Sport

Cork rivals set for final tussle

Men's Hockey: If ever there were a pair of usual suspects for a cup final, Munster powerhouses Cork Harlequins and Cork C of…

Fri Apr 13 2007 - 01:00

Men's Hockey:If ever there were a pair of usual suspects for a cup final, Munster powerhouses Cork Harlequins and Cork C of I would be it.

The pair has shared the Munster Senior Cup title for well over 20 years and this year they come particularly evenly matched.

Not only inseparable at the top of the Munster league on points but also having an equal goal difference, both with 73 more goals scored than conceded. Indeed, the Irish Senior Cup fourth round was decided in Harlequins' favour on penalty strokes and the Peard Cup final only found a winner after extra-time.

C of I boast the south's most prolific scorer in John Jermyn, who has bagged 38 goals on the local circuit. They also welcome back former international Nigel Buttimer after a lengthy lay-off. He is likely to start his first game for three months after making his comeback off the bench against Bandon in a 3-1 win.

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The pace of the Gash brothers, Eddie and Richie, though is a cause for concern for C of I manager Barry Crowley. He is wary of Harlequins' ability to counter-attack. Also, in David Eakins they have an effective set-piece.

It remains to be seen how well Harlequins have recovered from last week's exertions in Europe, which may well be the decisive factor between the teams on Saturday and Monday.

Harlequins and C of I will renew rivalries on Monday night in the league play-off final, again at Garryduff.

In Leinster, Glenanne claimed their fourth title of the season on Wednesday night, with a 7-3 win over YMCA. They added the Leinster Senior League title and could win an unprecedented five trophies if they take home the All-Ireland Club Champions Cup at the end of April.

FIXTURES:Saturday: Munster Senior Cup Final: Cork C of I v Cork Harlequins, Garryduff, 1pm. Leinster Senior League: Division one: Dublin University v Bray (1pm, Santry Avenue); Fingal v TRR (2pm, ALSAA); Monkstown v Glenanne (2pm, Rathdown); Railway Union v Corinthian (2pm, Park Avenue); YMCA v Pembroke Wanderers (2pm, Claremont Road). Leinster Senior League: Division two: PSBPP v Kilkenny (1pm, DCU); Suttonians v Skerries (1.30pm, Sutton Park); Avoca v UCD (2pm, Newpark); Naas v Navan (Time TBA, Caragh Road); Weston v Clontarf (2pm, St Marks). Monday: Munster Senior League Division one play-off: Cork C of I v Cork Harlequins (7.15pm, Garryduff).