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

The first was not stopped but O’Donoghue spun onto his reverse and drew a smart, low save from Stephen West while Dave McCrea took Nick Burns’ drag off the line. Into the second half, UCD were stung almost instantly as Colin Huet found Garry Ringwood on the baseline to play in Ross Canning for his fourth of the season.

Patrick Shanahan became the second player to take a yellow in the 43rd minute against his former club – following Gavin Bourke’s first half binning – and during his absence, former UCD man Paddy O’Connor caused problems to win the host’s only corner. Peter McConnell’s drag hit John Brennan on the line and Ringwood nailed his fifth goal of the campaign.

From there, Rovers sat at half court as UCD held copious possession but struggled to find shots while Luke Madeley was binned. Shanahan did pummel one at West from a narrow angle before O’Donoghue was unceremoniously dumped by Jody Hosking – yet another yellow shown – for a stroke but West dived low to stick save O’Donoghue’s under-cooked push with four minutes remaining to keep his clean sheet.

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

It was a cracking end to a lively tie with plenty of chances. YM started decently, aided by Fitzpatrick’s yellow for breaking down play but the visitors were setback when Ian McHugh was binned for a foul on Graham Shaw. During this half, Andy Walker’s nicely timed leg glance took a Gary Shaw drag off the line while Gareth Carragher was drawn into a string of fine saves.

Among them were a pair of stops from Bruton’s deflection and the smothering of a pair of Rob Whelan one-on-one shots. His opposite number Graham Woods also did well to keep his sheet clean, using his helmet on one occasion, while Eddie O’Malley and Jonathan Kane deflected off target while Matt Lucas also went close.

Woods was standing in for Iain Walker who is due for shoulder surgery but played outfield and almost set up a goal with a fine reverse-stick effort before the late finale. Gary Shaw was fouled to win a late corner, drawing a yellow for Geoff Walker, and Fitzpatrick buried it. YM, though, were not done and won two late corners, the second of which Bruton buried.

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

Conor Quinn made a series of good saves in the tie but Alan Sothern levelled on the stroke of half-time. Shane O’Donoghue restored the lead in the 39th minute when he took in a long overhead and finished deftly past the diving Dave Williamson.
Nick Burns’ drag-flick made it 3-1 two minutes later but corner goals from Sothern and Craig Wilson’s excellently-taken volleyed rebound tied the game up at 3-3.

But UCD responded brilliantly with Watkins and Conor Motyer finishing from play before O’Donoghue capped the win in the 66th minute. Sothern completed his hat-trick in the closing phases to bring his season’s tally to 16 but it was scant consolation as Pembroke lost top spot in the division with their first league defeat.

Corinthian 6 (Lucas Piccioli 3, Neil Young, Davy Carson, Lloyd McLoughlin) Clontarf 2 (Andrew Butler, James Gurbiel)
Player-coach Lucas Piccioli’s treble punished Clontarf who never got to the pace of the game at Whitechurch Park. There was four in the gap before James Gurbiel got his second goal of the campaign while Andrew Butler’s tidy deflection completed the scoring. Prior to that, the reds over-ran Clontarf with a series of close range goals as with regular overloads in the bulls’ circle, they were able to play their way around the Clontarf defence with ease. Davy Carson netted his tenth of the season while there was a first strike for Kiwi import Lloyd McLoughlin.

Railway Union 1 (Eoin MacArthur) TRR 0
Eoin MacArthur’s contested corner rebound 20 minutes from time proved the sole divider between Railway Union and Three Rock Rovers, a far closer affair than the two prior hammerings the Park Avenue hosts inflicted on their IHL-chasing rivals. The goal came from a scrappy corner which saw the injection miscued, leading to a slap-shot which bounced around the circle before MacArthur bundled into the goal, Rovers claiming it hit his body en route. It was an even tie in the first half but Railway bossed the second period in a bitty game of few clear-cut chances. Rob Abbott and Karl Chapple could have increased the lead while Rovers were denied a leveller when Gavin Bourke’s effort was ruled out as he flipped a ball into the air and volleyed into the goal, danger cited as the reason for disallowing it.

