Pembroke make statement of intent

Leinster Division One:
TRR 2 (Sven Galjaardt, Neil Lyons) Pembroke 4 (Alan Sothern 4)
Pembroke gave a major statement of intent at Grange Road as they swept aside the challenge of Three Rock Rovers with a dominant second half performance as Alan Sothern clattered in a quadruple to go with his Saturday treble and make it a handsome return to Leinster hockey.

He struck inside three minutes with a delightful chip/lob over Stephen West from the left of the circle for an early lead in the Ballsbridge club's first outing against a side in the top half of division one this term. Even at such an early stage, the goal had been coming with Pembroke employing a very aggressive press.

But it was their only return of the first half as West pulled off a number of fine saves while an error-strewn period, marked by horrendous defensive lapses at both ends, saw both chances fail to convert chances. Pembroke had more of them but Rovers went close with Mike Maguire touching Peter McConnell's cross wide from two yards out.

But Maguire did set up the equaliser in the 31st minute when he bullied his way through three tackles before playing in Sven Galjaardt who smashed in a reverse.

Sothern had a goal chalked off for a Mick O'Connor stick-shield early in the second half but scored a stroke to restore the advantage in the 48th minute after his initial corner shot his Neil Lyons on the line. And a concerted second half effort saw Pembroke camp in Rovers' half and but for more clinical shooting from very close range - Three Rock scrambling clear on umpteen occasions and West pulling off an incredible triple save - the visitors would have been out of sight.

Sothern made it 3-1 in the wake of Garry Ringwood's yellow card (dissent) and completed his tally from close range after a right-wing steal in the 57th minute. Lyons pulled one back inside a minute, driving past David Harte and scoring from the endline via Craig Fulton's leg.

But any comeback was stopped in its tracks by Mick Maguire's petulance off the ball and Pembroke held on for the last ten minutes and move within a point of first place with two games in hand.