It’s almost 50 years since Pembroke Wanderers won their last major national honour, the Irish Senior Cup back in 1975, but if they can take even a point from their visit to Limerick on Saturday, that gap will be bridged in some style. They would return home as EY Hockey League champions.
Catholic Institute, their opponents at Rosbrien, have pushed the Dublin club all the way, but defeats in their last two outings, by Loreto and Railway Union, look to have cost them dearly.
Now five points behind Pembroke with two games to play, they need to win on Saturday and then hope for a favour from second-from-bottom Muckross who play the leaders in their last game.
Whatever the outcome it should be an intriguing meeting between the top two, Pembroke with the tightest defence in the League, conceding just 10 goals in 16 games, Institute its top scorers with 44.
There is also plenty to play for in in the day’s other four fixtures, with Old Alexandra, Pegasus, Loreto and UCD all still in with a chance of catching Institute and claiming an automatic spot in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.
Alexandra are away to UCD, Pegasus host already-relegated Cork Harlequins, while Loreto are away to Muckross, who are battling to avoid the drop. They are two points behind Belfast Harlequins with two games to play.
Harlequins are at home to Railway Union who need the points themselves – they dropped out of the top six last weekend when they were beaten by UCD, so they could do with a win to boost their hopes of reaching the playoffs for the Champions Trophy semi-finals.
Hockey League, Division One - Saturday: Belfast Harlequins v Railway Union, Deramore Park, 2.30pm; Catholic Institute v Pembroke Wanderers, Rosbrien, 1pm; Muckross v Loreto, Grange Road, 1pm; Pegasus v Cork Harlequins, Queens, 12.45am; UCD v Old Alexandra, Belfield, 1pm.