Monkstown 6 (Gareth Watkins 3, Kyle Good 2, Richard Sykes) Fingal 1 (Eamon Bane)
Monkstown took advantage of Pembroke’s loss to UCD to take on the front-runners role – for the first time since 1983 according to the club’s twitter account – as they ran up a comprehensive defeat of Fingal. Gareth Watkins was yet another of the league’s stars to run up a hat-trick as Fingal struggled to get going. Richard Sykes picked out the top right corner from an early corner to make it eight for the season. David Cole and Kyle Good combined to set up Watkins for his first with a back post tip-in and he made it 3-0 at half-time after Robbie McFarlane had tangled with Nigel Grothier.
Watkins’ penalty stroke made it four before Eamon Bane’s corner goal got one back for Fingal. But Kyle Good netted a second stroke after Nick Dee was fouled as cards began to be dished out as the game took on a loose hue. Good added another late on to complete the Rathdown rout.

Sunday: UCD 1 (Patrick Shanahan) Fingal 2 (Adrian Sweeney, Eamon Bane)
From the highs of Saturday’s big win over Pembroke, UCD fell to a frustrating defeat to Fingal as the airport side conceived of a tactical formula to out-think the students. Fingal’s work-rate and defensive rigidity saw the twin threats of Shane O’Donoghue and Nick Burns quietened with chances at an absolute premium until Fingal were reduced at one stage to eight players.

The ALSAA men hit the front when Glen Shekleton – particularly industrious down the right flank –put in an overhead past the UCD backline to Simon McKeever whose shot was partially saved and Adrian Sweeney won the race to finish off the next phase. A sweetly worked Eamon Bane corner move boosted the lead to 2-0 just before half-time.

It preceded an ugly second half in which UCD had lots of possession but did not force goalkeeper Nigel Grothier into a meaningful touch. Fingal were compact and had a gilt-edged chance to seal the win when Tom Manning pulled back for Shekleton but his push was taken off the line by Ben Dobson. Numerous flash-points ensued as Derek O’Gorman was binned for taking out O’Donoghue haring down the right channel.

Nick Burns and Bane followed for an altercation in the circle which saw the majority of the players wade in and Ken Treacy soon followed for kicking out. Amid the melee, David Watkins hit the post with six minutes to go while Patrick Shanahan tipped in from close range as Sam O’Leary arrowed a fine reverse across goal but it was too late to nab a draw.

Monkstown 4 (Gareth Watkins 2, Lee Cole Gavin O’Halloran) Clontarf 1 (Cain Cooney)
The Town moved four points clear at the top of division one as they produced a workman-like, if not overly fluid, performance to inflict and seventh defeat of the campaign on Clontarf. Once again, Gareth Watkins was the man to cut loose after as the bulls matched the sky-blues in a scoreless first half. His deft chip over Stephen Cairns was en route to goal when Lee Cole nudged home the first before the Irish international applied a block-busting finish.

Cain Cooney finished off a well-worked move to get Clontarf back into the mix from their best move since a Kevin Mullins’ run in the first half. But Watkins got his fifth goal of the weekend, finishing off Cole and Gavin O’Halloran’s fine build-up work. Watkins returned the favour for O’Halloran to finish off a productive double weekend for the Town and see them in a strong position with one game left in the first half of the season.

Irish Junior Cup, round one round-up
Suttonians pulled off the biggest coup of the men’s Irish Junior Cup as the division four side got the better of division three’s joint leaders with Irish U-16 starlet Jack Ryan netting twice. Eoin Buttanshaw’s golden goal deflection to Roly Budd’s pass saw Three Rock advance 3-2 in South Antrim while Pembroke came away from Instonians with a 4-3 result.

