Butler delivers for Glenanne

HOCKEY: Stephen Butler scored a hat-trick as leaders Glenanne maintained their grip at the top of Leinster's First Division …

HOCKEY: Stephen Butler scored a hat-trick as leaders Glenanne maintained their grip at the top of Leinster's First Division with a convincing 6-1 win over Corinthians.

Pembroke Wanderers and Fingal, though, five and six points adrift, respectively, kept up the pressure with wins over YMCA and Monkstown.

Justin Sherriff scored twice in Pembroke's 4-1 defeat of YMCA while David Bane grabbed a hat-trick in Fingal's 5-3 win over Monkstown. Three Rock Rovers lost ground on the top four as they drew 2-2 with Trinity.

Leinster and Ulster split the honours in the six ties that paired clubs from the provinces in Saturday's second round of the Irish Senior Cup. Clontarf and Kilkenny both won away, Clontarf beating Ballynahinch 2-1 with a Peter Hyde goal three minutes from time and Kilkenny beating Raphoe 4-1 with Gary Sharman scoring a hat-trick.

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Bray, meanwhile beat Armagh 7-2. The visitors travelled with only 11 players and were reduced to 10 when Stewart Bell had to retire with a shoulder injury.

Andy Linford's late goal sealed a 3-1 win for Antrim over Suttonians in Dublin.

Mossley (6-1) and Kilkeel (4-1) recorded home wins over UCD and Naas respectively. Mossley got all six of their goals in the first half but Kilkeel had to come from behind against Naas.

The day's top scorers were Bandon, who hammered St James's Gate 11-0, while Paul Murray's hat-trick helped Belvedere edge out the PSNI 5-4. Andrew Beverland scored Cliftonville's extra-time winner over Queen's.

The game between Belfast Harlequins and Portadown was postponed as a mark of respect to Gareth Callender, who died on Thursday after a short illness. The 25-year-old, brother of Harlequins' Chris, was a former Ulster and Ireland schoolboy player.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times