Pembroke strangle C of I into submission

Cork Church of Ireland’s Irish Senior Cup campaign is over after Pembroke Wanderers pulled off a fully-deserved 2-1 win at Garryduff this afternoon. On a day where just three of the 16 ISC games went ahead, strikes in either half from Maurice Elliott and skipper Alan Giles did the damage for the Dubliners, while a disappointingly toothless C of I couldn’t find the net until an opportunistic Jonny Bruton wonderstrike inside the final 60 seconds. Pembroke nullified the threats of John Jermyn and David Hobbs throughout, as Ronan Gormley and Paddy Conlon controlled the midfield, and the lack of circle penetrations from C of I told its own story.

The long-range distribution of Conor Harte and Tim Lewis was a constant thorn in the hosts’ side, and the ‘Broke also kept a clean penalty corner sheet – and won six of their own – to deny Jermyn the chance to show off his set-piece brilliance. C of I went into this game hoping to prove they could live with one of the country’s better sides, having gone without silverware on the national stage since 2003, but Pembroke’s patient passing game frustrated them in an opening quarter played mostly between the 25s. The best chance of that period came from a Pembroke corner inside three minutes, when Mark Ruddle produced a great reaction stick save to keep out Alan Sothern’s low drag. But Pembroke hit the front on 27 minutes when a long ball out of defence was allowed to run right through to Gordon Elliott, who squared for Maurice Elliott to force it over the line from close range. Ruddle saved well again from a Sothern reverse just before the break, while David Harte was equal to a similar effort from Nigel Buttimer at the other end on the resumption. But Pembroke remained in the ascendancy, with only wayward finishing and some timely interventions from the excellent Adam Pritchard keeping them at bay. The Dubliners were helped by the fact they certainly got the rub of the green from umpires Kieran Bolger and Andrew Groves, notably when Jonny Bruton – a constant threat up front on the few occasions he was allowed run at the circle – was harshly sin-binned on 50 minutes for backchat. Bruton deserved to walk, but his frustration was palpable given the decision that prompted his ire – when he attempted to legitimately take down an aerial, only to see a Pembroke defender cut across him with his stick above his head at the last second – was wrongly given against him. Pembroke doubled their lead while Bruton cooled his heels on the sideline, captain Giles flicking high to the net on 52 minutes after Conor Harte’s drag had been saved well by Ruddle. Gordon Elliott should have seen yellow for a dangerous tackle on Karl Burns, but with their full compliment intact, the visitors had plenty more chance to make the game safe, largely thanks to the industry of Justin Sherriff up front. But the game was up in any case by the time Bruton grabbed a spectacular consolation for C of I in the final seconds, blasting an unstoppable reverse into the top corner from the top of the circle after being fed by David Hobbs.

That was the only men’s game to go ahead as the weather claimed all seven of the other ties. Only two of the eight women’s games survived the big freeze, both played at UUJ. Pegasus won 3-1 against Randalstown, while a hat-trick from New Zealand international Frances Kreft helped Ulster Elks to a 5-2 win over Lisnagarvey. Domestically, UCC advanced to a semi-final Munster Senior Cup meeting with Bandon thanks to a 3-0 win over Catholic Institute at the Mardyke this afternoon. The Limerick side’s profligacy from penalty corners was highlighted by the students, as Dickie Barrett and Stephen Sweetnam both found the net with first-half set-piece efforts, with a Dave Gash penalty stroke completing the win. In the women’s Division One, Cork Harlequins strolled to a 5-1 win over Ashton, with Karen Bateman (two), Hilary and Jane Chapple and Cliodhna Sargent getting the goals, while Orla O’Donovan replied for the hosts. The only other top-level game to go ahead as C of I B’s clash with Quins B, which ended in a 0-0 stalemate that does the latter – who fielded former international netminder Wes Bateman – a small favour as it pushes them a point clear of UCC and Institute at the foot of the Division One table.