Men's Hockey Leinster Senior LeagueJust as it looked like the status quo would not be rattled at St Andrews, Monkstown turned up the heat in the second half of their league game against Pembroke Wanderers and in the second period changed what seemed like a formality into a lively and competitive match.
Pembroke and Irish striker Justin Sherriff in particular, had been having things their own way of late and rightly so. They are the strongest side in the league.
And when Sherriff flicked in Pembroke's first goal and drilled just wide with a reverse-stick shot several minutes later, Monkstown seemed barely capable of containing them.
Three minutes into the second half and again Sherriff was on target, this time against the run of play after Richard Gash had earned the corner. Game over? Not this time.
It was as if the injustice of that score inspired Monkstown and over the next half hour they fought back to come to within an off-the-line clearance of winning the match.
Within two minutes of Sherriff's second goal Monkstown had earned a corner and with the first attempt blocked, Brian Grove followed up, beating Irish captain Nigel Henderson with a sweetly struck shot low to the left.
It was at that stage the home side pressed and with Simon Kershaw resting in the sin bin, Monkstown sustained the pressure.
Even with equal numbers Monkstown were able to put the Pembroke defence under strain and when Richie Beere drilled in a free from near the crown of the circle on the right, Simon Cox, following on brightly from his four goals last week, latched on to draw the teams level at 2-2.
With eight minutes remaining, it was Monkstown who penetrated the circle with Groves striking a corner just wide and a miss-hit by Cox, which looped over Henderson on the ground, spinning towards the goal before it was scrambled clear.
A lucky escape for Pembroke, but in the end a fair result and one that keeps them ahead of the rest of the field on points as Corinthians fell to Three Rock Rovers in the other top-of-the-table meeting.
A strong first half from Rovers allowed them go into half-time 3-2 up before one second-half goal put distance between the sides, Rovers eventually finishing 4-2 ahead.
