David Cole’s shoulder has opened the door for Richard Sykes to step up to the Irish panel for the second Spanish training camp, giving the Town three days in which to come up with a new corner go-to man and a considerable rock in their defence.

With switch-left, and forward talisman, Gareth Watkins also gone it robs some more of their scoring prowess – 19 goals between the pair – while creator-in-chief Stephen Cole is also out.

He is awaiting an MRI scan following a collision with Peter English after which Monkstown lost much of their spark, allowing Railway to come back and grab a draw.

Dave Fitzgerald’s international commitments have been eased somewhat by the arrival of Irish U-18 keeper Mark Ingram from Railway earlier in January but, with Frank Ryan and Gavin O’Halloran also unavailable, the sky-blues are scrambling.

Rovers’ plight is less severe though Stephen West has been one of their standouts this year with cover hard to come by between the posts while Garry Ringwood has scored two in two since returning to the forward line, replacing Peter Blakeney.

All the ties this weekend have an air of unpredictability about them. YMCA are another sides with a rake of absentees with David Robinson joined on the long-term list by Andy Walker with a broken bone in his hand, robbing them of a pair of Leinster provincial regulars.

With Nick Burke now in France, their date with Railway is suitably tricky. Railway have the first semblances of injury issues, themselves, after scarcely a bruise in the first half of the season.

Mark English missed last week’s game with a neck issue, as did Eoin MacArtur with concussion, but both might return. Fiachra Maher’s groin, however, is a concern and kept him out of the majority of the date with the Town last time out

It is now or never for Clontarf when they meet UCD at the bullring on Saturday with a loss all but condemning them to tenth and a second successive yo-yo between the divisions.

On the plus side for Gareth Borland’s side is that two of the students more effective operators are absent with Conor Motyer and Shane O’Donoghue abroad but there is class in the likes of Patrick Shanahan, Keith Kenning and David Watkins that needs to tamed.

Aussies Maverick Yow and James Gurbiel, along with Rob Kelly, are central to their hopes but Andy Poynter is likely to miss the guts of the rest of the season with international cricket commitments, as he was named in the Ireland side to go to South Africa and then Dubai later this month.

Fingal and Glenanne usually provides plenty of drama with sparks often flying but the Glens will be hoping to keep their wits about them to profit from any slip from the two sides ahead of them. Joe Brennan remains on the recovery trail but they have found new scoring outlets this term with Richie Shaw (seven) and Jonathan Kane (ten) stepping up to the mark.

The Airport side’s half-court game frustrated Pembroke last time around and may be put into effect again, looking for the pace of Tom Manning and Adrian Sweeney to work the channels.

Corinthian and Pembroke, meanwhile, is a tie with potential to thrill as both prefer the open, flowing style. Davy Carson will aim to use his unique range of skills against his former club and can count himself unlucky – along with opponent Alan Sothern – not to get a call to Paul Revington’s latest selection.

Pembroke continue to be without Mossie Elliott and Timmy Hill but Patrick Good is back on the training paddock and contesting a place. Corinthian hope to add Neil Young after illness.

In division two, the rollercoaster continued in midweek with Weston hoping for the side that battled effectively in midweek to snatch a draw at Sutton rather than the one that capitulated against Avoca.

A third away day within seven days is tough going but Rathgar have lost twice at home in-a-row to see their promotion challenge falter as a half-dozen absentees have taken their toll.

The latter of those losses was to Mullingar who can now look to the remainder of the season with a monkey off their back. Chris Bull’s return and some other injury returns have buoyed Michael Gibson-Brabazon’s men and they will hope to catch an in-form Trinity off guard.

Suttonians will go top with any sort of result against Portrane in Glasnevin as Avoca are on the bye weekend. The Neville Davin Cup tips off on Sunday with plenty of evenly matched ties.

The Irish Junior Cup second round also takes place this weekend with five Leinster sides surviving thus far. Pembroke and Corinthian’s derby is the highlight from a local perspective.

Men’s Leinster Division One (Saturday): YMCA vs Railway Union, 1.15pm, Milltown; Clontarf vs UCD, 2pm, Mount Temple; Monkstown vs Three Rock Rovers,3pm, Rathdown; Fingal vs Glenanne, 1.30pm, ALSAA; Corinthian vs Pembroke Wanderers, 1pm, Whitechurch Park

Division Two: Portrane vs Suttonians, 1.30pm, Holy Faith, Glasnevin; Dublin University vs Mullingar, 12.45pm, Grange Road; Rathgar vs Weston, 2pm, High School

Neville Davin Cup (Sunday): Avoca vs Dublin University, 3pm, Newpark; Portrane vs Mullingar, 1pm, The Maws; Rathgar vs Weston, 1pm, High School; Suttonians vs Navan, 4pm, Sutton Park

Men’s Irish Junior Cup (Saturday): Lisnagarvey v Bandon, 1pm, Comber Road; Newry v Banbridge, 4pm, Newry Olympic; TRR v Bangor, 2.30pm, Grange Road; Pembroke v Corinthian, 1.30pm, Serpentine Avenue; Raphoe v Cookstown, 1pm, Royal and Prior; Annadale v YMCA, 1pm, Lough Moss; Suttonians v Cork C of I, 3pm, Sutton Park; Kilkeel v Antrim, 4pm, Kilkeel HS

Kirk Shimmins went close to another but was denied by Grothier’s instep, the ball flashing across the face of goal while Sothern was driven wide before shooting a reverse into the side-netting from two of their better chances. David Bane laid up Gray’s goal from a long corner, moving the ball to the endline and crossing for Gray to apply a touch of real quality with an upright deflection into the roof.

Three Rock Rovers 3 (Gavin Bourke 2, Garry Ringwood) Corinthian 3 (Dan Treacy 2, Glenn Holmes)
A cracking game at Grange Road, Gavin Bourke snatched a late point for Three Rock but the result was not ideal for either side in their pursuit of Irish Hockey League hockey in 2012/13. The first half was played at a high tempo with both sides creating decent chances with the ball transferred at pace around the park. No goals accrued but this stat was turned around in a less exact, more frantic second period. Glenn Holmes thumped home his own corner rebound before Dan Treacy’s neat finish made it 2-0. Bourke responded instantly with a ripped forehand hit from the top of the circle. Then, the fun and games began with three defensive mistakes defining the late stages. Garry Ringwood levelled when a loose ball around the back was gifted his way and he lifted over Ross Murray. A similar mistake at the far end allowed Treacy in for his second to restore the reds’ lead with six minutes to go. Ross Canning’s right-wing cross, then, caused confusion at the near post and as the visitors dallied, Bourke took the initiative to poke in a bouncing ball.

