Men’s Leinster Division Two
Avoca 5 (Sean Walsh 3, Peter Haughton, Cliff Bailey) Suttonians 4 (Conor Gillett 2, Harry Spain, Simon Walsh)
Sean Walsh’s hat-trick swung the pendulum very much in Avoca’s favour in the title race as they got the better of Suttonians for the second time in a fortnight in a high-scoring, high quality fashion. The Blackrock side were forced to hang tough for much of the first half as Sutton took the game to them. Conor Gillett reversed home the first of nine goals on the day and he also clipped a post soon after.
Cliff Bailey created Walsh’s first with an artful ball for the Australian to finish off. A Gillett drag put Suttonians back in front but Peter Haughton’s similar effort countered to make it 2-2 at the break, scant reward for a fine showing from the visitors. Avoca felt no guilt-complex, though, and produced an excellent 25 minute spell after half-time to take the game away from the visitors.
A foot on the line opened the door for Walsh to net from the penalty spot. A nice move along the endline unlocked the defence for Bailey to make it 4-2 and Walsh completed the spell from around the flick-spot. Harry Spain and Simon Walsh scored corner rebounds in the last five minutes to almost affect a stunning comeback but time ran out.
Weston 5 (Rob Lynch 3, Simon Pearson, Karl Goodwin) Mullingar 0
Rob Lynch’s hat-trick brought his seasonal tally to 15 goals as Weston had too much in the tank for Mullingar, pushing them up to 23 points, five off the playoff place but with a game in hand on Suttonians. They will need favours, however, as they play Rathgar, Portrane, Avoca and Trinity in the closing month of the campaign.
Portrane 2 (Chris Neville, Mukhtar Ahmed) Rathgar 5 (Mark Egner 2, Simon Creane, Richard Tector, Stu Cinnamond)
Rathgar asserted their position in fifth place with victory in Glasnevin as they took advantage of two Portrane sin-binnings to make the vital incisions. Mark Egner set the Chiefs on their way with a drag-flick and Simon Creane got his second of the week when he rebounded. Chris Neville got one back for Portrane but the hosts had player-coach Nasir Munir binned in the wake of a collision with umpire Keith Lewis on a quick counter-attack. With another man also seeing yellow, Rathgar built a 4-1 lead as Richard Tector scored against his former club and Egner potted his second drag for a 4-1 half-time lead. Mukhtar Ahmed got one back in the 53rd minute and Portrane had plenty of pressure during this phase, especially when Shane Gould was binned. But Rathgar held out and Stu Cinnamond completed the win late on.
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Pembroke | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | • | Monkstown | 18 | 38 |
| 3 | • | TRR | 18 | 35 |
| 4 | • | UCD | 18 | 34 |
| 5 | • | Corinthian | 18 | 29 |
| 6 | • | Railway Union | 18 | 28 |
| 7 | • | YMCA | 18 | 24 |
| 8 | • | Glenanne | 18 | 14 |
| 9 | • | Fingal | 18 | 13 |
| 10 | • | Avoca | 18 | 2 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | UCD | 18 | 43 |
| 2 | • | Loreto | 18 | 42 |
| 3 | • | Railway Union | 18 | 40 |
| 4 | • | Hermes | 18 | 36 |
| 5 | • | Old Alex | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | • | Pembroke | 18 | 16 |
| 7 | ↑ | Glenanne | 18 | 14 |
| 8 | ↓ | Corinthian | 18 | 11 |
| 9 | • | North Kildare | 18 | 11 |
| 10 | • | Trinity College | 18 | 7 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Rathgar | 15 | 37 |
| 2 | • | Clontarf | 15 | 24 |
| 3 | • | Suttonians | 15 | 22 |
| 4 | • | Dublin University | 15 | 19 |
| 5 | • | Kilkenny | 15 | 15 |
| 6 | • | Weston | 15 | 10 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | • | Loreto II | 18 | 44 |
| 2 | • | Pembroke II | 18 | 41 |
| 3 | • | Genesis | 18 | 32 |
| 4 | • | Old Alex II | 18 | 30 |
| 5 | • | Three Rock | 18 | 27 |
| 6 | • | Hermes II | 18 | 25 |
| 7 | • | Railway Union II | 18 | 19 |
| 8 | • | Trinity II | 18 | 13 |
| 9 | • | Bray | 18 | 10 |
| 10 | • | Newbridge | 18 | 7 |
February 26, 2012 6:51 pm
Crocodile Dundee says
Whoop Whoop Walshy!
February 26, 2012 7:03 pm
Walsh's Weapons says
Sean Walsh and Martin Naughton are the most prolific and handsome strike force in Leinster hockey
February 26, 2012 7:26 pm
Specsavers says
Walsh’s Weapons shoulda gone to Specsavers!!!
February 26, 2012 11:36 pm
The blackrock duo says
What a game between avoca and Sutton. Best team won by far and credit to Sutton who have been a worthy nemesis this season. As for the rest, well enough said.
February 27, 2012 12:07 am
Divo's Dreamboats says
Divo needs to throw more bombs
February 27, 2012 12:55 am
jackson davis says
Isn’t it Sean Welsh???
February 27, 2012 8:00 am
Uber Deutschland says
@ blackrock duo
Both avoca and sutts are weak teams, and which ever team goes up from div 2 will get blown away every week in div 1.
February 27, 2012 8:28 am
fabianski says
With both Suttonians and Avoca having to play Mullingar twice it looks like the only way Avoca can be halted from gaining Div 1 status will be if they lose against both Trinity and Weston
February 27, 2012 8:55 am
Big fan says
Seems it going to be an exciting finish to what has being the best div 2 in years. Sutton need to be on there toes because a slip up could allow trinity and Weston back into it. Looks like Avoca will win it but will need to get in a good few players to try and stay up in div 1.
