MEN'S HOCKEY:ALAN SOTHERN'S deflection to a sublime Mick O'Connor cross was the vital intervention as Pembroke took the most significant step toward retaining the Leinster Division One title, beating perennial rivals Glenanne 3-2.
The two sides served up a typically high-tempo affair at Serpentine Avenue, becoming of the two outstanding club teams in the province of the last decade.
The victory keeps Pembroke’s 100 per cent record intact while also ending the Glens perfect run to date this season.
Pembroke skipper Alan Giles broke the deadlock for his side but Glenanne were back on terms via a Stephen Butler penalty corner strike. It came in the wake of Adam Pritchard’s controversial sin-binning.
It was one of a number of interventions from umpires Geoff Conn and Graeme Caulwell who were called on a number of times to calm matters as a number of tussles – notably between Irish international team-mates Graham Shaw and Tim Lewis – threatened to boil over on occasion.
Down to 10 men, Pembroke conceded but they were back in front early in the second period via Sothern’s drag-flick. Butler again cancelled that out with a flick to make it 2-2.
But O’Connor’s magic down the left wing was the memory imprinted on everyone’s mind in the final reckoning. He left Sothern with little more to do than prod past goalkeeper Stephen Doran with 12 minutes to go.
It’s rare a cross will define a game so markedly, but such was the execution of O’Connor’s centre, it was fitting the Pembroke players, to a man, raced in his direction to celebrate the vital winner.
It was indicative of the crucial difference between the sides. The Irish champions were able to plunder a goal from nothing at the key moments in spite of being pinned back for long periods of the game.
They also faced a Stephen Butler master-class in centre-midfield but Glenanne lacked the vital cutting edge to drive home any territorial authority.
The upshot is Pembroke can now extend their lead at the top to five points on Wednesday should they beat Corinthian.
In turn, that would place 15 points between themselves and Glenanne, placing massive pressure on the Tallaght side to win their four games in hand if they are to maintain their hopes in this competition.
Elsewhere, Barry Glavey was Corinthian’s saviour as they managed to hold Railway Union at bay, 5-4. Peter Blakeney inspired Three Rock Rovers to a massive 11-2 win over bottom-placed Clontarf, scoring four times and making it six goals in a week since returning from injury.
YMCA kept in contact with the top five and a chance at reaching the Irish Hockey League in 2010/11 with their 2-1 win over Fingal.
Mikey Fry and Jacob Webber helped build a two-goal lead before Fingal came back strong, but could only muster a goal from Stephen Thompson.
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