Pembroke take title in style

MEN'S HOCKEY LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUEPEMBROKE WANDERERS clinched the Leinster First Division title in style on Saturday, beating Monkstown 5-0 to finish the campaign unbeaten, three points clear of Glenanne. Alan Sothern, the division's top scorer, got two of the winners' goals to bring his season's league tally to 33.

In what was Olympic umpire Ray O’Connor’s last match before retirement Pembroke took charge in the opening 15 minutes, scoring through Craig Fulton and Maurice Elliott, before goals either side of the break from Sothern made it 4-0. Paddy Conlon completed the scoring, Pembroke adding the title to the EuroHockey Club Trophy they won at Serpentine Avenue last Monday.

Next weekend they will attempt to win their third trophy in a fortnight when they play Cookstown in the Irish Senior Cup final. After that they will turn their attention to the Irish Hockey League where they play Three Rock Rovers in the semi-finals.

Glenanne had a similarly comfortable win over third-placed Rovers on Saturday, Stephen Butler scoring twice in their 4-0 victory, while Corinthian secured their wild card to the Irish Hockey League play-offs with a 5-1 win over UCD, beating Fingal to fifth place on goal difference.

Kilkenny’s 6-2 defeat by YMCA sealed their relegation (Division Two winners Clontarf take their place), with second-from-bottom UCD going in to a play-off with Bray, runners-up to Clontarf.