Glenanne are going to be the most buoyant side over the festive season. Having reached the Neville Cup final for the sixth successive year, they strengthened their bid to regain the Leinster league title from Pembroke Wanderers on Saturday by defeating Three Rock Rovers 5-2. Meanwhile, Pembroke went under 2-1 to Monkstown and have now dropped six points more than the unbeaten pace-setters.

A factor in Glenanne's dominance in Dublin circles has been their exposure to the elite level of hockey in their first taste of European fare in Bloemendaal last May.

Although Three Rock's exuberance took them into the lead at St Mark's as Peter McConnell put away a short corner in the first minute and the darting Phelie Maguire started and finished a thrust to make it 2-0, the home side remained composed as Stephen Butler replied from drag flicks just before and after half-time.

Rovers tried gamely to respond but then Glenanne caught them on the break as Alan Browne put Graham Shaw through to make it 3-2 from the edge of the circle.

This was followed - through the industry of John Goulding - by the completion of a set-piece hat-trick by the peerless Butler. In a final raid, Mark Lambe embellished the scoreline.

With Duncan McKeen being the latest figure to take time out, Pembroke's resources were finally overstretched as they succumbed to a determined Monkstown performance at Rathdown.

It was 1-1 from corners at the interval as David Jenkins replied to Stephen Stewart's opener for the visitors. Monkstown then increased the tempo for Michael Trounce to flick them ahead.

This win will have revived Monkstown's hopes of challenging Corinthians for the third berth in the all-Ireland play-offs.

Corinthians, though, with Dan Williams in lively shape in midfield and Tom Connell settling back into the side, swept to a 4-0 defeat of YMCA on Saturday and will feel confident of plundering the Monkstown defence at Whitechurch Park next weekend.