MEN'S HOCKEY / Irish Senior Cup: YMCA's deserved 5-2 win over Monkstown at Claremont Road on Saturday earned them one of the most difficult third-round draws in the weekend's Irish Senior Cup.
The Sandymount team now face Lisnagarvey in Dublin.
That they have been drawn at home should give YMCA some hope against one of the stronger teams remaining after a weekend in which Pembroke's hopes were dashed in Banbridge and Instonians, despite a goal from Chris Barnes, perished in Belfast at the hands of visitors Three Rock Rovers.
Rovers' 3-1 win was perhaps the finest of a busy weekend and afterwards they were drawn against neighbours Corinthians in a fourth-round clash.
While Rovers will be buzzing over taking such a scalp away from home, Corinthian's 5-4 win in Cookstown should equally please all at Whitechurch Park. Charlie Henderson, who was named in the recent Irish squad that will travel to South Africa next month, was in vintage form for Corinthians. Having taken a 3-0 lead, the Dublin side were pulled back to 3-3 before turning the match in their favour.
Of the Leinster clubs expected to do well, Pembroke will now look on the first half of the season as being unfulfilled after departing from the competition in Banbridge.
Just one goal separated the sides with former Irish striker David McAnulty grabbing the Banbridge winner after an hour's play. Banbridge will now welcome Catholic Institute to the town for their fourth-round meeting.
Avoca, featuring 45-year-old former Irish goalkeeper Peter Agnew between the posts, let slip a two-goal lead before falling 4-3 to Belfast Harlequins in Deramore Park, while Glenanne cruised into the next round at the expense of Railway Union. Irish midfielder, Stephen Butler knocked in a hat-trick in his team's 4-1 win.
Richard Gash was another on the mark. His three goals for Cork Harlequins against Bangor helped the Cork side to a 5-1 win and a meeting with North Down in the next round.
Their rivals in Munster, C of I, also kept their cup dreams alive with a 3-1 win over Fingal in Garryduff.
Their next venture is to Belfast where they play Harlequins in what will be considered a favourable enough draw.
There was one match not played at the weekend that resulted in Belvedere giving Antrim a walk over.
The Munster club had tried to get the match refixed because of problems fielding a full team but to no avail. Disappointingly they were then forced to pull out of the competition.
IRISH SENIOR CUP: Third Round: Belfast Harlequins 4, Avoca 3; UCC 2, CI 5; Instonians 1, TRR 3; Bray 1, Lisnagarvey 5; Glenanne 4, Railway Union 1; YMCA 5, Monkstown 2; Mossley 2, Kilkeel 3; Annadale 4, NICS 1; Cookstown 4, Corinthians 5; Antrim walk over v Belvedere; Cork C of I 3, Fingal 1 Bane); Bandon 4, Trinity 3 ; Bangor 1, Cork Harlequins 5; North Down 4, Clontarf 2; Cliftonville 3, Kilkenny 4; Banbridge 1, Pembroke 0.
IRISH SENIOR CUP: Fourth round draw: North Down v Cork Harlequins; YMCA v Lisnagarvey; Banbridge v Catholic Institute; Belfast Harlequins v Cork C of I; Kilkeel v Bandon; Annadale v Antrim; Corinthians v TRR; Glenanne v Kilkenny.
