CORINTHIAN WILL enjoy their Christmas break from league action as they took advantage of Pembroke’s inactivity to establish a four-point lead at the top of Leinster’s Division One, following a lively 5-3 win over Monkstown on Saturday.
The reds were further boosted by Glenanne’s surprise draw with mid-table YMCA to help promote dreams of a first provincial league title in the New Year.
Monkstown had enjoyed the better of the first half at Whitechurch Park, leading 2-1 courtesy of Andy Ewington’s drag-flick and Brian Groves’ goal but were rocked on their heels by a hotly-contested Dan Williams equaliser.
The ball entered the circle high but was not deemed dangerous by the officials. Williams was the sole player to react and fired home from close range to make it 2-2.
From there, Corinthian breezed clear with Chris Pelow’s switch-flick earning the lead before Davy Carson and Darren Kimfley built a 5-2 advantage. South African Matt Fairweather scored on the final hooter but it was cold comfort for the Glenageary club as they chase an Irish Hockey League qualifying place.
Glenanne, though, suffered a second setback in a week to place severe pressure on their run of five league games in January. Indeed, their 3-3 draw with YMCA in Milltown could have been far worse had David Robinson taken a late chance to grab all three points.
The Glens trailed twice as Andy Walker and Jacob Webber’s strikes sandwiched Shane O’Donoghue’s fine drag-flick.
But Mick McGuinness finished to the top left of Iain Walker’s goal to put the Tallaght club back on level terms midway through the second half and Stephen Butler’s goal from a penalty spot seemed to have averted a crisis.
But Rob Whelan popped up to finish off an excellent team goal seven minutes from the end before Robinson’s late chance went awry.
It leaves Glenanne in fifth spot, 12 points off the pace but with four games in hand.
At the bottom end of the table, Railway Union and Fingal recorded vital wins over Clontarf and Three Rock Rovers, respectively, to both jump ahead of UCD, the students were out of action due to exams.
Railway’s route-one method supplied the first goal as Peter English’s huge overhead fed brother Mark to half-volley for 1-0. Veteran Paul O’Brien added the second Clontarf’s Richard Forrest’s grabbed a consolation goal.
Fingal, meanwhile, had their strongest showing of the season to date to oust third-placed Three Rock Rovers 2-0 at Grange Road. Gary Sharman and Paddy Gahan scored the goals in the second half.
LEINSTER LEAGUE– Men's Division One:Three Rock Rovers 0 Fingal 2 (G Sharman, P Gahan); YMCA 3 (A Walker, J Webber, R Whelan) Glenanne 3 (S O'Donoghue, M McGuinness, S Butler); Clontarf 1 (R Forrest) Railway Union 2 (M English, P O'Brien); Corinthian 5 (Darren Kimfley 2, D Williams, C Pelow, D Carson) Monkstown 3 (A Ewington, B Groves, M Fairweather).
NATIONAL INDOOR TROPHY(at DCU): Group 1:Dublin Univ 3 Three Rock Rovers 10; Dublin Uni 9 Galway 2; Dublin Uni 3 Pembroke 8; TRR 6 Pembroke 0; Galway 1 Pembroke 11. Group 2:Corinthian 8 UCD 2; Corinthian 4 YMCA 3; Clontarf 8 UCD 0; Clontarf 1 YMCA 4.
