Monkstown, in gaining a lively 4-0 Leinster Senior League win over Three Rock Rovers at Rathdown on Saturday, continued their surge towards a place in the all-Ireland play-offs.

After Rovers had been repulsed in the early stages, Ian Allen and Simon Cox finished off two short corners crisply and then Cox set up Jason Harte to lash home the third goal, leaving Monkstown cruising by the interval. Three Rock resisted sufficiently in the second-half to allow only one more breakthrough in which Harte found an opening for Cox to embellish his impressive tally this term.

Cox and Allen, backed by a four-man midfield - buttressed now by Turlough O Siochain - have been making the most of space. There has been good work at the back, too, with Richard Beere and Brian Groves being particularly assertive on Saturday.

However, to maintain third spot behind Glenanne and Pembroke Wanderers, Monkstown will need to remain at their sharpest as they face a demanding run-in to the finish whereas fourth-placed Corinthians have an easier schedule.

Instonians, who won the club championship last season, are in danger of failing to earn a berth in the quarter-finals. Losing 2-1 to Banbridge in the Ulster League on Saturday, they are now five points behind third-placed Annadale. Banbridge are one behind the pace-setters Lisnagarvey, having played a match fewer.

From Munster, it's going to be Cork C of I and Harlequins through to the play-offs again, as Harlequins ended Catholic Institute's bold challenge with a 3-1 win in Limerick yesterday

Harlequins II, though, have surrendered the Irish Junior Cup, losing at home to a Jimmy Shaw goal for Glenanne II in the quarter-finals on Saturday but Bandon kept the Cork flag flying in edging out Banbridge II on strokes after a 5-5 extravaganza. Three Rock II were also taken to extra time before eliminating a spirited Raphoe second XI, 3-1, at Grange Road. Annadale II, having beaten Railway Union II 4-0, may be ranked as favourites.