Glenanne and Pembroke ruin Monkstown's weekend

MEN'S HOCKEY:THESE HAVE been a few heartbreaking weeks and Monkstown yesterday added their name to the list alongside the two Irish teams that missed Olympic qualification.

Going into the weekend with the Leinster League title and the Leinster Senior Cup at their mercy, the Dublin side emerged after yesterday’s cup final at Grange Road with little other than a heap of disappointment and missed opportunities.

In what was essentially the league final on Saturday, Monkstown went head to head with Glenanne needing only a draw to bridge a gap of some 30 years since they last won. Durable Glenanne needed nothing less than victory, and to that end they led 2-0 at half-time before running out 3-1 winners with goals from Brendan Parsons, Jonathan Kane and Stephen Brownlow.

The final league placings were winners Glenanne, Monkstown, Pembroke and Railway Union in fourth place. Clontarf ended bottom with UCD just above.

Yesterday’s cup final at Grange Road may have redeemed something for Monkstown but in the end was no more rewarding as Pembroke walked away with the Mills Cup after a 3-3 draw, extra time, 10 penalties and sudden death.

Again Monkstown faltered, this time in the second penalty of sudden death, with Pembroke goalkeeper David Williamson saving to help his side claim the trophy.

It was a typical cup final with leads exchanging, lots of goal action, some tetchy exchanges and finally a last gasp goal from Pembroke’s Scott Furlong taking the game into extra time.

As normal time in the match unfolded Pembroke may have escaped by the skin of their teeth but they did go into a 2-0 lead, Kirk Shimmons opening for the winners, when his looping deflection caught the Monkstown defence static.

The game rattled along at hectic pace and while Monkstown were frustrated with their corner routine, they were regularly up troubling Pembroke’s goal and testing the excellent Williamson.

With Tim Hill in the bin coming up to half-time, Pembroke had to weather a barrage of corners. But they did so without conceding and that could have been a pivotal period for them.

Then when Scott Furlong converted Pembroke’s third corner low right just after the half-time break for 2-0, Monkstown heads momentarily dipped.

That didn’t last long and on their eighth corner David Cole, one of three talented brothers playing for Monkstown, found the net high for 2-1 on 52 minutes. A Richard Sykes drive into the circle was then artfully deflected by Andrew Ward at the crown of the area for 2-2 with just 13 minutes remaining.

Lee Cole then drilled a reverse stick from the edge of the circle and Monkstown had the lead for the first time with just three minutes left. A yellow card and a corner with just a minute remaining and it fell to unflappable Furlong from the set piece to take it to 3-3 and into extra time.

That must have stung Monkstown, who had two men in the bin in quick succession, which couldn’t have helped legs. But then it could have been all over for a second time had Pembroke’s Maurice Elliott converted with an open goal at his mercy. But he went low in the dying seconds and so did the goalkeeper as the game rolled into penalties.

The strokes counted down to 4-4 before Cole’s mid height effort was saved. But on the final Pembroke penalty, which would have won them the match, Adam Pritchard’s effort was also blocked and it went to sudden death.

Pembroke opened and went one up but goalkeeper Williamson was again up for Monkstown’s effort, his helmet save earning Pembroke the cup and denying disappointed Monkstown for a second time in 24 hours.

Leinster Senior League (title decider): Glenanne 3, Monkstown 2.

Leinster Senior Cup final: Pembroke 3, Monkstown 3 (Pembroke win in sudden death penalties).