Glenanne, who have yet to defend their all-Ireland championship laurels, are aiming for a double strike in the semi-finals of both the Irish Senior Cup and the Leinster (Mills) Cup as they face Cork Harlequins and Pembroke Wanderers, respectively, this weekend.

Tomorrow's match at Tallaght against Harlequins is considered the veritable final of the premier competition, for the YMCA-Avoca tie is a more modest pairing. Glenanne's game plan no doubt will be to stave off the Cork side in the same way as they eliminated Pembroke by absorbing pressure and then goal-poaching in counter thrusts. Their principal figures again are bound to be goalkeeper Ian Clarke, Alan Browne, Stephen Butler, Graham Shaw and John Goulding.

Harlequins, though, can field an equal number of accomplished players. Indeed they have three representatives in the Irish squad for next month's Bangladesh tournament - Wesley Bateman, Jason Black and Paul Lombard - compared to Glenanne's one international, Butler.

Also, Dave Eakins and John Ahern have contributed much to the Harlequins' advance to the semi-finals in which the main exploit was the defeat of Cork C of I while they have gained away wins against NICS and Newry.

Home advantage, however, is a factor that may enable Glenanne to make a more assertive start. For a change it could be their opponents who will be obliged to fight back in a rousing joust as both sides seek the trophy for the first time.

YMCA can also be at their best on home territory - as was emphasised in their remarkable humbling of Lisnagarvey - but Avoca are still managing to gain substance from their triumphant year in 1996. Trevor Dagg and Galahad Goulet, particularly, may well make it extremely difficult for Michael Fry and Eric Gierts to establish an edge.

If Glenanne are successful in their primary pursuit, they may be less inclined - or indeed lack energy - to challenge Pembroke for the Leinster Cup at Serpentine Avenue on Sunday. Yet Pembroke, who should take the points from Aer Lingus in a league match tomorrow, will remain conscious of the fact that they have lost to Glenanne four times this season.

This will be a pattern that Nigel Henderson will be determined to change before he leads Ireland to Bangladesh accompanied by Gordon Elliott and Justin Sherriff. But Pembroke would then require a postponement of the St Patrick's Day final, probably against Corinthians, whose Tasmanians look too slick for Naas - even though Jason Weir led the Kildare side to stunning defeats of Three Rock Rovers and YMCA.