While Cork C of I swept to a 3-1 victory over the Irish Senior Cup winners Instonians at Belfield yesterday, Pembroke Wanderers are poised to take the all-Ireland club championship. Having beaten the Munster standard-bearers, 2-1 on Saturday, Pembroke need no more than a draw against Instonians today to qualify again for European fare.
There remains the possibility that if Instonians were to defeat Pembroke (by less than 3-0) that C of I would take the honours on goal difference but it seems unlikely that the Ulstermen can generate sufficient stamina to achieve such a result.
Remarkably, though, C of I found reserves of energy and character, after Saturday's disappointment, to win handsomely yesterday after a relatively even, scoreless first half in which both goalkeepers, Mark O'Sullivan and Tim Hogg, were especially alert.
But then Cork midfielder Nigel Buttimer, in particular, became irrepressible. Six minutes into the second period, he combined in a thrust with Neville Foott to earn a short corner from which, linking with Alastair Dunne, he put his side in front.
Although Instonians rallied briefly for Julian Lewis to send Clark Kennedy through for an equaliser, Buttimer broke clear at the other end and when he was taken down by Hogg, Dunne put away the penalty stroke. The victory was sealed three minutes from the end in some style as Colin Hanna, one of the most incisive attackers in the country, surged away powerfully and, with Dunne in support, the opening was created for Mark Black deservedly to put his name on the scoresheet.
It was a win which skipper Derek Hales can take special satisfaction and overall C of I can only regret that they get too little exposure to top-level hockey to make a complete breakthrough. Certainly, they would vote for an All-Ireland league.
On Saturday, the Munstermen had too little time to adapt as Pembroke attacked strongly from the start for Trevor Dunne to deliver chances for Darren Hanna and Andy Cooke to establish a 2-0 lead after quarter of an hour. Subsequently, first-class defending by the Leinstermen confined C of I to a solitary reply from Colin Hanna before the interval and with Cooke remaining especially combative against his fellow Corkmen, they had to concede the points.
Cork C of I - M O'Sullivan; K Burns, G Burns, D Hales (capt), R Dorman; N Welch, N Buttimer, A Dunne; C Hanna, M Black, N Foott. Subs: C Seale, S Teape.
Instonians - T Hogg; C Kennedy, K Rutherford, N Cooke (capt), P Brown; M Wainwright, J Lewis, P Hollway; J Atkins, M Irwin, S Reid. Subs: M Cooke, A Lewis, G Currie, D McCloy.
Umpires: C Hutchinson, S Clarke.
