Queens and Banbridge both have home advantage when they fly the flag for non-Hockey League clubs in the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup on Saturday, but both sides have considerable obstacles in their way if they are to advance to the last four.
Queens host Hockey League leaders Pembroke Wanderers, who are coming off the back of five wins in a row, while Banbridge take on fourth-placed Catholic Institute at Havelock Park, the Limerick side in good shape after taking three wins from their last four games.
The all-Hockey League quarter-finals pair cup holders UCD with Railway Union, while Pegasus, last season's beaten finalists, travel to Dublin to take on Muckross.
Railway got the better of the students when they met in the league a month ago, but there was only a goal in it and this meeting could well be as tight again.
Muckross, meanwhile, will go in as firm underdogs against Pegasus, but will take heart from their trip to Belfast last month when they went two goals down after just eight minutes but put up a gutsy battle thereafter, losing 3-1.
Fixtures Irish Senior Cup - Quarter-finals: Banbridge v Catholic Institute, Havelock Park, 1pm; Muckross v Pegasus, Grange Road, 2.30pm; Queens v Pembroke Wanderers, Malone Playing Fields, 2.30pm; UCD v Railway Union, Belfield, 1pm.
