MEN'S HOCKEY: So, after a pulsating fourth round of the Irish Senior Cup on Saturday, Glenanne and YMCA (who met in the 2001 decider) are the only Leinster survivors left to challenge Ulster's powerful representation in the quarter-finals on February 26th.
With Glenanne drawn away to Annadale and YMCA also on the road again to face Instonians, further gritty efforts will be required to spoil the scenario of all-Ulster semi-finals in which Banbridge or Lisnagarvey will yield one contestant while Kilkeel may well be another by edging out Bandon, who stand alone for Munster.
It was not anticipated that Munster's two top-pedigree sides, Harlequins and Cork C of I, would both be eliminated on home turf. But Glenanne, though reduced in numbers at several stages at Harlequin Park, held onto a two-goal lead gained by Paul Fitzpatrick and Alan Goulding to win 2-1. With Ian Clarke and Joe Brennan excelling at the back, the Dubliners conceded only a late penalty-stroke reply by David Eakins for the home team, for whom Jason Black did most to rally.
This game, apart from Goulding's diving winner, was relatively unspectacular in comparison to the free-flowing epic between C of I and Banbridge at Garryduff. While Ross McCandless, with two strikes, and Eugene Magee gave the visitors the more positive start, Ali Dunne (twice) and David Hobbs kept C of I in contention, leaving it 3-3 after 70 minutes. With only 30 seconds left in extra time, Hobbs levelled it again at 4-4 , cancelling out a goal by Rory Madeley, but the Ulstermen prevailed in the shoot-out, 8-7.
There was a lively, open contest, too, in the only Dublin tie in which holders Instonians, withstood Trinity's defiant attacking approach, 4-2. With Mark Irwin back significantly from Australia and Stephen Reid being particularly incisive, the Belfast side were always ahead but the students, propelled by Phelie Maguire, hit back twice through David Needham for 2-1 and 3-2 situations.
In Ulster, YMCA fought back from 2-0 arrears at Bangor to win 4-3 in extra-time after Will Powderly pierced the cover for Andrew Willis to decide the issue. Trevor Dagg was an imposing senior figure in the young men's team.
It was a surprise, though, that Monkstown, with a hat-trick by Gareth Watkins, lost to second-division Kilkeel, 5-4, after leading 4-1 early in the second half.
"Kilkeel just never gave up," conceded a Monkstown stalwart. Bandon, who beat Clontarf 2-1, will need to be on full alert.
Aer Lingus showed again that their turn for success is not too far away as they went under by just 1-0 to resourceful Annadale at Lough Moss. Ian Hamilton scored the winner from a short corner on the half-time whistle in a game marked by Graham Shaw's even midfield duel with the combative Derek O'Gorman. It will be with mixed feelings that Shaw faces his former Glenanne team-mates in a month's time.
While Avoca found Lisnagarvey much too hot to handle in their trip to the Ulster stronghold on Saturday, there was minor consolation at local level yesterday in a Mills Cup defeat of Bray, if only on strokes.
