Crisp 2-2 draws involving their leading rivals left Corinthians relishing Saturday's action as they seized the lead in the Leinster Senior League. While Corinthians gained a 4-1 win over Aer Lingus, a last-minute drag flick by Graham Berry gave Railway Union a share of the points with Avoca at Rathdown and then, more significantly, a late equaliser by Garry Ringwood for Three Rock Rovers pegged back Pembroke Wanderers at Grange Road.
The standard of defending was of a pretty high order in the Rovers-Pembroke game. The first half yielded only a short-corner tap-in by Charlie Carroll for the home side, to which Simon Kershaw responded quickly with a fruitful incision from a pass by Paudie Carley.
The second period had plenty of movement, not least from Gordon Elliott, but it appeared that Pembroke had a achieved a crucial breakthrough when Max Lanos darted clear with some elan and had Dougie Goode up in support to score a quality goal. Although the same pair combined to pierce the cover again, Ross Harris cleared off the line to keep Rovers' hopes alive and an astute clearance from Angus Dunlop enabled Ringwood to make the point-saving plunge.
It was also a robust spectacle at Rathdown, especially after the interval, at which stage Railway had poached the lead through Graham Berry following an interception by Brendan Parsons. Avoca continued to be under some pressure but the visitors were repulsed by Stephen Kinsella and conceded a short-corner equaliser to Trevor Dagg.
Avoca then drove vigorously in quest of a winner and had it in their grasp when Enda Gallanagh diverted a strong delivery from Colin Hade to the target with little time left. Yet Railway stole back to force a corner from which Berry whipped the ball out of Kinsella's reach.
Berry's hamstring twinge will be a key factor when Railway face Three Rock next weekend while his fellow Commonwealth striker, Colin Stewart, will be a marked man when Corinthians face a crunch match against their bogey side, Glenanne, at Tallaght. The Aer Lingus 'keeper Ben McCabe confined Stewart to one goal at Whitechurch Park on Saturday, though three fell to his Australian cohorts, Paul Armitage (2) and Forbes Appleby.
In the Munster Premier Division, Cork C of I and Harlequins were finely matched at Garryduff and, like the top games in Leinster, it ended 2-2 after a rousing second half. Dave Eakins (drag flick) and Mark O'Driscoll twice put Harlequins ahead but Alastair Dunne (short corner) and Mark Black earned a draw for C of I, though it was the first time in two years that they had dropped a point.
Catholic Institute had another encouraging win, the Limerick side following up last week's 4-1 defeat of Belvedere with a 5-1 victory at Bandon.
