Glenanne now have to go back to the beginning of March when they beat Cookstown 4-3 for their last win in the EY Irish Hockey League. The Dublin side have been on a slide since then, going down to Three Rock Rovers 3-1, drawing with Banbridge 3-3, losing to Banbridge 2-1, before a 2-1 defeat to YMCA last weekend.
That string of results makes their travel north to Lisnagarvey this weekend all the more challenging as despite that streak Glenanne are still very much in the running to make the playoffs. Currently on 32 points with Banbridge, they sit in third place on the table, with Lisnagarvey three points ahead.
Three Rock Rovers in fourth are a point behind with a game in hand to Glenanne. Their thinking this weekend will be that a Lisnagarvey win at home against Glenanne and a win for ‘Rovers when they travel to Cookstown means they would move up a place in the table.
Depending on how Banbridge do at Serpentine Avenue, Three Rock Rovers have the potential to move right up the table.
Monkstown are going into damage limitation mode. Lower-middle of the table, they have not been the same force without the Cole brothers Lee and Stephen in Belgium. It is a double header against C of I this weekend in Cork and Dublin. This could be a much more difficult series of encounters than Monkstown might think despite C of I winning just one league match to date.
SATURDAY
EY Irish Hockey League – Pembroke v Banbridge, Serpentine Avenue 2pm; Cookstown v Three Rock Rovers, Steelweld Park 2.30pm; Cork C of I v Monkstown, Garryduff 2.30pm; Lisnagarvey v Glenanne, Hillsborough 3pm; YMCA v Annadale, Wesley College 3.15pm.
SUNDAY
EY Hockey League – Monkstown v Cork C of I, Merrion Fleet Arena, 2.30pm.
