Senior Cup will be Ulster v Leinster after draw

HOCKEY:THIS SEASON'S Irish Senior Cup final will be an Ulster v Leinster affair after the draw for the semi-finals kept the provinces' representatives apart.

Cup holders Pembroke Wanderers are paired with the 2007 winners, Glenanne, while Annadale have been drawn against Cookstown or Banbridge.

Of the five remaining teams in the competition few can have worked harder than Glenanne for their passage in to the last four. They only prevailed after an epic encounter with Three Rock Rovers at Grange Road when the quarter-final was decided by penalty strokes after finishing 4-4.

Paul Fitzpatrick had given Glenanne an early lead, when he was first to the rebound from a short corner. But once Mitch Darling levelled, turning home Peter Blakeney’s cross, Rovers were never behind again.

Blakeney made it 2-1 with another rebound, then David Keogh equalised.

It was 3-2 when Blakeney scored his second, but Stephen Butler’s drag-flick squared the game once again before half-time.

For the third time in the game Rovers took the lead, on 42 minutes, through Patrick Shanahan, but five minutes later Butler made it 4-4 with a penalty stroke.

And strokes were required to separate the sides, with the decisive one converted by schoolboy Shane O’Donoghue.

In contrast, Pembroke cruised in to the semi-finals with a 6-0 win over Mossley, scoring three goals in each half, while Annadale got the better of Corinthian. Ian Hamilton, Paul Jackson and Fraser Mills got their scores in a 3-1 victory. Annadale await the winners of the quarter-final between Banbridge and Cookstown. Banbridge reached the last eight on Saturday by beating Cork Harlequins in their previously postponed second-round game.

Two goals from Simon Magowan clinched the win for the Ulster side, with Dan Hobbs pulling a goal back for Harlequins.

PEMBROKEand Corinthian will meet in the final of the Mills Cup after the sides came through their semi-finals yesterday.

An extra-time goal from Justin Sherriff gave Pembroke a 2-1 win over Monkstown, while Corinthian beat YMCA 4-1.