February 27, 2012 9:38 am
Neutral says
Avoca play grit pitch hockey. Long ball central – get the ball to Bailey who smashes it long blind. Awful team and horrible to watch. At least Sutts try and play hockey. Avoca will not get a point if they go up.
February 27, 2012 10:06 am
??? says
“but the hosts had player-coach Nasir Munir binned in the wake of a collision with umpire Keith Lewis on a quick counter-attack.”
Can you explain that better? How did have a collision with the umpire? Surely the umpire shouldn’t be in the way of a ‘quick counter attack’
February 27, 2012 10:29 am
eggz_eleven says
Nasir collected the ball outside Rathgar’s 25, the umpire was outside the D inside Rathgar’s 25, Nasir collided with the umpire. After expressing his displeasure with the umpire for being in his way Nasir was shown a yellow card – I assume for dissent.
February 27, 2012 10:58 am
LineStopper says
@Neutral your name is hilarious!!
February 27, 2012 11:15 am
??? says
@ eggz_eleven
I agree it must of been for dissent, but how is an umpire ending up in a position that sounds like Rathgar’s last defender..?
A ‘quick counter attack’ can only mean that Nasir was in, but Mr. Lewis got in his way, when in reality, how can an umpire be standing in a place that this could happen, then to follow up by sin-binning the player for understandably being upset is bit of a joke! In my opinion that is..
February 27, 2012 11:16 am
Uber Deutschland says
@ LineStopper
hahahahha! my thoughts exactly
February 27, 2012 11:51 am
Divo's Dreamboats says
Divo once threw an arial out of sutton park and into the Irish sea…from his own 25
February 27, 2012 12:37 pm
Neutral says
It was a neutral comment. Avoca, if they play the way they do presently, will not gain a single point next season – they are horrible to watch. Route one may work against the standard in div 2 at the minute but it will not work against good teams…
February 27, 2012 2:14 pm
The Toilet General says
@ neutral. A real neutral commentator would have made those observations about every team in Div 2
Weston- Route 1 Browner and Tucker
Suttonians- McGuinness and Gillett
Trinity- Spears and Hill
Nothing wrong with playing what you call ‘ugly hockey’. Sometimes it is necessary.
You are right in that it wont work week in week out in Div 1 but Fingal have regularly picked up points here and there, Clontarf drew with Pembroke at the weekend.
While they are both currently better sided than anyone in Div 2, teams do what they do to pick up points.
Am sure Avoca will be happy with 9 points this year from Suttonians by playing ugly hockey than playing like Arsenal and losing!
February 27, 2012 4:52 pm
Lynchy says
i take that back, the man is like maradona with a hurley stick….
February 27, 2012 11:59 pm
Howie Diddot says
Toilet General agree with your comments while at times teams have to play direct do what they need to do to get the points id suggest that neutral you might want to watch a little more of div 2 before making these comments. Ive seen quite a few games this year and while sutton may very well play the most attractive hockey in the league at times avoca would probably be right behind them with Trinity. However suttions attempts to play this hockey clearly seeme to backfire against teams that can get the ball forward quickly and sneak in behind their defence. If they wish to play this style id suggest that finding a way to stop the counter attack might need to be looked into or it doesn’t matter how attractive you are to watch “you will keep loosing”
Neutral you way also like to watch a little more international hockey before you start dishing the long ball. Many of the top teams in the world use it to great affect these days and i dont see people watching the champions trophy or world cup complaining!
February 28, 2012 8:11 pm
Divo's Dreamboats says
Divo was pronounced dead during the avoca – sutts game but he got up and said he would run it off
February 28, 2012 9:16 pm
Neutral says
Howie Diddot – yeah there’s nothing wrong with a sweeper breaking out of the defence and playing long balls through the channels – as he can see what is happening in front of him. I’ve only seen Avoca twice this year against Weston but to me they seem to get the ball to Bailey who doesn’t look up before smashing it long in hope. We caught Sutts out with the long ball this year too (maybe not as successfully as Avoca!) but I think they are far closer to being ready for div 1 than Avoca as they go about their business in the right way focussing on possession etc. Good luck to Avoca though as I guess the league doesn’t lie.
February 29, 2012 12:20 am
Howie Diddot says
Not arguing with you when it come to Avoca getting flogged in Div 1 next season without the addition of some serious players however time will tell in the play off game how far sutton have to go aswell id suggest. Leaking so many goals so easily agaist so called suspect teams does not bode well for a team looking to move into div 1.
I think it would be interesting to note where most of Avocas goals have come from this season. Without the presence of quality corner finisher i do belive that the majority of their golas have come from open field play. Looking at the goals list its likely that most teams have scored a lot of goals from corners. If avoca managed to secure a corner specialist this year i think its safe to say the league would already be well and truely over.
February 29, 2012 7:47 am
Dug Out says
If ifs and ands were pots and pans………..
On a more serious note- showers league in Div 2 is a walkover. Some argue before the season really began
1. Avoca- decent set up, tatty at times but always hot water
2. Portrane/Trinners- although LHA may deduct points at end of season based on the fact that TRR cant enter a showers leage 3 times
3. Chiefs- not a bad effort but walking up that hill after a game is a step to far
4. Mullingar- lucky not to be bottom here
5. Weston- for Gods sake lads- get some bog roll!
February 29, 2012 9:38 am
knock kneed hen says
@ dug out
not to mention decent dugs-outs (a little bit damaged in places from bailey’s blind and aimless passes)!! look up before you pass …….
February 29, 2012 1:46 pm
BC says
Love Dug Out’s work.
February 29, 2012 9:15 pm
Naughton's Natives says
Speedster Naughton out-paced divo 4, even 5 times during that game. All divo has is a legit bomb and a tight haircut