Railway Union 2 (Karl Chapple, Richard Forrest) Monkstown 2 (Stephen Cole, Robbie McFarlane)
Monkstown gave up half of their four-point lead at the top of division one as Railway Union continued their impressive pre-Christmas form into the new year as they came back from 2-0 down at half-time to grab a draw and strengthen their place in the top five. The Town were dominant in the first half at Park Avenue and built a lead as Stephen Cole and Robbie McFarlane finished off good moves. But half-time saw the tide turn as Karl Chapple was found unmarked in the circle and he controlled and slipped under David Fitzgerald. And they nabbed the equaliser when Richard Forrest deflected home despite Fitzgerald’s strong effort to deny him. Monkstown came back into the game after that while Kenny Carroll almost had a late chance for Railway from a corner rebound but the Unionites will still be pleased to earn the draw in spite of the absence of Eoin MacArthur (concussion) and Mark English (neck injury) and Fiachra Maher went off early with a groin strain.

Glenanne 5 (Rowland Rixon-Fuller, Stephen Brownlow, Richie Shaw, Eddie O’Malley, Jonathan Kane) Clontarf 0
Glenanne moved a little bit closer to the top as they ran up a comfortable victory over Clontarf in Tallaght. Eddie O’Malley started them on their way, shooting home his sixth of the season from the top of the circle. Stephen Brownlow swept in the second of the first half before Richie Shaw netted the third on the volley from a corner. Rowland Rixon-Fuller scored his first for the club for 4-0 before Jonathan Kane completed the win, set up by O’Malley, to complete the rout.

UCD 1 (David Watkins) YMCA 1 (Jamie Tobin)
UCD clung on for a gutsy point as they held out YM to earn what could be a valuable point, lifting themselves level with Fingal on seven points in a tie for eighth place. Stephen Walker was the root of the opening goal, shooting from the edge of the circle before the ball scrambled in with Jamie Tobin getting the final touch. But Shane O’Donoghue’s introduction made a big impact as he was let run from the halfway line into the circle and crashed a brilliant shot off the stanchion of the goal and David Watkins was on hand to knock in the rebound. Jonny Bruton hit the post twice on the day while he and Dash Hewett also missed out on inviting chances from baseline pull-backs. YM were missing Andrew Walker through a broken thumb sustained recently.

The main exception is most certainly the most intriguing tie as Monkstown’s rollicking start to the campaign is put to the test by an ever-improving Railway Union who have made a major play for an IHL-shot.

Town’s emergence on the national stage has seen them now have the highest representation in the Irish squad, a factor which will require squad management.

To that end, it has already had an impact with David Cole busting his shoulder in a schools match on Wednesday and looks set for six weeks out at least – a crushing blow as he pushed for a late inclusion in Paul Revington’s Olympic squad.

How much David Fitzgerald is released to play is another factor, looking a cert for the number two Irish keeper’s smock following Iain Walker’s shoulder surgery earlier this week.

With talisman Gareth Watkins with the national team, too, it is three big names to contend with. Railway used an incredibly consistent set of players prior to Christmas but will be down former Town man Donal O’Mearain for the second half of the season due to his studies taking him to Singapore.

Eoin MacArthur sustained a nasty head injury during the indoor campaign but could be back in harness to provide his aggression to the midfield proceedings and attempt a surprise.

Despite Monkstown’s absentees, however, there is still plenty of quality with Richard Sykes and Peter English’s overhead and corner battle a central battle.

Three Rock and Corinthian’s IHL hopes are intertwined on Saturday. Rovers have Alan Bothwell (suspension), Peter McConnell (leg) and Ali Haughton (hip) back from the league side which finished 2011 but Peter Blakeney’s absence at corner time was felt in the cup a week ago.

The reds will be buoyant following Dan Treacy’s golden goal against Glenanne to nick a semi-final place in the Mills against Rovers while Ross Murray drew many plaudits for a stunning display. Lucas Piccioli was left dazed after that tie from a blow to the head but is aiming for a return to the fray in his player-coach guise.

Fingal and UCD are among the other hopefuls to reel in Railway in the second half of the season but start with tough ties against Pembroke and YMCA, respectively.

The ALSAA men completed a rough start to the pre-Christmas campaign on a high note with two big wins over Corinthian and UCD to over-ride just one point from their first seven games. It is built on the back of getting a wealth of experience and players back who missed the early games and while David Bane is continually part of the walking wounded, Derek O’Gorman is an enviable midfield option.

Pembroke have injury concerns with Timmy Hill and Patrick Good among them while Alan Giles remains a fleeting presence in their line-up due to work concerns. For UCD’s tie, Conor Motyer’s absence due to a semester in Canada will be keenly felt in midfield, especially in light of Shane O’Donoghue’s increased international call-ups.

Nick Burns can be a force of nature for the students when he gets going while David Watkins down the left-wing is a dangerman but YM are bolstered by Nick Burke and Dash Hewett’s return to Ireland after a few weeks away. Graham Woods continues between the posts for the Y.

In division two, Avoca will aim to arrest their run of two defeats which has seen them relinquish a commanding lead and a win at Griffeen Valley will put them back in the lead as Suttonians are on a bye weekend. Taming Weston’s Rob Lynch is the task for either Sebatian Percivalle or Stefan Gallagher.

Rathgar’s back-to-back games with Mullingar could keep them in touch with some of their missing half-dozen returning to action while Portrane and Dublin Uni will need a win to stay in the hunt, too.

Men’s Leinster Division One: Railway Union v Monkstown, 3pm, Park Avenue; UCD v YMCA, 1pm, Belfield; Three Rock Rovers v Corinthian, 2.30pm, Grange Road; Glenanne v Clontarf, 2.30pm, Glenanne Park; Pembroke Wanderers v Fingal, 2pm, Serpentine Avenue
Division two: Weston v Avoca, 3pm, Griffeen Valley Park; Rathgar v Mullingar, 1pm, High School; Portrane v Dublin University, 1pm, ALSAA

They will be joined by Cookstown who topped the Ulster pool while NICS’ goal difference saw them through as runners-up on goal difference after a three-way tie on points with Instonians and Annadale.

It completes the finals line-up – with Clontarf and Three Rock qualifying on Saturday afternoon – with two, three-team groups facing off next Saturday in Gormanston, hosting indoor hockey for the first time.

Pembroke were the first side to confirm their progression as they came from a goal behind to lead 4-2 going into the closing stage of the tie with Sothern shining in his first appearance in the competition this season.

