Men's Hockey: With leading lights away with the Ireland training squad in Barcelona, the focus on the domestic front switches to the relegation issue in the first division of the Leinster Senior League in which Avoca, the all-powerful club in the 1980s and early 1990s, face a key match against Three Rock Rovers at Grange Road tomorrow.
Although a 5-3 win over YMCA on Tuesday took Avoca off the bottom rung, their struggle with UCD and Trinity to escape the drop may well go down to the last series of matches.
With a full-strength side, including their two New Zealanders, Michael Gunne and Vaughan Hartland, and the Moore brothers from Australia as well as having Rory Kirwan back in service, Avoca can be expected to make a spirited bid for full points tomorrow. Certainly their captain, Stephen Kinsella, is fully committed as he plays with a groin strain and a pulled stomach muscle.Three Rock, though, will be equally determined to forge a win, for they are barely clear of the relegation zone despite operating with a good deal of verve since Christmas. Ross Varian can be well pleased with the defence, while a quick supply of ball to Peter McConnell and Garry Ringwood has yielded dividends. A close, intriguing game is in prospect.
Also on tomorrow's programme is the quarter-final stage of the Irish Junior Cup. Steven Hiles, team manager with the Irish squad in Spain, misses Railway Union II's joust with Pembroke Wanderers II in the all-Dublin pairing at Serpentine Avenue. But Pembroke, the holders, would be favourites to advance in any case, along with Cork C of I II, at home to YMCA, as well as Lisnagarvey II and Annadale II from Ulster.
TOMORROW: Irish Junior Cup (third round): Cork C of I II v YMCA II, 2.30; Lisnagarvey II v Parkview, 1.0; Pembroke Wanderers II v Railway Union II, 2.0; Annadale II v Mossley II, 2.30; Leinster Senior League Division One: Three Rock Rovers v Avoca, 3.0; Division Two: Bray v Skerries, 12.30; Naas v Portrane, 1.0; Railway Union v Clontarf, 11.30; Eastern Health v Weston, 12.0; St Brendan's-Phoenix v Suttonians, 1.0.
Wesley College reversed their defeat by St Andrew's in the All Ireland Schools' Final by winning their Leinster Senior Cup second round tie, 2-0, at Booterstown yesterday.
Reckoned to be the virtual decider of the competition because of both sides' ability, the first half was dominated by Wesley - apart from an early raid by the home team in which Gareth Watkins had a shot taken off the goal line by Michael Maguire.
Orchestrated by Andrew Walker, Wesley steadily took control and went ahead after 23 minutes when Craig Wilson broke clear on the left and set up Peter Blakeney to score. Neil Lyons increased the lead from a short corner on the half-time whistle.
Colin Black rallied St Andrew's in the second period, sending a set-piece scorcher narrowly wide, in addition to which Philip Balbirnie threatened to break the cover but in vain.
ST ANDREW'S: A Griffen; I Horsfield; D Fox, P Scollard, S Allen; A Kenny, C Black (capt), A McFarlane; P Balbirnie, G Watkins, R McFarlane. Sub: W Bradshaw.
WESLEY: M Harkin; C Sargeant, A Blennerhassett, N Lyons, M Maguire; P Maguire, A Walker (capt), R Pearson; C Wilson, P Blakeney, M Good. Sub: S Smyth
Umpires: B George, J Girdham.
