Monkstown should be feeling comfortable going into this weekend’s Irish
Senior Cup
weekend. Having bagged their first Leinster Senior League title in over 30 years, the Dublin side’s meeting with Three Rock Rovers in tomorrow’s second semi-final in UCD comes on the back of losing 2-1 at Grange Road in the league before bouncing back to win 6-3 when the sides met at Rathdown School last month.
Both Dublin sides had comparatively easy runs to this stage of the competition, Rovers beating Belfast Harlequins and Fingal and Monkstown knocking out UCC, Portadown and Banbridge.
Compared to the passage of Ulster’s only remaining club, the Errol Lutton-coached Lisnagarvey, Rovers should be thankful for their 14 goals in two games. ’Garvey met YMCA in the first round, UCD in the second and Glenanne in the third to set up tomorrow’s semi-final against Pembroke.
This week happens to be the one in which Lisnagarvey’s own, Seoul Olympic gold medal winner Jimmy Kirkwood – arguably one of the most technically gifted players to come out of this country – is inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of fame.
Both sides there will emphasise discipline as their strong set-pieces could be decisive.
’Garvey are less experienced and the bulk of the squad have never been in an Irish Cup final. They will also travel to Dublin with several schoolboys from Wallace High and RBAI. With Conor Harte at one end and Alan Sothern at the other, Pembroke have a slight edge in this one.
Rovers and Monkstown probably know each other too well for any real surprises, with Monkstown, who lost three out of four finals between 2008 and 2011, favourites to advance having last year ended their 99-year hoodoo to win the Irish trophy.
Saturday: Irish Senior Cup
semi-final
(Belfield): Pembroke Wanderers v Lisnagarvey, 3pm; Three Rock Rovers v Monkstown, 5pm.
Sunday: Irish Senior Cup Final
(Belfield) 3.30pm