Shane O’Donoghue’s second closed the gap going into the closing phases but Pembroke held on for the win to go with earlier successes against Corinthian and Fingal to push on.

Railway needed just a draw to advance from group two and looked well set when Kenny Carroll and Eoin MacArthur put them 2-0 up on YMCA. But YM rallied with Stephen and Andrew Walker to put the game on a knife-edge at 2-2 going into the latter stages.

Rob Abbott, though, finished off a slick left-wing move with a near post touch to put Railway back in front and, despite MacArthur’s sin-binning, the 2011 finalists were unable to get the goals required to make it back to the playoffs.

TRR closed out the group stages with a 3-1 win over Fingal to make it five wins from five, the ALSAA side matching Rovers well in the first half but were caught early in the second as Garry Ringwood broke the deadlock before Ross Canning and Jody Hosking made the game safe.

In Ulster, Cookstown completed the group phases with a perfect record with a 4-3 win over NICS and a 3-0 success over Mossley. Service were in decent shape after day one two single goal losses – the second coming against Instonians – left them in danger of elimination.

A draw for Inst against Annadale in the group’s final game would have been enough to eliminate NICS but Dale popped up with a 3-2 win to put the Stormont club through by two goals on goal difference.

On the women’s side, Railway Union emerged from the pack with three successive victories in group one to advance. They started the day with an impressive 7-1 win over runners-up Old Alex with Kate Dillon doing most of the goalscoring while German player Silja Dornow’s slick skills and indoor know-how was a cut above.

The 2010 champions were pushed all the way by a Trinity side who needed to win to keep alive their chances but Railway nabbed a 4-3 victory after being level 1-1 at the break. With Alex edging past Trinity 3-2 on Saturday, it meant the Milltown club and Railway were through, leaving a couple of dead rubbers.

Pembroke finished strong with a couple of wins to get off the mark while Railway’s 7-1 win over Genesis confirmed their place at the top of the table.

Newbridge’s withdrawal from the competition meant Glenanne were all but through, making it 12 points from four games and Hermes followed them onto that mark with an emphatic 10-2 success against Corinthian. It left the pair to face each other for top spot and Hermes prevailed 3-2.

In Connacht, 2009 finalists Galway recorded two wins and a draw against Greenfields to be their provincial representative at the finals and will face Ards, Old Alex and Hermes next week. Railway, Ulster Elks and Glenanne are in the other group.

Leinster Men’s (all at Loughlinstown Lesiure Centre)
Men’s Indoor, Group One: Pembroke 4 (Alan Sothern 4) Glenanne 3 (Shane O’Donoghue 2, Gary Shaw); TRR 3 (Garry Ringwood, Jody Hosking, Ross Canning) Fingal 1 (Luke Hayden)
Standings: 1. TRR 15pts (+20) 2. Pembroke 12pts (+16) 3. Glenanne 7pts (+3) 4. Corinthian 5pts (8) 5. Fingal 4pts (-7) 6. Weston 0pts (-25)

Group Two: YMCA 2 (Stephen Walker, Andrew Walker) Railway Union 3 (Kenny Carroll, Eoin MacArthur, Rob Abbott)

Standings: 1. Railway 10pts (+9) 2. Clontarf 10pts (+7) 3. YMCA 6pts (+5) 4. Suttonians 3pts (-1) 5. Dublin University 0pts (-20)

Ulster Men’s results:

Sunday results: NICS 3 Cookstown 4; Annadale 5 Mossley 3; NICS 1 Instonians 2; Mossley 0 Cookstown 3; Annadale 3 Instonians 2

Standings: 1. Cookstown 12pts (+6) 2. NICS 6pts (+5) 3. Instonians 6pts (+2) 4. Annadale 6pts (-2) 5. Mossley 0pts (-9)

Men’s finals weekend fixtures (all at Gormaston College)

Group A: Three Rock Rovers v Clontarf, 10.30am; Clontarf v Cookstown, 12.10pm; Cookstown v Three Rock Rovers, 2.40pm

Group B: NICS v Pembroke Wanderers, 11.20am; Pembroke Wanderers v Railway Union, 1pm; Railway Union v NICS, 4.20pm

Leinster women’s Group One: Old Alex 1 Railway Union 7; Trinity 3 Pembroke 4; Trinity 3 Railway Union 4; Pembroke 4 Genesis 2; Trinity 2 Old Alex 3; Genesis 1 Railway 7

Standings: 1. Railway 12pts (+22) 2. Old Alex 9pts (+6) 3. Pembroke 6pts (-10) 4. Trinity 3pts (-1) 5. Genesis 0pts (-17)

Group Two: Newbridge 0 Glenanne 5 (w/o); Corinthian 4 Clontarf 2; Hermes 3 Glenanne 2; Newbridge 0 Avoca 5 (w/o); Hermes 10 Corinthian 2; Avoca 6 Clontarf 3

Standings: 1. Hermes 15pts (+19) 2. Glenanne 12pts (+12) 3. Clontarf 6pts (-4) 4. Avoca 6pts (-6) 5. Corinthian 6pts (-9) 6. Newbridge 0pts (-25)

Group Three: Greenfields 1 Galway 3; Galway 1 Greenfields 1; Galway 6 Greenfields 1

Group A (Loughlinstown): Galway v Ards, 1.15pm; Old Alex v Hermes, 2.10pm; Old Alex v Galway, 3.05pm; Ards v Hermes, 4pm; Galway v Hermes, 4.55pm; Ards v Old Alex, 5.50pm
Group B (Gormanston, Co. Meath): Ulster Elks v Glenanne, 1.50pm; Glenanne v Railway Union, 3.30pm; Railway Union v Ulster Elks, 5.10pm

Women’s Leinster Division Two: Railway Union 2 (Kate Lloyd, Kate McKenna) Loreto 0; North Kildare 3 (Michelle Spillane 2, Aideen Griffin) UCD 1; Newbridge 4 (Clara Brody, Jane Tynan, Pam Ryan, Jill Ennis) Corinthian 2 (Sally Cory 2); Pembroke 3 (Louise Tolerton, Sorcha Conway, Joanne McDonnell) Genesis 0

Eight of those places will come from Leinster with plenty of intrigue still to be played out in the four groups, starting from game one in Loughlinstown. There, Clontarf and Railway Union’s perfect records will be put to the test (11am) with a winner all but confirming their place in the finals weekend.

Railway are on a high after their Neville Cup victory but there initial indoor entry gave few hints as to Kenny Carroll’s side’s form this time around. They were handed a 5-0 victory due to Dublin Uni’s suspension and, with little at stake, they experimented without a goalkeeper at times to record a 5-4 friendly victory against the students.

