The EY Hockey League seems now to be all about watching if Lisnagarvey will trip up. Based on their current form, that seems unlikely. With just five rounds of matches remaining and 11 points separating them from second-placed Monkstown, the maths say the trophy and a place in Europe is all but in Ulster hands.

Monkstown, if they max out and take 15 points in their last three games and Lisnagarvey begin to turn 12 wins from 13 matches into a the worst losing streak in the history of the competition then Monkstown could win it but even the bluest of Merrion Fleet Arena fans will concede that the league is not coming to Dún Laoghaire.

Most interest

What might be of most interest now to other clubs is the battle for fourth place in the league. According to the competition format: “If the winner of the Irish Senior Cup is also one of the top three finishing in the EYHL league stage, then the fourth finishing team in the EYHL league stage will also qualify for the EY Hockey Champions Trophy.”

As Monkstown face Lisnagarvey in the Irish Senior Cup final on March 20th, the likelihood is both will also finish in the top three in the league and therefore allow for a fourth team to qualify for the Champions Trophy. It means Banbridge, Three Rock Rovers, Railway, Glenanne and Pembroke still have much to play for with Rovers facing Glenanne on Saturday and Pembroke making the onerous trip to Hillsborough for a meeting with Lisnagarvey.

Rovers beat Glenanne 4-1 in the first match of the series at Grange Road with Pembroke falling 2-3 to ’Garvey in Serpentine Avenue, also in the first league match back in September.

So too is 10th place a position no teams wants to be in with relegation back to the province for the bottom-placed side. Cookstown and Annadale currently prop up the bottom on 10 points each with Cork C of I just two points ahead.