MEN'S HOCKEY/Weekend round-up: With the top couple of places on the league table looking secure for both Glenanne and Pembroke, who scored nine goals between them over the weekend, the scrap at the bottom for the relegation places is not as clear- cut as it might have seemed.
Last week Avoca went down to Trinity, a result that appeared to condemn the Blackrock side to Division Two hockey next season.
But a win over YMCA at Newpark on Saturday rekindles Avoca's hopes of avoiding the drop. It was the first win of the season for Avoca against a YMCA side who will have left the school grounds feeling they could have earned a lot more out of their visit to Newpark than a 2-1 defeat.
They might also count their short-corner setpieces and decide some sharper routines all round are required.
Undoubtedly, YMCA had the lion's share of the play, especially in the final quarter of the match as they piled on the pressure looking for a late equaliser after Avoca had taken a 2-1 lead.
Goals from Will Powderly and Dickie Carter had the sides level at 1-1 in the second half when a break from Avoca allowed Carter get on the end of a cross for his second goal of the game.
Despite YMCA pressing throughout the second half, the solid work of captain Andrew Timlin at the back and former international goalkeeper Peter Agnew ensured Avoca held on to grab their first senior win of the year.
The Blackrock side remain on the bottom of the table, two points behind Trinity, who went down 3-0 to league leaders Glenanne, John Brennan (2) and Alan Goulding scoring the goals.
Pembroke hit six against Monkstown but perhaps the most useful result of the day was Corinthians' 2-1 win over Fingal, which secures their third place in the table.
Ireland rounded off their Egypt international matches and training camp with a 1-0 win , Mark Gleghorne scoring on 40 minutes. Ireland, who finished second in the four-nations event, which included Italy, Poland and Egypt, now travel to Paris to play France in a three-match series (Friday 10th to Sun 12th March) as they continue to prepare toward the World Cup Qualifiers in China in April.
LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE: Division One - Corinthians 2 (C Pelow, L Piccioli), Fingal 1 (A Sweeney); Railway Union 0, Three Rock Rovers 2 (S Tilson, O Goodman); Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 2, C Fulton 2, A Giles, S Kershaw), Monkstown 1 (G Watkins); Avoca 2 (D Carter 2, one pen), YMCA 1 (W Powderly); Glenanne 3 (J Brennan 2, A Goulding), Trinity 0. Division Two - Skerries 2 (T Noonan, A Turner), Suttonians 3 (C Gillette 2, D Reamsbottom); UCD 3 (N Gonne 2, G Holmes)Kilkenny 3 (S Thompson 2, G Lazenby); Clontarf 2 (J Smyth 2), Bray 3 (S Cox 2, R Pearson pen).