A 5-2 win over Suttonians followed in their first competitive match but Clontarf look to be their first major test with Maverick Yow and James Gurbiel making for a lively, Anitpodean-inspired front-line while fellow Aussie Dan Scott could add to their strike-power.

Railway, meanwhile, will be without Donal O’Mearain, indoor and outdoor, for the rest of the season as his studies have taken him to Singapore. YMCA are the side lying in wait for the second play-off place from group two, completing their group stage with one game this weekend against Railway on Sunday while Suttonians are out of the running.

In group one, Three Rock have the sole perfect record but have played just twice and their fate will be decided in a three-hour period as they face two big games in quick succession. First is top of the table clash with Glenanne at midday before meeting Corinthian at 2pm. They do so without Peter McConnell who has returned from injury but is now exam-tied.

The Glens cannot call on the injured pair of Filip Jaros and Joe Brennan – who underwent surgery just before Christmas – but were more than handy on the first weekend of play with two wins and a loss.

Corinthian have an outside chance of progression but must win their tie with Three Rock and hope for favours elsewhere. Pembroke, meanwhile, currently lie in second place and a win over Weston on Saturday could set up a major showdown with the Glens for a final six place.

Ulster’s group also tips off this weekend with Irish Senior Cup holders Cookstown getting some tips from Beeston indoor player David Ames in recent times in their return to the competition. Annadale, Instonians, NICS and Mossley compete with them for two playoff places.

On the women’s side, in group two, Glenanne and Hermes look virtually home and hosed following three wins a piece on the first weekend of competition, the former running up an emphatic plus 22 goal difference. The pair meet on Sunday in their respective final group game but will likely be confirmed in the finals weekend by that stage.

Group One, though, is very much up for grabs with Old Alex, Railway and Trinity all with 100pc records and their encounters with each other in Greystones this weekend will decide their fate.

It means the proposed Leinster league date between Alex and UCD is pushed back but there are four division two games outdoors to start the New Year with Pembroke aiming to keep their place at the top division with a date with Genesis.

Leinster Men’s (all at Loughlinstown Lesiure Centre)

Men’s Group One standings (played): 1. Glenanne (3) 7pts (+10) 2. Pembroke (3) 6pts (+11) 3. TRR (2) 6pts (+7) 4. Corinthian (4) 5pts (0) 5. Fingal (3) 1pt (-10) 6. Weston (3) 0pts (-17)

Group Two: 1. Clontarf (3) 9pts (+7) 2. Railway (2) 6pts (+8) 3. YMCA (3) 6pts (+6) 4. Suttonians (3) 3pts (+1) 5. Dublin University (4) 0pts (-20)

Saturday fixtures: Clontarf v Railway Union, 10am; Pembroke v Weston, 11am; Glenanne v TRR, 12pm; Fingal v Weston, 1pm; Corinthian v TRR, 2pm; Suttonians v Dublin Uni, 3pm

Sunday: Glenanne v Pembroke, 12pm; YMCA v Railway, 1pm; Fingal v TRR, 2pm

Ulster men’s (Lagan Valley Leaisure Centre)

Saturday: Instonians v Mossley, 10am; Annadale v Cookstown, 11am; NICS v Mossley, 12pm; Instonians v Cookstown, 1pm; NICS v Annadale, 2pm

Sunday: NICS v Cookstown, 10.30am; Annadale v Mossley, 11.30am; NICS v Instonians, 12.30pm; Mossley v Cookstown, 1.30pm; Annadale v Instonians, 2.30pm

Women’s Leinster groups (all at the Shoreline Leisure Centre, Greystones)

Women’s Group One standings (played): 1. Old Alex (2) 6pts (+11) 2. Railway Union (1) 3pts (+9) 3. Trinity (1) 3pts (+2) 4. Genesis (2) 0pts (-9) 5. Pembroke (2) 0pts (-13)

Group Two (played): 1. Glenanne (3) 9pts (+22) 2. Hermes (3) 9pts (+9) 3. Corinthian (2) 3pts (-2) 4. Clontarf (3) 3pts (-6) 5. Avoca (3) 3pts (-8) 6. Newbridge (3) 0pts (-14)

Saturday fixtures: Newbridge v Glenanne, 3.30pm; Trinity v Old Alex, 4.15pm; Newbridge v Avoca, 5pm; Hermes v Corinthian, 5.45pm; Avoca v Clontarf, 6.30pm; Genesis v Railway, 7.15pm

Sunday: Old Alex v Railway, 10am; Trinity v Pembroke, 11am; Corinthian v Clontarf, 12pm; Trinity v Railway, 1pm; Hermes v Glenanne, 1.45pm; Genesis v Pembroke, 2.30pm

Connacht group (all at NUI Galway): Greenfields v Galway, 11.15am; Galway v Greenfields, 12.30pm; Galway v Greenfields, 2pm

Leinster Women’s Division Two (Saturday): Pembroke v Genesis, 11am, Serpentine Ave; Newbridge v Corinthian, 11.30am, St Mary’s, Naas; North Kildare v UCD, 11.45am, Kilcock; Railway Union v Loreto, 2.15pm, Park Ave

They snatched a dramatic victory over YMCA in their first game, a chaotic tie which was won 4-3 in an incredible last minute showing. YM led three times with Trevor Dagg, Phil Powderly and Richard Margetson putting them ahead. In between times, Iain Walker – playing outfield – brilliantly took a Daniel Scott corner-flick off the line.

Scott – an Australian living in London but guesting this weekend – did nab the first equaliser while James Gurbiel poached a pair. His second tied it at 3-3 in the closing minute with Clontarf down a man due to Maverick Yow’s green card.

And the unlikely comeback was complete when the Bulls won a corner on the hooter which Gareth Borland duly flicked home, meaning their day was completed early with a pair of wins to their name.

Midway through the game, word came through that Trinity were not able to field for their date with Clontarf. A walkover was conceded and, with goal difference likely to be key, the organisers decided the students were disqualified upcoming results would all be counted as 5-0 losses.

Those three points, added to a tight 3-2 win over Suttonians, leave the Bulls on nine points from their three games.

As a result of Trinity’s plight, Railway’s first competitive game came in the second last tie of the weekend in which they had too much know-how for Suttonians, winning out 5-2. It leaves them in second place in the pool, level on points with YM but with a game in hand.

The date between YM and Railway will prove pivotal in the shake-up for the finals berths. With Bandon and UCC both withdrawing from the competition, it means that the top two from the two Leinster groups go through to those playoff phases with the initially planned wildcard round now redundant.

