Mind games begin for Lynch brothers

Losing to your little brother in the back garden is bad enough, but doing so in an Irish Hockey League semi-final “just can’t happen” according to Jason Lynch. Lisnagarvey’s Irish international  hot-shot comes up against younger sibling Karl of Pembroke Wanderers at Hillsborough tomorrow — a repeat of last year’s final — and is refusing to contemplate defeat. Both grew up playing for Cork Church of Ireland on Leeside, but their studies have taken them elsewhere. They’ve been in opposition twice before, Jason taking the honours, but Karl — just back from a EuroHockey League (EHL) campaign with Pembroke — refuses to be cowed. Two years ago when Jason decided to play for Ulster, his U21 side finished 3-0 winners against Munster but he remembers the day more for his tete-a-tete with his younger brother.

“He ended up getting me a green card and mum started shouting from the sideline. I made a tackle, he lifted his stick and started screaming for a free. The umpire gave me green and mum was telling Karl to stop it! “I did feel like I was 12 again. It didn’t really help either as (Leinster goalkeeper) Stephen West had a load of pictures of it, Karl threw them up on Facebook straight away. It was good craic. Last year, I played him at C of I. We beat them 6-3, I didn’t get a chance to run at him but this semi-final is definitely about bragging rights. “He seems to have done well with Pembroke this year. He’s always been saying “are you going to the EHL? Oh wait, you’re not in it this year!” This should be good, if they do beat us, I don’t think I’d ever hear the end of it. It just can’t happen.” Jason’s Lisnagarvey are coming off a satisfying Ulster league title victory while Karl’s Pembroke must regain some shattered confidence after they were humbled by Madrid outfit Club de Campo at the EHL in Holland. But form guides have gone out the window at the IHL’s finals weekend, often producing high scoring thrillers; ‘Garvey’s 6-5 defeat of Corinthian last year a case in point. And another Munster man, Pembroke’s Adam Prtichard, says the huge changes undergone at Serpentine Avenue in recent months make his side all the more dangerous. “As far as they’re concerned, we’ll be a bit of an unknown quantity,” he said. “They haven’t played this side before. From our point of view, we have some knowledge. (Ex-Garvey goalkeeper) Dave Williamson has some insider knowledge and has been a great help to us since he’s come down. “I’ve played Garvey on numerous occasions with C of I as have the guys who played last season. Their squad is quite similar; a lot of the young players have matured and Jason Lynch has grown into the role that he has taken on, more of the instrumental playmaker that he would have been when he started. Like ‘Garvey, Glenanne are fancied in the other semi-final, their opponents Banbridge’s poor showing in their Irish Senior Cup semi-final defeat to Monkstown highlighting some defensive fragility. But if they get their act together, Bann are potentially lethal; just ask Pembroke, who were humbled 6-2 in the pool stages. Glens’ Mick McGuinness isn’t taking any chances against a side who have an axe to grind after a controversial decision helped the Tallaght side to a semi-final win in 2009. “I saw them in the Irish Senior Cup and they didn’t do too well but I’d say they’ll come good in the IHL. There’s a bit of history there but we feel good about ourselves,” he said. “The games are so, so, so tight. It could easily come down to a decision. We didn’t get the rub of the green last year (in a semi-final against Pembroke) and it could easily come down to something like that next weekend.”

The women’s semis see a repeat of the 2009 Irish Senior Cup decider between UCD and Pegasus. The latter dumped UCD out in the last four a couple of weeks ago and this will be another fascinating duel between the experience of Pegs’ Arlene Boyles, Suzanne Beaney and Claire McMahon and the young brilliance of UCD’s Irish international trio, Chloe Watkins, Gillian Pinder and Brenda Flannery. Hermes and Railway Union reprise their Leinster tussles in the other last four tie; Hermes have an ISC final defeat to Pegs to avenge but Railway will be keen to dump out a side who beat them to league glory this term. Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins have, as expected, overhauled UCC for the second automatic qualification spot for next year’s Irish Hockey League, by virtue of an excellent 3-0 win over Bandon, in which Lesley Ann Daunt netted twice with Acacia Taylor grabbing the other. It was just reward for a strong second half of the campaign as Stephen Dale’s side took time to adapt to huge changes in personnel. Despite relinquishing their league title to Institute, Quins will be delighted to have done enough to oust College, who will rue the 3-1 defeat at the Mardyke earlier this year. That now pits the students into an IHL wildcard against Old Alex, Greenfields and Ards next weekend at Garryduff; hardly an ideal scenario with exams starting, though the lack of travel requirements should ease that burden somewhat. Elsewhere, new men’s champions Cork Harlequins saw off Bandon 6-2 to complete a 100% league campaign in style. While Bandon won’t have been pleased with the result, they will have appreciated a tough encounter to prepare them for their IHL wildcard, in which they will have to overcome one of Instonians or Three Rock Rovers to advance. Irish Hockey League finals weekend, Hillsborough, Co Down, Saturday: Women’s semi-finals: Pegasus v UCD (10.30am); Railway Union v Hermes (12.30pm); Men’s semi-finals: Glenanne v Banbridge (3pm); Lisnagarvey v Pembroke Wanderers (5pm).