MEN'S HOCKEY IRISH HOCKEY LEAGUE:GLENANNE WILL meet Banbridge and Three Rock Rovers will play Pembroke Wanderers in the semi-finals of the IHL next month after the sides secured top -two finishes in their pools on Saturday.
Annadale and Church of Ireland were the teams to miss out, both dropping from first to third after heavy defeats to Pembroke and Rovers respectively.
Glenanne’s 5-2 victory over Cookstown in Tallaght, Eddie O’Malley (two), Stephen Butler, John Goulding and Graham Shaw getting their goals, clinched them first place in Pool A, leaving Pembroke needing to beat Annadale by three clear goals, for a bonus point, if they were to join Glenanne in the semi-finals.
Considering Annadale went in to the game as the only unbeaten side of the 12 league qualifiers, the task looked a formidable one for Pembroke, but they achieved their goal in some style, with Alan Sothern scoring a hat-trick in a superb 5-1 win at Serpentine Ave.
Stuart Loughrey put Pembroke one up after five minutes, Sothern and Michael O’Connor making it 3-0 before half-time. Two more goals from Sothern completed the rout, with Chris Jackson replying for Annadale. So Pembroke took second place in the pool, a point clear of the Ulster side.
Pool B was also a three-horse race going in to the final round of fixtures, but leaders Church of Ireland were squeezed out of the running by a combination of their 5-2 defeat by Rovers and Banbridge’s 6-1 thrashing of Monkstown.
Rovers were 3-0 up at Grange Road in the opening 12 minutes, Gary Ringwood converting a stroke before Mitch Darling and Peter Blakeney added further goals. Ten minutes from time Blakeney made it 4-0. John Jermyn’s late double for C of I, either side of Rovers’ fifth (through Kyle Good) proving too little, too late.
Four second half goals sealed a bonus point for Banbridge in their defeat of Monkstown, man of the match Bruce McCandless scoring twice, the result ensuring Banbridge of a semi-final place.
Pool A:Glenanne 5 (E O'Malley 2, S Butler, J Goulding, G Shaw), Cookstown 2 (C Donaldson, A Barbour); Cork Harlequins 4 (L Dalton, P O'Driscoll, P Lombard 2), Instonians 4 (S Redpath, C Kirk, W Robinson 2); Pembroke Wanderers 5 (S Loughrey, A Sothern 3, M O'Connor), Annadale 1 (C Jackson).
Pool B:Banbridge 6 (G McCabe, B McCandless 2, S Magowan, E Magee, S Dowds), Monkstown 1 (F Lee); Lisnagarvey 6, Fingal 1; Three Rock Rovers 5 (G Ringwood pen, P Blakeney 2, K Good, M Darling), Church of Ireland 2 (J Jermyn 2).