Group One is wide open with just reigning champions Three Rock Rovers with a 100pc record having overcome Weston 6-0, grabbing two late goals when they swapped out their goalkeeper in search of more goals.

They added a 2-1 victory on Sunday against Pembroke in what looked to be one of the group’s key games. The 2010 champions Pembroke shaded a scoreless first half of play but Rovers stepped up in the second half with Peter Blakeney netting from play before Garry Ringwood scored a penalty stroke. Kirk Shimmins got one back with four minutes to go but an equaliser was not forthcoming.

Earlier in the competition, Irish outdoor captain Ronan Gormley was among Pembroke’s ‘guest’ players along with UCD man Nick Burns as a very young selection had too much in the tank for Fingal as they won both halves 5-2 for a total 10-4 win. Mick O’Connor grabbed the first hat-trick of the day.

Corinthian came from 4-1 down to tie as a three goal blitz at the start of the second half had Glenanne in the box seat but Glen Holmes, Andrew Sutton and Dan Treacy responded, the latter pair both scoring in the 31^st minute, to earn a point.

Both would later pick up wins to head up the group overnight with the reds disposing of Weston courtesy of Glen Holmes four goals and a Neil Young hat-trick, transforming a tight 4-3 into a more comfortable 8-3 by the final hooter.

Glenanne did for Fingal in the final game of day one, Shane O’Donoghue’s hat-trick of first half corners helping them to a 5-1 win.

And the Tallaght side ended day two top of the pile with a second victory, getting the better of Weston 7-1. Pembroke’s 6-1 dismissal of Corinthian means it looks a three-horse race for the play-off places with one point separating the Glens, Pembroke and Rovers.

On the women’s side, Armagh’s reign as indoor champions came to an end in the Ulster pool in dramatic fashion. They went out on the goals scored divider as Ards won their closing game 3-0 to draw level with the Orchard women on goal difference but with two extra goals to their name.

The Ulster Elks went unbeaten to head up the group with wins over Portadown, Armagh and Queens. Ards and Armagh got into a goalscoring race after both fell to a loss and a draw each in their six-team pool.

Five sides in Leinster have perfect records in two groups which got underway at the new venue in the Shoreline leisure centre in Greystones. Glenanne were the most impressive, taking three large wins to head up Group Two with large wins over Clontarf, Avoca and Corinthian.

Hermes were run closer, particularly by Avoca in a 3-2 result, to record their three wins to leave the sides looking good to take their chance of progressing. Group One is less progressed with Old Alex on two wins from two, Trinity and Railway Union on one each to leave Pembroke and Genesis playing catch-up.

Men’s National Indoor Trophy results
Group One: Glenanne 4 (P Fitzpatrick 2, S Brownlow, S O’Donoghue) Corinthian 4 (G Holmes 2, A Sutton, D Treacy); Pembroke 10 (M O’Connor 3, N Burns 2, K Shimmins 2, K Crawford 2, G Dagg) Fingal 4 (A Shekleton, G Shekleton, S Dempsey, S McKeever); TRR 6 (G Ringwood 3, P Blakeney 2, G Bourke) Weston 0; Weston 3 (S Pearson 2, P Baron) Corinthian 8 (G Holmes 4, N Young 3, D Treacy); Glenanne 5 (S O’Donoghue 3, R Shaw, D Keogh) Fingal 1 (G Shekleton); TRR 2 (G Ringwood, P Blakeney) Pembroke 1 (K Shimmins); Pembroke 6 (K Crawford 3, N Burns, D Kane, K Shimmins) Corinthian 1 (J Roberts); Glenanne 7 (R Shaw 2, G Shaw, C Kennedy, E O’Malley 2, S O’Donoghue) Weston 1 (K Goodwin)
Group One standings (played): 1. Glenanne (3) 7pts (+10) 2. Pembroke (3) 6pts (+11) 3. TRR (2) 6pts (+7) 4. Corinthian (4) 5pts (0) 5. Fingal (3) 1pt (-10) 6. Weston (3) 0pts (-17)

Group Two: Clontarf 5 (w/o) Dublin University 0 (scr); Clontarf 4 (J Gurbiel 2, D Scott, G Borland) YMCA 3 (T Dagg, P Powderly, R Margetson); Railway Union 5 (w/o) Dublin University 0 (scr); YMCA 5 (w/o) Dublin Univsersity (scr); Clontarf 3 (A Poynter, G Borland, M Yow) Suttonians 2 (K O’Sullivan, D Reamsbottom); Suttonians 2 (C Gillett 2) YMCA 4 (S Walker, T Dagg, I Walker, A Dale); Railway 5 (E MacArthur 2, P English, K Carroll, B Thompson) Suttonians 2 (K O’Hare, C Gillett); Suttonians 5 (w/o) Dublin University 0 (scr)
Group Two standings: 1. Clontarf (3) 9pts (+7) 2. Railway (2) 6pts (+8) 3. YMCA (3) 6pts (+6) 4. Suttonians (3) 3pts (+1) 5. Dublin University (4) 0pts (-20)

Women’s National Indoor Trophy
Group One: Old Alex 7 Genesis 0; Pembroke 1 Railway Union 10; Old Alex 4 Pembroke 0; Trinity 4 Genesis 2
Standings (played): 1. Old Alex (2) 6pts (+11) 2. Railway Union (1) 3pts (+9) 3. Trinity (1) 3pts (+2) 4. Genesis (2) 0pts (-9) 5. Pembroke (2) 0pts (-13)

Group Two: Glenanne 7 Clontarf 0; Clontarf 1 Hermes 4; Newbridge 0 Clontarf 4; Hermes 3 Avoca 2; Corinthian 1 Avoca 2; Hermes 5 Newbridge 0; Avoca 0 Glenanne 8; Corinthian 1 Glenanne 8; Corinthian 5 Newbridge 0
Standings (played): 1. Glenanne 9pts (+22) 2. Hermes (3) 9pts (+9) 3. Corinthian (2) 3pts (-2) 4. Clontarf (3) 3pts (-6) 5. Avoca (3) 3pts (-8) 6. Newbridge (3) 0pts (-14)

Group Four: Portadown 2 Lurgan 8; Armagh 4 Ards 2; Portadown 1 Ulster Elks 5; Queens 1 Lurgan 4; Ulster Elks 2 Ards 2; Armagh 4 Queens 1; Portadown 2 Ards 8; Ulster Elks 4 Queens 3; Ulster Elks 3 Armagh 1; Ards 7 Queens 2; Armagh 2 Lurgan 2; Portadown 3 Queens 7; Ulster Elks 3 Lurgan 3; Portadown 0 Armagh 9; Ards 3 Lurgan 0
Final standings: 1. Ulster Elks 11pts (+7) 2. Ards 10pts (+12) 3. Armagh 10pts (+12) 4. Lurgan 8pts (+6) 5. Queens 3pts (-5) 6. 0pts (-29)

The Belgian winter break has allowed Michael Maguire to return to the fray while indoor specialist Stephen Bredin is back from Qatar, too, boosting their options around the boards.

