Serpentine Avenue is undoubtedly the ground to be at on both days as Pembroke host Corinthian in the league and Mills Cup semi-finals.
December’s 2-1 win in Whitechurch Park for Corinthian threw the league open and remains the only points Pembroke have dropped this term. Last week’s draw, though, at YMCA ended a run of nine wins in the league for the reds and if they are to have any dreams of a maiden league crown, they will need to summon the immense defensive effort from Andrew Cronje and his cohorts.
The pace of Chris Pelow, Davy Carson and Darren Kimfley means they will always have a chance on the counter-attack, a style of play that has frustrated Pembroke’s natural instinct to do the same.
Nonetheless, the ‘Broke will always be clear favourites with Alan Sothern continuing to score goals for fun and Justin Sherriff and Gordon Elliott back in the panel after pre-Christmas breaks.
Their additional squad size could also play a factor in the back-to-back nature of the weekend.
A win for Pembroke on Saturday will see them top for the first time this term while Sunday’s cup tie could go some way to avenge last year’s hotly contested Mills’ final which the reds nabbed in extra-time.
The northsiders, bouyed by their win over Glenanne and only conceding in the very late stages against Pembroke, have worked on an ultra-deep press which is becoming an effective method on the continent for dealing with the auto-pass ruling.
They may need to make more of the play against the Town but hitting the likes of Tom Manning or the evergreen Adrian Sweeney is a fruitful avenue.
The significant change of speed in surface from Saturday to Sunday will be an intriguing factor as cup action switches to Serpentine Avenue.
At the bullring, Clontarf face their very last chance to stage a dramatic escape from relegation as they face UCD. The students were not as sharp as recent times without skipper Tim Hill and player-coach John McInroy. The latter may return after sitting out the colours game in midweek but Irish Uni’s Karl Smith will be a big miss in midfield, having moved to Australia for the remainder of the season.
Elsewhere, Glenanne face Railway Union for the second time in a week, hoping for an easier ride than they were given at St Mark’s on Sunday.
In division two, Suttonians can re-establish their place at the top of the charts. They travel to King’s Hospital to Navan, a side who have caused the Dubliners more than their fair share of problems this season. Given debate on the blog, the fixture could also serve as a trial match for the Leinster Junior side with numerous names put forward for the representative side.
Dublin Uni, meanwhile, will look to bring the positives from the colours defeat through to their game with Bray. Craig Moore is a doubt through illness but are at full strength otherwise and will aim to recreate the 9-1 win at the same venue in January. Simon Cox, among others, was absent that day and always provides a threat when available.Men’s Division One (Sat)
Fingal v Monkstown, 2pm, ALSAA; Railway Union v Glenanne, 2.45pm, Park Avenue; Clontarf v UCD, 2pm, Mount Temple; Pembroke v Corinthian, 2pm, Serpentine Avenue
Men’s Division Two (Sat)
Navan vs Suttonians, 12.30pm, King’s Hospital; Dublin University vs Bray, 12.30pm, Grange Road
(Tues): Dublin University vs Suttonians, 7.30pm, Grange Road
Leinster Senior Mills Cup, semi-finals (Sun)
Monkstown vs Fingal, 1.15pm, Serpentine Avenue; Pembroke Wanderers v Corinthian, 3pm, Serpentine Avenue
Irish Junior Cup, second round (Sat):
Monkstown vs Kilkeel, 3pm, Rathdown; Cookstown vs Glenanne, 4pm, Coolnafranky
22 comments:
If the bookies did hockey odds, I'd be straight down there on that advice after last week!
Railway will be lucky to get away with a 1:4 loss. They were lucky to get within a goal last time out and Glenanne will show themselves to be far superior after a poor outing last week.
should make for two good games on Sunday, both games very hard to call doubt there will be much between teams in both games
I hear Corintian were not sharp last week against ym, I think Pembroke will win with a bit of ease and see themselves back at the top where I feel they belong. Clontarf could nick a win after ucd's busy week.
DK
some IJC games to be played this weekend too.
4 draws this weekend in the acca...€5 returns €172.31
CHC were not sharp on Saturday against YM, correct. Every top team has an 'off' day. They soon fixed that on Sunday however by destroying TRR by 3 goals and it could of been more!
could have. not could of
It's okay for a top team to have an off day as long as they scrape a tight win. I don't think Corinthian are quite there yet and as said in my opinion Pembroke will win both games this weekend.
DK
Didn't Chelsea lose to Everton 2 weeks ago?
Woooo Woooo Woooo.
Grammar Police, pull over!!
Calm down 4.35pm & we'll forgive you for you lack of capitals and a second full stop, ok?!?!
I'm looking forward to both league & cup games down in Serpentine this weekend. Who knows what will happen?...all I know is that, on paper, Pembroke should have beaten Corinthians in the Mills cup final last season & in the league earlier this season.
Pembroke have been the country's top team for the last number of years but they are beatable.
We all know that things, in sport, don't necessarily go as expected though....
Come on Fingal
Every team is beatable in Ireland. Pembroke should be out of reach but they are not.
Corinthians run them very close due to Cronje and his organisational skill.
As an hockey watcher I prefer to watch Fingal and Mookstown as they get involved in exciting matches.
The top teams do have more skilful players but when I bring non hockey people to a match they want excitement not high skill or great tactics that only hockey people appreciate.
the Students go marching on!!
any results from today?
yeah navan 3 suttonians 4...bet thats one u were looking to hear!
Believe it was
2-1 to Corinthians over Pembroke,
3-2 to Monkstown over Fingal
2-1 to Monkstown over Kilkeel
Just getting all the details, here's the results:
Men's Div One:
Pembroke 1 (Sherriff) Corinthian 2 (Cronje ps, Donerthy)
Fingal 2 (Gahan, Sharman) Monkstown 3 (Watkins 3)
UCD 2 (McInroy, McFarlane) Clontarf 0
Railway 1 (M English) Glenanne 5 (Butler 2, Graham Shaw, Gary Shaw, Parsons)
Men's Div Two:
Suttonians 4 Navan 3
DU PP Bray PP
Women's Div One:
Corinthian 0 Railway 4 (C Joyce 2, Smyth, O'Dwyer)
Pembroke 2 UCD 2
Hermes 3 (Duke 2, O'Flanagan) Glenanne 0
Bray 0 Loreto 3
Trinity 0 Old Alex 0
Women's Div Two:
Railway PP TRL PP
Corinthian 0 Genesis 1
Hermes 1 Loreto 0
Murray is the man . Playin great stuff in goal at the moment
Thanks Stephen! Tomorrow should be a great day of hockey. My bets on Pembroke and Fingal. Fingal have been outstanding in the cup so far and I can see them putting in the extra 10% to put them through.
Pembroke have been a little pedestrian this year and will have to pick up the pace if they're hoping to give Rottweis a match. Hopefully, the thought of losing three times to Corinthians will wake them up!
Good work Suttonians, back on the horse after last week's drubbing.
Lots of chances for both teams in an end-to-end match at Serpentine today.
Could have gone either way.
Hopefully more of the same tomorrow.
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