Three Rock Rovers earn acclaim at Grange Road

IT SEEMS that Three Rock Rovers are due some of the acclaim this season which has so often gone to visiting sides at Grange Road in the last decade. Rovers, in beating their strongest rivals Avoca, 3-2, in an invigorating game on Saturday, should at least regain the Leinster Senior League laurels. They have dropped only three points compared now to six by Avoca (and Railway Union).

Possibly, Three Rock were spurred on Saturday by aspersions that they were not really totally equipped to be the main challengers for Pembroke Wanderers' title. But virtually every member of the side played to his utmost capacity while the five leading lights - Anthony O'Neill, Angus Dunlop, Robin Madeley, Rick Johnson and Liam Canning - ultimately left Avoca without sufficient response.

Avoca, though falling behind to a goal seized by Canning off O'Neill's pads, were the aggressors in the opening half mainly through Robert Ryan and Galahad Goulet. A clinical equaliser came from Philip Sarratt from the visitors' fifth short corner and their eighth set-piece saw Goulet shoot them ahead early in the second period.

Almost immediately, though, Avoca were caught on the break by Canning in full acceleration, with his shot entering the net off a despairing defender. Then the cover was breached again, this time by Madeley, for Canning to fire in the finishing volley to complete his hat-trick. His scoring record now must be almost be as prolific as that of Derek Hennessy in the 1950s and `60s.

Canning also notched a hat-trick against Avoca in last year's Irish Senior Cup. There would be some irony if he were offered the same opportunity when the draw for this season's quarter-finals is made on Wednesday.

Holywood put their name in the hat in ousting Glenanne, 2-1, in Saturday's third-round replay in Tallaght. The local side, through the nimble incisiveness of Frankie Byrne and Roly O'Donoghue in particular, stretched the Ulstermen in the opening half before two goals left Holywood clear soon after the interval. John McMeekin scored from a lobbed short-corner and, within three minutes, John McKee sent Kenny Morris through to add a lightening strike.

Typically, Glenanne launched a light-back which yielded a crisply-hit reply by Stephen Butler from a corner in the closing stages. A final offensive involving Paul Fitzpatrick and Ciaran Butler ended with Mark Lambe snicking the ball, it seemed, out of Kyle Thompson's reach but the goalkeeper stretched out with the utmost agility to prevent the tie from being prolonged into an epic.

While the RUC second XI went under to Corinthians II in the Irish Junior Cup at Whitechurch Park, the police side contributed a point to the peace process and to a united island by fulfilling their commitment to play at all-Ireland level in Dublin. Equally, Corinthians were staunch hosts. Dave McFeely opened the way for Graham Caulwell to score the only goal of a game, which, though modest, might some day lead to the formation of a hockey team in garda circles.

Apart from the 1-0 elimination of the holders Glenanne II by Holywood II, it was a buoyant day for Leinster's qualifiers in the last-16 stage. Goals by Simon Kershaw enabled Pembroke II to beat Harlequins II 2-1 while Monkstown II won by the minimum margin against Raphoe II and Avoca II emerged with a 2-1 win from Cookstown. Cork C of I, like their seniors, remain the only Munster survivors as a result of overcoming Newry II, 1-0, but Banbridge Il won 3-0 on their visit to Belvedere. A replay is necessary between Annadale III and South Antrim.