They will be without the injured Peter McConnell at the back but Colin Huet will seek to guide the side to a fourth title in five years. They face what looks the tougher of the two pools with last season’s semi-finalists Glenanne and 2010 winners Pembroke competing for the one confirmed finals weekend place on offer from the initial phase.

Corinthian always throw up a decent challenge and their opening game against the Glens in Loughlinstown on Saturday morning offers an early insight into both of their credentials.

Weston and Fingal take on the outsider’s tag with each side playing between two and three games over this initial weekend before finishing the preliminaries on January 7 and 8.

YMCA will hope to finally make the breakthrough after a couple of near misses. Ian McHugh, with his low to the ground style, has been touted as a valuable addition while Will Powderly could be included and has the silky skills to find unlikely routes to goal.

Railway Union are the main challenger while Clontarf went well in their debut season. Division Two sides Suttonians and Dublin University complete the group.

The winners from these two Leinster pools advance automatically to the final’s day, together the Ulster winners and runners-up. UCC will play-off against the runners-up in the two Leinster pools for two wildcard entries in the finals.

On the women’s side, the format is the same, making the initially phases full of pitfalls. Railway Union showed their ability in winning the fourth tier of European competition last Spring.

Kate Dillon is their queen of the boards, a dominant performer on the circuit and source of a huge amount of goals. Shutting her down will be the key to Old Alex’s bid to break them down in the manner in which Armagh did in last season’s final.

Newbridge make their debut in Group Two with sides from division three and four also involved in the six-team pool. Armagh’s defence begins against Ards in an extended Ulster pool with six teams in the mix.

Emma Stewart was sensational last term, aided by younger sister Amy and Lucy McKee. Leah Ewart has since moved to UCD outdoors but could be coaxed back in as a guest for the competition as the students have not entered a side.

Outdoors, Loreto’s late game with Railway Union – set for a 9.15pm tip-off on Wednesday – was called off due to the frost and is now likely to be played in the New Year.

It leaves two games still on the calendar for 2011 in women’s division one. In the relegation battle, tenth plays ninth at Grange Road as Three Rock Ladies host Pembroke with the former needing a result to stay in touch.

Defensive rigidity has been their watchword with Louise Lehane and Claire Fitzpatrick to the fore. Should Anna Fabra provide the creative instinct, they could cause problems for Pembroke.

Getting past Avril Dooley-O’Carroll and Lisa O’Rourke, though, will prove troublesome and if the likes of Lizzie de Araugo get going, they could nab the vital spoils.

Should it beat the weather at the second attempt, Monday night’s game between Trinity and Loreto could see the Beaufort side move closer to contention in the title race in pursuit of UCD.

Men’s National Indoor Trophy
Group 1 (Leinster): Glenanne, Corinthian, Fingal, Pembroke Wdrs, Three Rock Rovers, Weston
Group 2 (Leinster): YMCA, Clontarf, Suttonians, Railway Union, Dublin University
Group 3 (Munster/Connacht): UCC
Group 4 (Ulster): Belfast Harlequins, NICS, Annadale, Instonians, Mossley, Cookstown

Leinster groups:
Saturday (all at Loughlinstown): Glenanne v Corinthian, 10am; Fingal v Pembroke Wdrs, 10.55am; Three Rock Rovers v Weston, 11.50am; YMCA v Clontarf, 12.45pm; Corinthian v Weston, 1.40pm; Glenanne v Fingal, 2.35pm; Clontarf v Dublin Univ, 3.30pm

Sunday: Corinthian v Fingal, 10am; YMCA v Dublin Univ, 10.55am; Clontarf v Suttonians, 11.50am; Pembroke Wdrs v Three Rock Rovers, 12.45pm; Railway Union v Dublin Univ, 1.30pm; Corinthian v Pembroke Wdrs, 2.35pm; YMCA v Suttonians, 3.30pm; Glenanne v Weston, 4.25pm; Suttonians v Railway Union, 5.20pm

Women’s National Indoor Trophy
Group 1 (Leinster): Old Alex, Genesis, Pembroke Wanderers, Railway Union, Trinity
Group 2 (Leinster): Newbridge, Hermes, Corinthian, Avoca, Glennane, Clontarf
Group 3 (Munster/Connacht): Greenfields, Galway
Group 4 (Ulster): Portadown, Ulster Elks, Armagh, Ards, Queens Uni, Lurgan

Leinster groups
Saturday (all at the Shoreline SC, Greystones): Glenanne v Clontarf, 3.30pm; Old Alex v Genesis, 4.15pm; Newbridge v Hermes, 5pm; Pembroke v Railway Union, 5.45pm; Corinthian v Avoca, 6.30pm
Sunday: Corinthian v Glenanne, 10am; Newbridge v Clontarf, 10.45am; Hermes v Avoca, 11.30am; Old Alex v Pembroke, 12.15pm; Hermes v Clontarf, 1pm; Trinity v Genesis, 1.45pm; Newbridge v Corinthian, 2.30pm; Avoca v Glenanne, 3.15pm

Ulster group
Saturday (all at Queen’s University): Portadown v Lurgan, 9.30am; Armagh v Ards, 10.30am; Portadown v Ulster Elks, 11.30am; Queens Uni v Lurgan, 12pm; Ulster Elks v Ards, 1.30pm; Armagh v Queens Uni, 2.30pm; Portadown v Ards, 3.30pm; Ulster Elks v Queens Uni, 4.30pm

Sunday: Ulster Elks v Armagh, 10am; Ards v Queens Uni, 11am; Armagh v Lurgan, 12pm; Portadown v Queens Uni, 1pm; Ulster Elks v Lurgan, 2pm; Portadown v Armagh, 3pm; Ards v Lurgan, 4pm

Women’s Leinster Division One (Saturday): Three Rock Ladies v Pembroke, 1pm, Grange Road

Monday: Trinity v Loreto, 8pm, Santry
Division Two (Saturday): Old Alexandra v Corinthian, 12.15pm, Milltown; Loreto v Newbridge, 1.45pm, Beaufort; Pembroke v North Kildare, 3.30pm, Serpentine Ave

Runar O’Moore and Gary Shaw – with his 13^th of the season – exchanged goals inside the first ten minutes before Town hit the front for a second time when Cole nabbed the ball off Joe Brennan and found Gareth Watkins to make it 2-1, his sixth in three games. He was subsequently sin-binned and Glenanne were level at the break when Richie Shaw scored from a corner.

