MEN'S HOCKEY:PEMBROKE WANDERERS moved to the top of the Leinster First Division on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Corinthian, their goals coming from Paddy Good and Alan Sothern. The game between Monkstown, who had led the table, and Three Rock Rovers was postponed as a mark of respect to a Monkstown club member who died on Friday.
Pembroke, then, are a point clear at the top, Monkstown having a game in hand, with Glenanne, in third, three points adrift. A penalty stroke from Gary Shaw and a score from Clive Kennedy gave them the points in a 2-1 defeat of Fingal.
It was the division’s other two games on Saturday that provided the goal fests, 19 scored in the Clontarf v UCD and YMCA v Railway Union fixtures. Tom Noonan gave Clontarf their first Division One win with the decider in a 5-4 triumph over UCD, with Australian Maverick Yow scoring a hat-trick.
A Marcus Richardson hat-trick wasn’t enough for YMCA against Railway, the game ending 5-5, YMCA needing a late equaliser after Railway went 5-4 up, having trailed 3-1.
Ireland play Spain in Valencia today, the first of a five-match schedule that sees them take on Belgium in three games before playing Spain again next Monday.
