Butler's fate in the balance

MEN'S HOCKEY:  Stephen Butler's disciplinary hearing will take place on Monday evening following his sending off against Cookstown in the Irish Senior Cup last weekend.

In the scheme of things his offence seems innocuous enough (shouting at an umpire in frustration when a tip off was taken with a number of players still in each other's half). But the Glenanne international will have to wait another few days to hear how the Irish Hockey Association view it. The important thing for Ireland's most prolific international goal scorer and his club is that he be available for their Irish Senior Cup semi-final in Cork on March 3rd.

No doubt it would be a shame for Glenanne and the game, if not for Cup opposition Cork Harlequins, who are seeking to successfully defend the title they won last year, if Butler were not to play. He has already been suspended by his club for a match for the indiscipline.

Otherwise the two Leinster Senior Cup semi-finals take place on Sunday, with Fingal, who haven't won a senior trophy in 50 years, hoping to reach their first St Patrick's Day final.

They face UCD at Belfield and having held Pembroke to a 2-2 draw last week, will have hopes of making their ambitions come true. This is also an appropriate weekend to show how Irish teams can beat England. The two national youth sides - under-18 and under-16 - came through their recent three Tests against the old enemy with encouraging score lines. Both age groups won their series with Ireland, once again demonstrating how it can produce young players and teams, who are as good as any in Europe.

The Under-18 team opened the first test with a 1-0 win before going down 2-1 in the second match. Rallying in the third, Neil Hamilton's two goals were enough for a 2-1 win and the series.

The Under-16s followed a similar pattern. Winning the first match 2-1, England hit back with a 3-1 win in the second. Finally, Ireland held out to win 3-2 in a five-goal thriller in the final game.

Weekend Fixtures

SATURDAY

LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE: Division Two: UCD v Weston, 1pm, Belfield; Skerries v Kilkenny, 1pm, Skerries; Avoca v Navan, 1.30pm, Newpark; Clontarf v Suttonians, 12.30pm, Mount Temple; Naas v PSBPP tbc.

MUNSTER SENIOR LEAGUE: Division One: Catholic Institute v Belvedere I, noon, Rosbrien

LEINSTER SENIOR CUP: Semi-final: Tree Rock Rovers v Glennane, Grange Road, 3pm.

SUNDAY

MILLS CUP: Semi-final: UCD v Fingal, 2.15pm, Belfield.

INTERMEDIATE CUP: Semi-Final: Clontarf v Corinthians, 3.45pm, Mount Temple; PSPBB v Pembroke, 2.30pm, Grangegorman.