Pembroke on course to keep league title

For a brief time, Pembroke looked third favourite in a three-horse race but they could retain their Leinster Senior League crown without even taking the pitch this weekend should Glenanne pick off a home win against Corinthian on Saturday.

It would add a further fillip to a side looking in decent fettle ahead of the EHL KO16 challenge in Rotterdam.

Should the reds remain in the hunt, the title is still within Pembroke’s hands when Three Rock come visiting on Sunday afternoon.

Timmy Lewis is one injury doubt, skipping the Mills Cup final on midweek while Mick Maguire should be available despite a broken nose sustained in midweek.

Rovers still have plenty to play for in what could be the most interesting battle on the final day with all matches tipping off simultaneously.

The fourth automatic IHL place and the wildcard shot for fifth are still very much up for grabs. Monkstown can confirm fourth if they beat the Glens. Rovers, meanwhile, need a point from their tie at Pembroke to ensure a top five place.

YMCA have what looks the easiest task on paper, facing promotion/relegation bound Railway Union in Milltown but any dropped points means they end in sixth place.

Fingal and UCD face off for seventh place at ALSAA while Corinthian will hope their title hopes are still alive and well when they visit Clontarf.

Elsewhere, Suttonians go in search of their first ever national title though they go in as heavy underdogs against a fancied NICS who have stormed Ulster’s Senior One league.

Aaron Gill is their talisman; the former Irish U-21 netting in excess of 50 goals this season for a side that have rattled up more than a century of strikes.

Sutton are without Richie Wormald but Conor Gillett and Simon Walsh are the sharp-shooters and, with three Ulster scalps under their belt, the mood is upbeat in the camp ahead of their big day.

St Brendan’s/Phoenix Park, meanwhile, will aim to put their controversial semi-final walkover behind them as they face into the tie against Limerick at full-strength.

Dessie Farrell and Donal Byrne’s suspensions arising from red cards in the quarter-finals have been deemed to be served as the club looks to win a first national title since amalgamating. They face a Limerick side powered by former Avoca and Irish international Robbie Ryan – a winner at Belfield in the Senior Cup back in the mid-90s.

In division two, Dublin Uni finish their regular season at Navan looking to keep up their free-scoring ways and add to the pressure on the other sides in the race for the play-off place.

Bray, meanwhile, play three times in four days including important ties against Avoca and Weston in the race for top spot.

Monkstown II and YMCA II are both on the road to Ulster in the Irish Junior Cup semi-finals, facing Lisnagarvey and Cookstown respectively.

Leinster Men’s Division One
Saturday: Glenanne vs Corinthian, 1.30pm, Glenanne Park
Sunday: Monkstown vs Glenanne, 2pm, Rathdown; Fingal vs UCD, 2pm, ALSAA; YMCA vs Railway Union, 2pm, Alexandra College; Clontarf vs Corinthian, 2pm, Mount Temple; Pembroke v Three Rock Rovers, 2pm, Serpentine Ave

Men’s Division Two:
Saturday: Avoca vs Bray, 12.15pm, Newpark; Navan vs Dublin University, 12.30pm, Kings Hospital
Sunday: Bray vs Weston, 3.30pm, Loreto Bray
Tuesday: Bray vs Avoca, 8.30pm, Loreto Bray

Men’s Irish Hockey Challenge Final
Saturday: St Brendans v Limerick, 4pm, Belfield

Men’s Irish Hockey Trophy Final
Sunday: NICS vs Suttonians, 4pm, Belfield

Men’s Irish Junior Cup Semi Finals
Saturday: Lisnagarvey II v Monkstown II, 2.30pm, Comber Road; Cookstown II v YMCA II, 4pm, Coolnafranky