John Jermyn was again the go-to guy for Cork Church of Ireland, as his hat-trick re-ignited their Irish Hockey League hopes with a 3-2 away win over Cookstown on Saturday.
Greg Allen finished adroitly off Ian Sloan’s pass for the opener, before Timmy Smith was denied by Billy Lynch brilliantly for a second.
But Jermyn flicked home a corner, before getting the go-ahead goal from the penalty spot. He then extended the lead with another flick of the wrists in the third quarter. Thomas Hutchinson dragged one back in the closing stages but C of I stayed ahead.
With Glenanne and Lisnagarvey drawing 3-3 in Tallaght, it means things have considerably bunched up in Pool A.
Despite four second half sin-binnings, Shane O’Donoghue’s reverse helped the hosts take a share of the spoils. They’d led twice previous to that, Richie Shaw providing the build-up for the first by moving a long corner five metres and crossing only for a ’Garvey stick to redirect into the goal.
Timmy Cockram replied for the visitors with a fine solo goal, picking up on the halfway line, beating two defenders and then placing his reverse shot past Stephen Doran.
Eddie O’Malley responded in the second quarter, getting a touch to Joe Brennan’s slap into the circle. It stayed that way into the third quarter when Cockram finished off a left-wing move and – with two greens affecting Glenanne’s momentum – Mark Daniel gave the Ulster league leaders a 3-2 lead from close range.
In spite of another couple of suspensions, Glenanne pressed high and after good work down the right, O’Donoghue helped pick off two points. It keeps their semi-final hopes alive despite having yet to win in the competition this season, twice coming from behind to snatch draws.
It is Corinthian who are now the surprise pool leaders however, after they won 3-0 at struggling Annadale.
The Lough Moss hosts edged the early exchanges, but were stung by a double-blow just before the break when Lucas Piccioli and Chris Pelow made it 2-0 with goals in the 32nd and 33rd minute.
Ian Hamilton had a golden chance to pull one back when John Edgar earned a penalty stroke, but the shot flew high over the bar. It proved costly as, a minute later, Neil Young slipped through the Dale defences to slot the reds’ third goal.
Reigning champions Pembroke were among a host of fourth quarter winners on the day, Paddy Conlon finishing off Patrick Good’s pass from close range six minutes from time to take the spoils with a 3-2 win over YMCA at Serpentine Avenue.
Cork native Jonathan Bruton gave the Y the lead early in the second quarter, shooting home a switch right, but Pembroke were back on terms immediately. Again it was a corner effort, Jethro Eustice seeing Iain Walker parry but unable to get enough contact to deny his drag-flick.
Marcus Richardson clipped one over the bar but his side were to profit when an attempted overhead clearance fell straight to an attacker and was laid on for Andy Walker to coolly finish, a lead they held until half-time.
Pembroke, though, fought back in the second half with Mick O’Connor netting their second equaliser when he got clear of his marker and pushed into the net in the 42nd minute, before Conlon struck late on to make extended pressure finally pay.
Iain Walker’s initial block to a tame first phase shot fell invitingly to Good who had space to shoot but decided to pass to the left post where Conlon had the simplest of tasks.
Bruton’s left-wing run and cross wreaked havoc but Jamie Tobin was unable to force home while Maurice Elliott sat out the last minute of the game but Pembroke held on to take top spot into December’s tie with Banbridge.
Monkstown produced their best hockey of the season to see off Instonians 6-3 in style at Rathdown. It took just four minutes to get going, Gareth Watkins scoring a reverse stick shot from a short corner.
William Robinson pulled one back eight minutes later with a low corner strike slightly against the run of play as the Town also had to deal with a Stephen Cole knee injury.
They led again in the second quarter when Watkins fed Kyle Good down the left and his reverse cross was excellently finished off by the diving Ward. And their high tempo continued as they moved into a 3-1 half-time lead when Watkins deflected in Ward’s cross.
Billy McEnery got the Town into bonus point territory soon after the turnaround, tapping in low after Ward again was the instigator. Steven Redpath pulled on back from the corner injector spot but Monkstown produced an end-to-end move to re-establish the three-goal margin in the 42nd minute.
Ward fed the striding Richard Sykes who drew the last defender and fed Brian Groves who finished with aplomb high into the net. Good fed Ward for his second early in the fourth quarter before Robinson matched that tally in the 63rd minute, leaving the Town slightly anxious they may be denied the bonus point win.
Dermy Reay was the fourth quarter profiteer as Banbridge took advantage of a man extra to score the only goal of the game against Cork Harlequins at Havelock Park in front a large crowd.
David Eakins posed some the main threat in a tentative opening quarter, while Paul Lombard went close in the 20th minute when he flashed a snap-shot just wide of Gareth Lennox’s post.
Owen Magee’s reverse brought a good save from Chris Daunt while Academy schoolmate Ciaran Kelly also went close. Ross McCandless, with the day’s first corner, drew another good Daunt block while Eakins was denied by a Lennox reflex-save to keep the scoreline blank into the final quarter.
But, with Rob Hobbs shown a yellow, Reay pounced on a rebound from close range. Quins had their chances to strike back with four late corners, one cleared off the line by Scott Forbes. The sides meet again next Saturday in the first round of the Irish Senior Cup.
Men’s Irish Hockey League Rd 2
Pool A
Glenanne 3 (own goal, E O’Malley, S O’Donoghue) Lisnagarvey 3 (T Cockram 2, M Daniel)
Annadale 0 Corinthian 3 (L Piccioli, C Pelow, N Young)
Cookstown 2 (G Allen, T Hutchinson) Cork C of I 3 (J Jermyn 3)
Pool A standings: 1. Corinthian 6pts (+3) 2. Lisnagarvey 5pts (+2) 3. Glenanne 4pts (0) 4. Cork C of I 3pts (-1) 5. Cookstown 3pts (-1) 6. Annadale 2pts (-3)
Pool B
Pembroke 3 (J Eustice, M O’Connor, P Conlon) YMCA 2 (J Bruton, A Walker)
Monkstown 6 (G Watkins 2, A Ward 2, B McEnery, B Groves) Instonians 3 (W Robinson 2, S Redpath)
Banbridge 1 (D Reay) Cork Harlequins 0
Pool B standings: 1. Pembroke 7pts (+4) 2. Monkstown 5pts (+2) 3. Banbridge 5pts (+1) 4. YMCA 4pts (0) 5. Instonians 2pts (-3) 6.Cork Harlequins 1pt (-4)
