HOCKEY MEN'S: A RUTHLESS Alan Sothern struck four times against Three Rock Rovers yesterday to put Pembroke into a menacing second place in the Leinster senior league; just a point off leaders Corinthian with two games in hand.
In total, Sothern scored seven times in two matches to return to domestic action with a bang.
He flew back to Dublin with four of his Pembroke team-mates on Tuesday from Argentina where he was part of the Ireland team who missed out on World Cup qualification.
None of that quintet trained during the week but they clicked back into the groove on Saturday in a 9-0 annihilation of bottom-placed Clontarf on Saturday.
Sothern netted a hat-trick, but was outdone by skipper Alan Giles who scored four times at Mount Temple.
Yesterday’s test at Grange Road, though, was always likely to be trickier, facing a side in the top half of the rankings for the first time.
An error-strewn first half ended 1-1. Sothern opened the scoring inside three minutes with a delightful lob over Stephen West.
But Rovers were back on terms when Michael Maguire barged through three tackles and found Dutchman Sven Galjaardt on the left of the circle and his smashing reverse rattled the backboard.
The Irish champions, however, were in ravenous mood after the break and, after a series of goal-mouth scrambles, Sothern re-established the lead in the 48th minutes from the penalty spot.
A drag-flick made it 3-1 and the Pembroke hitman completed his tally in the 57th minute from close range. Neil Lyons did squeeze home from the endline but any Rovers’ comeback was cut short when Michael Maguire was sin-binned.
On Saturday, the established order was maintained as the top five beat sides in the bottom half of the table.
Corinthian came from 2-0 down at a foggy ALSAA to beat nine-man Fingal. The reds capitalised two minutes from time when Davy Carson completed a comeback set in motion by Brian Doherty’s double.
Monkstown held off YMCA’s challenge in a 3-2 win, while Three Rock eased past Railway Union 3-0 with 16-year-old goalkeeper Conor Quinn keeping a clean sheet on debut.
Glenanne raced into a 5-0 lead against UCD on the way to a 6-2 win on their return to division one action. They remain the only other side with a perfect record, but they have played six games less than other teams in the league.
They also have a final to look forward to following a stunning 9-4 win over Monkstown yesterday. Corinthian will meet them in the December 26th decider in Serpentine Avenue, beating YMCA 3-1 in their semi-final.
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