MENS HOCKEY: Strong, clean defensive play when it was needed allowed home side Corinthians to take the points from Three Rock Rovers at Whitechurch Park and move into second place in the table behind Glenanne at the weekend.

A phase deep in the second half, when Corinthians had two players sin-binned and led 2-1 was probably the defining sequence in this lively but poorly-attended game. As Rovers pressed hard for the equaliser, it was the home side that best handled the uneven numbers.

The visitors, with enough ball to do some damage, never really put it into the danger zone frequently enough to cause goalkeeper Charlie Henderson any real anxiety. Too often did the strikers, who were running good lines, miss the pick-up and squander strong territorial position. Some reverse-stick control on the run could be the drill of choice next Thursday evening.

Corinthians were clearly delighted with the way they held on and in the fact they had hit two goals to put themselves in a strong position in the first half, the first coming from Neil Young after the ball appeared to be twice cleared off the line on their third short corner.

While Rovers responded positively without Gary Ringwood, who was confined to the video action and frustratingly serving out the last of his four-week suspension, it was a bad lapse that allowed Corinthians to take the lead for a second time.

Stephen Tilson had skilfully deflected Rovers level, nicking an elevated short corner just in front of Henderson's pad for 1-1 before they immediately conceded another for 2-1. Adrian Missen, with a handful of Rovers defenders watching on, simply pushed a hard speculative ball past the left foot of goalkeeper Shane Davy for the lead. That was it goal-wise despite Corinthians being reduced to nine men for the closing stages.

"We didn't give away cheap corners and ran lines well," said Corinthians coach Peter Darley, a former team-mate of Rovers coach Simon Filgas. "We defended really well particularly with nine men."

In Tallaght Pembroke came to life in the closing stages of their game with Glenanne and came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 in the final quarter. Glenanne, however, remain on top of the table with a one-point lead with Pembroke comfortably enough in third.

At the airport, Monkstown came away with an important win over Aer Lingus in a seven-goal match, Gareth Watkins striking two goals for the southside raiders in their 4-3 win.