MEN'S HOCKEY/Irish Senior Cup: The wholehearted 4-3 extra-time defeat of Glenanne in the Irish Senior Cup semi-final at St Mark's on Saturday has taken Pembroke Wanderers out of the doldrums into a bracing climax to the season.
There is not only the challenge of breaking down Instonians' defence in the final on April 13th but also the likelihood of facing the same opposition in the all-Ireland championship quarter-final play-offs - and in an ironic development, with a side depleted by the ravages of the cup tie, Pembroke could concede a Leinster league point to Trinity at Santry tonight which would save the students from relegation but send Avoca down to the second division.
The exhausting campaign finally took its toll on league winners Glenanne as they failed to match the vigour, particularly, of Paudie Carley (red carded and bloodied), Allan Kershaw and Devin Donnelly.
It was, to say the least, a key element for Pembroke, too, that Justin Sherriff regained his zest to notch a hat-trick.
Alan Browne combined with John Goulding to force Glenanne into an early lead but Alan Giles robbed a defender to set up Gordon Elliott to level matters before a drag flick by Sherriff made it 2-1 at the interval.
Predictable pressure by the home side in the second half yielded an equaliser when the unremitting Goulding got a feather-like touch to a free from Stephen Butler.
There followed some puzzlement among the Wanderers fans over a cancelled penalty award to Ronan Gormley .
At the start of each period of extra-time, however, Pembroke gained control. Kershaw lent support for Sherriff to hoist his side back in front and, launched by Carley, the Ireland striker broke away to increase the margin to 4-2. Butler responded from a short corner, but this time there was to be no reprieve for the cup holders.
So Pembroke, the 2000 winners, will now meet Instonians, of whom there are several sturdy retainees from the successful side of 1998.
A fresh recruit, Aaron Gill, put away the only goal in the last-minute elimination of Cork C of I at Upper Malone on Saturday.
David Hobbs was at the forefront of C of I's efforts but Paddy Brown, Mark Wainright and Anthony Lewis were especially resolute for the well organised home team.
Instonians, incidentally, lead the Ulster league table by a point from Lisnagarvey, whom they meet in the decisive match on April 3rd.
As regards the relegation issue in Leinster, even if Trinity were to lose to Pembroke tonight, the students would still have a lifeline in a play-off with Avoca, whom they beat 3-2 on Saturday with strikes by Paul Tuthill (2) and Christian Judd. Both sides have 17 points but Avoca's programme is finished. UCD, with a goal by Marcus Miller against Monkstown, have survived.
IRISH SENIOR CUP
Semi-finals
At St Mark's: Glenanne 3 (A Browne, J Goulding, S Butler); Pembroke Wanderers 4 (G Elliott, J Sherriff 3) aet.
At Upper Malone: Instonians 1 (A Gill); Cork C of I 0.
