South African connection keeps Railway Union on right track

It was South Africa's day at Rathdown (if not at Twickenham). Dave Staniforth, the Railway Union goalkeeper, coped stoutly with a rich cluster of Monkstown short corners while in counter attacks his three fellow-countrymen from Durban, Shawn Hopkins, Sean Southgate and Jason Hatcher, put away a goal each.

Supplemented by a native strike by Owen Butler, this gave the visitors a 4-0 win to keep them menacingly placed in the Leinster League. Monkstown, with Jason Harte from Australia as their latest recruit, will pick up points when they can get their fire-crackers to ignite.

Pembroke Wanderers enjoyed their highest tally to date, 6-0, after breaking down initial resistance from YMCA at Serpentine Avenue. Jason Sherriff, prompted by Francis de Rosa, put the home side two up by the interval and then the exMonkstown attacker became irrepressible along with Colin Kelly and Paudie Carley as Pembroke showed their strength in depth.

Avoca, with two quick strikes at Glasnevin, went on to sink Clontarf, 10-0. Here, injuries worked conversely, for Clontarf lost their goalkeeper Aidan McDonald while Enda Gallanagh limped out of the Avoca attack, only for his replacement Jamie Scott to help himself to a hat-trick. Two games were tightly contested. In Tallaght, Glenanne were being contained to 2-2 by Three Rock Rovers, notably due to a scorching save by Shane Davey from Devin Kehoe, until the liveliness of Albert O'Donoghue earned a decisive breakthrough, completed by a Stephen Butler drag flick (4-2).

Corinthians, with goals by Colin Stewart and Mark Magnier, found themselves pegged back at Whitechurch by a reply by Dave Bane for Aer Lingus who, with Nigel Grothier emulating Ben McCabe's defiance between the posts, again had to concede defeat by the narrowest margin.