Rock fall but don't topple

HOCKEY: Three Rock Rovers still cling onto top place on the men's Leinster League table despite their first defeat of the season on Saturday, and with Pembroke Wanderers registering their second draw of the campaign against Aer Lingus, Corinthians were given the space to leap a few places and go second on the ladder.

Clearly this is not going to be a runaway season for any side as every team in the league has now lost at least once after six games. Rovers, although still with the best record, lost their unbeaten run at home at Grange Road to Glenanne.Alan Goulding's goal just after the break separated the sides.

Pembroke will look at the slip by Rovers as a missed opportunity, particularly after having missed a penalty in the opening exchanges at ALSAA against the doughty home side.

Aer Lingus, putting up a strong defence, gave Pembroke their only real opening after six minutes when the visiting side's most threatening player, Dougie Goode, slipped around the goalkeeper and smacked a reverse stick shot which hit a foot on the line.

Gordon Elliott, normally a most reliable striker, pushed the stroke just wide with the match then finishing scoreless.

Monkstown must have felt they had secured the two points when they took a two-goal lead against Railway Union but with captain Paul O'Brien leading the way, Railway hit back to draw the match level.

The result leaves Railway with a comfortable gap now between themselves and the bottom three teams, UCD, YMCA and Avoca. Both UCD and Avoca lost, the students going down 2-1 to Corinthians and Avoca losing to YMCA 2-0, their sixth defeat in succession.

Corinthians, however, had to fight hard from a goal down to take all the points from UCD, a John Smyth dive following a cross from Dave McFeely taking them level just after half-time and James Benson finishing off after a rebound from a short corner 10 minutes from the end of the match.