Monkstown were ousted as Ian Hamilton was on the mark twice in a 4-3 victory for Annadale – the four time winners in the noughties making a strong opening gambit while Railway Union were also beaten in Ulster, falling 4-1 to Raphoe and Clontarf were beaten at Newry. Corinthian had far too much strength for Dublin University, the day’s big winners on a 12-0 scoreline.

YMCA picked up a strong 2-1 win over 1995 winners Glenanne but, with UCD exiting to last season’s finalists Banbridge, it leaves just five Leinster sides in the running in the last 16 for Monday’s draw. Bandon’s B team edged a Munster derby with Cork Harlequins while holders Lisnagarvey were 2-0 winners over Belfast Harlequins in another notable victory.

Irish Junior Cup, round one: Suttonians 4 (J Ryan 2, S Fallon, D Reamsbottom) Fingal 2 (D Gash, D Wheeler); Annadale 4 (I Hamilton 2, R Maybin, J Edgar) Monkstown 3 (Z Dutton, A Rooney, L Cole); Newry 6 (K McWilliams 2, P McCullough, J Greer, J Gregg, S McAfferty) Clontarf 1; Instonians 3 Pembroke Wanderers 4; Bangor 2 (J McAfee, R Coughlin) NICS 1; Dublin University 0 Corinthian 12 (I Stewart 4, C Hennessy 3, S Reid, A Malcolm, R McKenna, AN Other 2); South Antrim 2 (P Maguire, M Gray) Three Rock Rovers 3 (J Dalrymple, A Macken, E Buttanshaw) (aet, golden goal); Cookstown 6 (R Miller 3, M Wilson, R Nelson, M Costello) North Down 0; Cork C of I 6 (S Sweetnam 4, G Wilkinson, G Chambers) Mossley 1; Kilkeel 4 UCC 3 (C Kavanagh, A Power, S Murphy); Lisnagarvey 2 Belfast Harlequins 0; UCD 3 Banbridge 6; Bandon 3 (M Beamish 2, I Byran) Cork Harlequins 2 (D Hobbs 2); Raphoe 4 (J Long 2, W Wacuope 2) Railway Union 1; Glenanne 1 (S O’Connor) YMCA 2

In the equivalent game last year, YM nabbed a last-gasp victory at Milltown to keep the title race alive until the final weekend of the season. But the unavailability of a suitably early time this weekend due to a large amount of Old Alex fixtures, 5pm being the only time initially available – LHA division one rules limiting tip-offs to 12pm to 3pm on Saturdays – meant YM were searching for an alternative ground.

By the time Grange Road’s back pitch was secured and confirmed on Thursday afternoon, umpires were allocated elsewhere leading to the game’s postponement though the clubs will draw hostilities as second team level in the Irish Junior Cup.

In their absence, it means Pembroke or Monkstown – the latter on a double-weekend – can take pole-position in the division

For the former, they have a tricky task ahead against a confident UCD, especially with injury problems mounting. Tim Lewis, Mick O’Connor, Adam Pritchard and Gordon Elliott are all out to add to Matt Brown’s departure, necessitating the return of Alan Giles to the fold. It makes for a potential banana-skin at Belfield against a side who have shown a capacity to push the top sides.

Monkstown’s task looks a bit easier as they showdown against two sides who have yet to add a notch to their wins column in the division though. They may opt to hand Kyle Good an internal ban following his red card last weekend or leave him at the mercy of the disciplinary committee.

First up is Fingal who are likely to be without David Bane after a nasty collision last weekend against YMCA as their injury-ravaged season goes on. Clontarf are next on the list on Sunday but have key man Andrew Poynter back in the mix having been unavailable for last weekend’s game against Three Rock.

The Bulls first game of the weekend is against IHL-chasing Corinthian. Also in that mix are Railway Union whose two recent draws against Pembroke and Glenanne have had the upshot of making 3-0 look a vulnerable scoreline.

