Henderson, though, kept out two drag flicks from Robbie Burns.
With strong performances from Alan Browne, Paul Fitzpatrick and Stephen Butler, Glenanne should have saved a point from Avoca's visit to St Mark's, but Stephen Kinsella, Anton Scott and Colm Brady were especially defiant and Graham Dowling loped free resourcefully to poach a valuable win. It will add substance to next weekend's Pembroke-Avoca clash.
Three Rock Rovers, at home to Glenanne next Saturday, were too accomplished for Kilkenny on their excursion to the south-east, but the other promoted side, Aer Lingus, captured their first points in beating Monkstown 4-2 with Ben McCabe much involved and Adrian Sweeney scoring two particularly good goals.
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