Gary Shaw could have put the hosts in front for the first time from the flick spot after a quick counter attack but Dave Fitzgerald saved to keep the tie in the balance and the Town prospered. Cole finished off at the back post for 3-2 before Graham Shaw made his way to the sin-bin, also for dissent. And the win was capped in the final minute as Richard Sykes roofed a drag-flick to copper-fasten the win.

For the Glens, they sit eight points off the pace but have a game to rearrange against YMCA to earn back some of the lost ground, a tie most likely to be played in early January.

Fingal 1 (Glen Shekleton) Corinthian 0
Glen Shekleton’s drag flick saw Fingal scramble a result against Corinthian to continue their resurgent run of results and blunt the reds’ IHL hopes in the process. It was a frustrating afternoon for both outfits as neither got much fluidity going. The visitors to ALSAA held most of the possession but found space limited high up the pitch and resorted mainly to crash balls from the likes of Henry Micks and Andrew Sutton but they could not get the crucial deflections. Fingal for their part turned over ball in good areas but could not link up their forward movements . But Shekleton did finish off a corner to put his side in front. There was late nervousness as Corinthian won a last second corner but Adrian Sweeney and Eamon Bane combined to charge down the effort to snag three points and drop UCD back into the playoff position.

Pembroke 4 (Scott Furlong 2, Mick O’Connor 2) YMCA 0
After two sub-par performances against UCD and Railway Union, Pembroke showed their potential in a high quality second half performance as they put YMCA to the sword, putting a major dent in their title ambitions going into the winter break. Their forward options looked blunted at the end of the first half when Alan Sothern was withdrawn to get a scan on his foot with fears over a repeat of a broken bone. But two penalty strokes under-pinned their win as Scott Furlong and Mick O’Connor stepped into the breach.

Alan Giles was the catalyst for the first, intercepting at pace on halfway to tear into the circle. A YM stick got tangled in his shorts in his shooting stride and yanked him back, handing Furlong the chance from the spot to net his first goal of the campaign. He later added a drag-flick while O’Connor was on the mark from the stroke-spot when Ronan Flannery was bundled over by the YM post-man after an in-to-out corner move.

O’Connor’s other goal came after Maurice Elliott beat several players with his 3d skills before a quick interchange with Giles opened the door for the striker to delicately chip over Iain Walker. A feisty tie, there were plenty of cards to go around as Geoff Walker’s dissent got a green upgraded to yellow, while Maurice Elliott and Jonny Bruton were done for tackles to leave the game ten v ten for a time. The loss leaves YM eight points off the pace while Pembroke trail Monkstown by four.

Clontarf 1 (Andrew Poynter) Railway Union 5 (Rob Abbott 2, Jeremy Duncan, Karl Chapple, Peter English)
With Fingal doing them a big favour against Corinthian, Railway took full advantage and moved to the cusp of an automatic IHL qualification place. Rob Abbott continued his fine scoring form, nabbing the first against his former club before Jeremy Duncan made it two, rebounding his own shot after a good one-two opened the space. It was 4-0 by the 45^th minute before Andrew Poynter pulled one back but a final whistle corner from Peter English added an extra gloss to the Railway win. Prior to this weekend, they had a near identical record to Corinthian in terms of whom they had beaten and drawn with, making their next meeting look like a direct showdown for fifth. But this success combined with the Fingal result, means four points divide the sides going into Christmas.

Division Two
The promotion race took on a more congested feel at fourth, fifth and sixth all prevailed with home wins but Avoca’s lead remains three points as Suttonians also fell on Saturday afternoon to leave any one of the top six harbouring promotion aspirations.

Despite the late withdrawal of Paul Tuthill, Rathgar garnered a first league win since October as they transformed a 1-0 half-time lead into a 3-1 success. Willy Wilshere put them in front as a high press yielded possession for Shane Gould and Cian Denham’s cross-come-shot was finished off the back post.

Simon Creane added a reverse from a tight angle while Dan Needham’s drag-flick was going wide until Wilshere got a classy mid-air touch to put the High School side well clear. It capped a fine performance from Wilshere who kept Cliff Bailey reasonably quiet in a man-marking role. Avoca did pile on late pressure with Enda Gallanagh and Willie Aylmer to the fore and got one back when Bailey chased a ball to the right endline. Two home defenders stopped thinking the ball would run dead but it did not and the ball was centred for Sean Walsh to bag his sixth of the season.

Dublin Uni rode their luck at times at Grange Road but a third successive win – this time a 2-1 success against Suttonians – rekindled their interest in the upper echelons of the table. Harry Spain missed an early stroke after Reuben Holden saw his effort hit a body on the line. Sean Flynn, though, was the guiding light to get Trinity into the game and they took the lead through Dan Ryan when possession was turned over on the 25 and passed around and into an empty net. The second was a carbon copy with Jack Kirwan this time finishing off the move.

Chris Tyrell, against his former club, did lay up for Wormold to slot home and make it a lively finish but Trinity defended well to maintain their lead.

Ralph Billings, meanwhile, continued his superb scoring form to add another hat-trick to his tally, making it 15 goals for the season to date, seven clear of his nearest rival in the division. It helped win against Mullingar for whom Ashley Wiley grabbed his third of the campaign and Torben Marl was also on the mark but a pair for Barry Lydon confirmed a 5-2 win.

Billings’ drag and a Lydon rebound built a 2-0 lead before Gar enjoyed a purple patch as they countered to level the game at half-time. A brilliant Billings reverse restored the lead before Lydon’s rebound and another drag-flick earned the points.

Results: Rathgar 3 (Willie Wilshere 2, Simon Creane) Avoca 1 (Sean Walsh); Dublin University 2 (Dan Ryan, Jack Kirwan) Suttonians 1 (Richie Wormold); Portrane 5 (Ralph Billings 3, Barry Lydon 2) Mullingar 2 (Ashley Wiley, Torben Marl)

Leinster Senior Mills Cup, round one
Jamie Tobin struck YMCA’s golden goal to get the better of Railway Union and earn a second round date with Monkstown in the Mills Cup. Marcus Richardson scored the only goal of a scrappy first period but the Unionites were back on terms when Jeff Spillane netted a nice deflected goal. Richardson dinged the bar while Iain Walker denied Mark English and Rob Abbott for would-be winners in extra-time. Tobin was the man to seal the deal when he found the bottom corner from turnover ball.