An impending suspension to chief creative force Mark English – either self-imposed or external – could have an effect but the striking options of Peter English and Rob Abbott show they have plenty to be confident about facing Three Rock.

Rovers have Harry Morris and Craig Moore back in the mix while Potchefstroom man Jody Hosking is back for second stint with the Grange Road club, his arrival once again coinciding with freezing conditions.

His three-month spell last year was largely wiped out by snow and his first training session was partly curtailed by the icy conditions in the Dublin mountains.

In division two, leaders Avoca are on the bye weekend with Portrane, Weston and Suttonians all in the mix to close the gap. Portrane’s game with Weston has plenty of potential, a repeat of the 4-4 from day one of the campaign highlighting the former’s exciting forward talent, Ralph Billings a key factor.

But they struggled to cope defensively, an issue which makes their games regularly high-scoring affairs with Rob Lynch looking to prosper at corner time.

The Lucan side’s game with Suttonians in midweek was called off following a death in the club and will now be played on December 6 at 8pm in Sutton Park. Sutton’s single goal victory at Rathgar in week one, gives them the edge in form while Trinity play away to Mullingar.

Men’s Division One (Saturday): Monkstown vs Fingal, 1.15pm, Rathdown; Corinthian vs Clontarf, 1pm, Whitechurch Park; Railway Union vs Three Rock Rovers, 1.30pm, Park Avenue; UCD vs Pembroke Wanderers, 1pm, Belfield; YMCA v Glenanne – postponed

Sunday: UCD vs Fingal, 4pm, Belfield; Monkstown vs Clontarf, 2.45pm, Rathdown.

Division Two: Portrane vs Weston, 2.15pm, Holy Faith Glasnevin; Suttonians vs Rathgar, 1pm, Sutton Park; Mullingar vs Dublin University, 2.30pm, Tullamore Harriers

Men’s Irish Junior Cup, round one (Saturday): Suttonians v Fingal, 2.45pm, Sutton Park; Annadale v Monkstown, 1pm, Lough Moss; Newry v Clontarf, 2.30pm, Newry; Instonians v Pembroke Wanderers, 4pm, Shaws Bridge; Glennane v YMCA, 4.15pm, Glenanne Park; Bangor v NICS, 1pm, Bangor Sportsplex; Dublin University v Corinthian, 11am, Grange Road; South Antrim v Three Rock Rovers, 2.30pm, Lauelhill Sportszone; Cookstown v North Down, 2.30pm, Coolnafranky; Cork C of I v Mossley, 2pm, Garryduff; Kilkeel v UCC, 2.30pm, McCauley Park; Lisnagarvey v Belfast Halequins, 2.30pm, Comber Road; UCD v Banbridge, 4.15pm, Belfield; Bandon v Cork Harlequins, 2pm, Bandon GS, Raphoe v Railway Union, 4pm, Royal & Prior

Peter English’s drag-flick and a excellently worked Rob Abbott goal, diving onto the end of a Mark English reverse-stick cross, handed Railway a 2-0 half-time lead and 11^th goals of the campaigns for both scorers.

Mark English’s exquisite finish seven minutes after the break put Railway three ahead as he took in Peter English’s overhead from the edge of his own circle. One-touch to control and another to finish with an upright reverse had Railway in flying form from a niggly game with green cards abounding.

Glenanne had most of the possession at this point but little penetration. However, when Mark English retaliated by pushing Graham Shaw after an initial altercation, his red saw the game turn.

Soon after, Leinster U-18 player Brian O’Malley got his first goal of the season from the second phase of a corner before Gareth Carragher kept his side interested when he got a stick to Abbott’s intended square pass to Eoin MacArthur when clean through.

Abbott was sin-binned for hitting the ball away and in his absence, Joe Brennan slapped home at corner time. The Glens had several set plays in the second half with the extra man and they got the equaliser with nine minutes left when Richie Shaw finished off – again not via a direct route – to salvage a point.