Men's Hockey: Half-way through the Leinster Senior League few teams look like shifting Glenanne from the top of the table. The St Mark's side continue to hold their crucial, five-point lead over Pembroke, with Corinthians and Fingal gamely holding on to their places but well out of reach of hauling back the Tallaght side.
Glenanne have dropped points just once, after one drawn match and eight wins. But with a better defensive record than Pembroke, who seem to be the only team capable of unsettling them, they remain comfortable and probably more potent since Stephen Butler and Graham Shaw returned from international duty.
Importantly, Glenanne have also indicated they can function well at Leinster league level without their big-name players, which will stand to them once Ireland coach Dave Passmore begins to pencil in weekends after Christmas for squad sessions and international games ahead of the World Cup qualifying event in China next April.
Butler and Shaw were again on the scoresheet, John Goulding adding the third, in their 3-1 win over Railway Union.
Pembroke, anxious not to allow their rivals get too much daylight ahead, also picked up their sixth win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Serpentine Avenue visitors Fingal.
More international names appeared on the scoresheet, the retired Gordon Elliott netting after just eight minutes and Justin Sherriff knocking in eight minutes from the end.
Of all the teams in a high-scoring weekend, Corinthians topped the strike rate, hitting seven against Dublin University, who replied with four.
Adrian Nissen bagged a hat-rick for the winners, who move to third on the table.
At Newpark, the derby between Monkstown and Avoca ended with the visitors outscoring their hosts 4-3.
It was a big game for Avoca, not least because they remain at the bottom of the table looking for a first win.