Glenanne advanced from their tie with a tired Fingal, playing their fifth match in eight days as Jonathan Kane and Stephen Brownlow put their side into a 2-0 half-time lead. Glen Shekleton pulled one back from the penalty spot while Brian Gray hit the bar late on but Fingal could not capitalise while Glenanne were down to nine men and they held on for the win.

Avoca gave Three Rock a couple of jitters at Grange Road, getting the game back to 2-1 in the second half following a comical own goal. Peter Blakeney made it 3-1 before Martin Naughton scored on the final hooter to pull one back. There were first goals for Three Rock for Jody Hosking and David McCrea. Corinthian had the most comfortable win, Davy Carson’s four-goal blitz bringing his seasonal tally to 14.

Results: Clontarf 2 Corinthian 9 (Davy Carson 4, Lucas Piccioli 2, Glenn Holmes, Barry Glavey, Stephen Reid); Three Rock Rovers 3 (Jody Hosking, David McCrea, Peter Blakeney) Avoca 2 (own goal, Martin Naughton); Fingal 1 (Glen Shekleton) Glenanne 2 (Jonathan Kane, Stephen Brownlow) YMCA 2 (Marcus Richardson, Jamie Tobin) Railway Union 1 (Jeff Spillane), after golden goal

Second round draw (January 22): Pembroke vs Weston; Monkstown vs YMCA; Corinthian vs Glenanne; UCD vs TRR

In a week in which he was confirmed in Paul Revington’s central panel, Gareth Watkins hit form in a major way last weekend with five goals in two outings with a sizeable dash of his creativity thrown into his side’s other goals. It means that Glenanne will need to marshall him to the best of their abilities in Tallaght if they are to keep pace with the leaders.

Last weekend – aided by the postponement of the Glens’ tie with YMCA – saw the first real chink of light between the top four and Saturday’s hosts have been plugging gaps at an alarming rate due to a high volume of injuries.

Gary Shaw’s goals have been a big miss since netting a dozen in the first six weeks of the season while Joe Brennan was rushed back into the side after surgery but is still not quite at full tempo.

Jonathan Kane, though, has proven a sprightly source of goals – already with seven to his name – and the Glens have shown their trademark grit to stay in the mix, notably coming back from 3-0 down against Railway.

That tie saw Mark English red-carded and his suspension sees him miss his club’s date with Clontarf but, riding high from their Neville Cup semi-final success, victory would see them close the margin to the top four.

With January 28 designated as the next date for men’s division one league matches, it brings a strong psychological importance to how these matches pan out. Pembroke and YMCA will also be battling for second spot in the league with the former needing to find some defensive rigidity in the wake of their juddering 6-4 loss to UCD.

Their commitment to attack left them uncharacteristically open to be ripped apart on the counter and YM have a style and pace which can exploit that, Marcus Richardson, Richie Pedreschi and Jonny Bruton all with the speed to chase into channels. As such, Pembroke may shake things up but their options are limited by a series of injuries in defensive quarters.

Fingal, meanwhile, close out their first half of the season at home against Corinthian with a new-found spirit with David Bane feeling his side in on the right track.

Gary Sharman (dislocated shoulder), Tom Manning and Derek O’Gorman (hurling commitments) along with Andy Marshall have increased their options with former Leinster player O’Gorman a central figure in much of their good work. Marshall’s overhead allows the side to sit very deep and counter-attack.

But the reds have the trickery to weave in and out of tight quarters through Davy Carson and Lucas Piccioli while Eamon Bane appeared to take a knock late in the Neville semi-final on Wednesday.

UCD received a postponement against Three Rock in a game which now looks set for late January while Glenanne’s refix with YMCA should also go ahead early in the New Year. Sunday sees the opening round of the Mills Cup with a couple of plum ties. Railway are off to Milltown to play YM while Glenanne go to Fingal.

In division two, Avoca have been lying in wait for three weeks since dropping their first points of the campaign during which their lead at the top has been diminished from eight to three.

Only for another postponement of Suttonians and Weston’s refix on Tuesday, it might have been wiped out completely but the Blackrock side have the chance to get back on course on Saturday when they go to Rathgar. Suttonians have a tricky tie at Grange Road against Trinity while Portrane face Mullingar.

Men’s Division One (Saturday): Glenanne v Monkstown, 1pm, Glenanne Park; Fingal v Corinthian, 1.45pm, ALSAA; Pembroke Wanderers v YMCA, 2pm, Serpentine Avenue; Clontarf v Railway Union, 2pm, Mount Temple

Division Two: Rathgar v Avoca, 2pm, High School; Dublin University v Suttonians, 3pm, Grange Road; Portrane v Mullingar, 12pm, Holy Faith Glasnevin

Leinster Senior Mills Cup, round one (Sunday): Clontarf v Corinthian, 2pm, Mount Temple; Three Rock Rovers v Avoca, 3pm, Grange Road; Fingal v Glenanne, 1:30pm, ALSAA; YMCA v Railway Union, 4pm, Alexandra College Milltown

But the second half was much more open. Derek O’Gorman levelled from a corner move, Glen Shekleton spinning the ball into his path and he flicked into the top corner. Fingal were certain they deserved a stroke from their next corner when they produced the same move. This time, the shot was blocked to injector Eamon Bane and he pushed goalward where the ball appeared to hit a foot on the goal-line.

A long corner was given, leading to O’Gorman’s complaints earning a green card while Railway countered with Fiachra Maher almost nut-megging Nigel Grothier but he just managed to close his legs in time to trap the ball. English added another flick – his 14th of the season – to restore the lead and the game looked safe with 16 minutes to go when Jeremy Duncan’s stickwork beat several loose sticks and Rob Abbott eventually fumbled the ball over the line.

Fingal got one back when they got a lucky break in midfield to turnover. Tom Manning simply laid off around O’Keeffe to Eamon Bane who smacked into an open goal with six minutes to go. Kenny Carroll put in some huge tackles while David McCarthy was brilliantly denied by Grothier to keep the game alive into the last minute when Adrian Sweeney took in a overhead that was missed by two home defenders. He seemed to be clipped but played on and smacked the left post to deny extra-time and set up a St Stephen’s Day date with UCD.

It gives them the chance of winning a first Neville Cup and bridging a 31-year gap since their last senior trophy – 1980 Mills Cup. They did it without Mark English who was absent due to a disciplinary meeting following his red card last week against Glenanne, the timing of it effectively making his punishment a two-game ban as he was barred from playing in next Saturday’s game against Clontarf.