MEN HOCKEY/Club Championship: Corinthians travel to Cork more in hope than expectation after their open and free-flowing game against C of I at Whitechurch Park in the first leg of the all-Ireland Championship quarter-finals on Saturday. Seven goals in a match that could have produced 12 kept both goalkeepers alert. An Ali Dunne corner for C of I in the last move of the game - and after the hooter had sounded - gave Corinthians a 4-3 lead ahead of the trip to Garryduff next week.

C of I's neighbours Harlequins were more positive in gaining a 2-0 home win over Lisnagarvey, while the defending champions Pembroke will meet Instonians with considerable prospects at Serpentine Avenue, having returned from Belfast with a 1-1 draw. The third Leinster team in the play-offs, Glenanne came through against Cookstown 3-2 and with international midfielder Stephen Butler likely to be back this week, the Tallaght side will have a very strong chance of progressing to the round-robbin phase of the competition.

C of I's 15 short corners yielded just two goals against Corinthians while the home side's seven yielded three.

There is cause there for improvement from the Cork side who, missing three key players, will also look for a more defensively controlled game in the return leg.

But the attacking mood of both sides made for a pleasing spectacle. A switch at their second corner put Corinthians ahead through Robbie Byrnes, before two from Dan Williams, his second after some iffy marking, deservedly yielded a 3-1 lead at half time. David Hobbs had scored for the visitors. Shortly after the break Mark Black snapped up a lose ball on C of I's eighth corner before Colin Stewart mopped up off Mark Ruddle's pads for 4-2, Dunne bringing it to just a one-goal difference with the last flick of the match.

In Belfast, Gordon Elliott put Pembroke ahead in the first quarter from a corner before Chris Barnes equalised 10 minutes before half-time for Instonians. Two goals from Graham Shaw and one from John Goulding kept Glenanne's nose in front at Cookstown.

David Lombard was Harlequins two-goal striker against Lisnagarvey, a result that will put huge pressure on the Lisburn side next Saturday.