Pembroke on a double mission

MEN'S HOCKEY: When Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson dropped into the Irish Hockey Association offices following his trip to Belfield for an honorary doctorate last month, the first thought was he was chasing down the vacant manager's job with the Irish women's team, following the resignation of Annette Fortune.

The visit was, after all, contemporaneous with the news that he and racehorse owner and Manchester United shareholder John Magnier had fallen out over the ownership of the stallion Rock Of Gibraltar.

Riet Kuper and Ferguson would have cut quite a dash around the country clubs of Europe and New Zealand but Ferguson and his friend, the venerable men's umpire Marius Gallagher, were there just to say hello and bum a lift to the airport. Ferguson was, according to IHU administrator Joan Morgan, a perfect gentleman.

None the less the most desirable boss in football departed, thoughts of his high court action fading and his worries salved with the presentation of a splendid new IHU tie which he may wear at Old Trafford if the mood takes him. His wife Cathy left equally well festooned with a scarf presented by the same.

One of Ferguson's gripes is the amount of games his side are forced to play and in hockey this weekend several teams double up over Saturday and Sunday to compete in both the Leinster Senior League and Leinster Cup (Mills Cup).

But preciousness has never been a feature of the game here and Pembroke will step out to face Three Rock Rovers at Grange Road on Saturday in the league in what is a critical match for both. Rovers, particularly, need something out of it to keep in touch with the top of the table.

Then 24 hours later, Pembroke will line out at Serpentine Avenue to play Corinthians, arguably an even tougher assignment, given the Whitechurch side are keeping pace with Pembroke at the top. As things go, the league is the more important and as direct rivals for the title, neither Corinthians nor Pembroke will want to lose face in the cup match.

With Ireland captain Nigel Henderson missing from goal due to a recurrence of the concussion he suffered at the beginning of the European Championships in Spain in September, Pembroke are without one of their key players, Owen Murphy coming in for the weekend.

Leinster Senior League Division 1: Corinthians v Aer Lingus 12.00 noon, Whitechurch Park; Dublin University v Railway Union 12.00 noon, Santry; Glenanne v Monkstown 1.30 p.m., St Mark's, Tallaght; Three Rock Rovers v Pembroke 2.30 p.m., Grange Road; YMCA v UCD 2.00 p.m., Wesley