Men's Leinster League preview

The fixture list continues to splayed all over the place as Glenanne and Pembroke's ISC semi-final means their respective ties against Kilkenny and YMCA will have to wait for another day.

It means that, barring unforeseen circumstances, only Monkstown will have played a full complement of fixtures to date. And while hockey has nowhere near the fixture pile-ups endemic in local soccer or GAA, the combination of weather issues and the introduction of the IHL has wreaked serious havoc with Leinster division one.

The fixtures will come thick and fast over the next few weeks with April 18 the official cut off date to fit the remaining games in amid IHL, EHL and ISC concerns.

Division One's most intriguing match-up sees Mills Cup champs Corinthian play Monkstown in a vital game for the formers qualification hopes and three points will come all the more important should the club's appeal against a three-point penalty be turned down.

How they respond to Tuesday's highs will be a key factor. Andrew Cronje is again a doubt after cramping up severely while Stephen Cole definitely is a Town absentee.

UCD, meanwhile, have a defining seven days at hand. Any sort of point at home to Railway would be welcome ahead of their crunch relegation battle with Kilkenny the week after. The students will hope to catch the Cats cold given a whole month will have passed for them between league outings. A first home point could prove the perfect warmer.

Elsewhere, Three Rock's fading title hopes require two wins this weekend - against IHL nemesis Fingal and the side that severely dented their league hopes, YMCA.

Phelie Maguire is available for neither due to a combination of knee injury and Irish involvement. The latter reason should see Mitch Darling, Andy McConnell and Iain Walker out too due to Paul Revington's national training session while Turloch O'Siochain will wait on the fitness of Alan Bothwell.

In division two, Clontarf have the opportunity to complete what has looked a likely league victory for a long while as they travel to Sportlink to face Navan. Judging on their prior encounters, Harald de Jong's (pictured) crack team will hope it is lucky number 13 for the season.

Bray travel to Avoca hoping to consolidate second place and pick of another rival for the playoff spot. However, they have a tough run-in with other outside contenders looking to upset their chances.

Dublin Uni will aim to kick-start a late charge, though they may be hampered by being currently out of term with English and Northern Irish players unavailable. Their eye may look to Sunday's Neville Davin cup semi-final as a more likely avenue for success at Griffeen though.

The Lucanites, though, are a sturdy outfit on their home patch - winning more than they have lost this term - and have already beaten Trinity in Esker this term.

Division 1(Saturday):
Corinthian vs Monkstown , 2pm, Whitechurch; UCD vs Railway Union, 1pm, Belfield; Three Rock Rovers vs Fingal, 2.45pm, Grange Road
Sunday: YMCA vs Three Rock Rovers, 1pm, Claremont Road

Division 2 (Saturday):
Avoca vs Bray, TBC, Newpark; Dublin University vs Naas, TBC, Santry; Navan vs Clontarf, 11.30am, Sportslink; Weston vs Skerries, 2.45pm, Griffeen

Neville Davin Cup Semi Finals
Bray v Clontarf, 3.30pm, Loreto Bray; Weston vs Dublin University, 2.30pm, Griffeen