Cookstown impress with comeback

MEN'S HOCKEY: WHILE GLENANNE and Three Rock Rovers were cruising past their Irish Senior Cup opponents on Saturday, scoring 20 goals between them in ties against Catholic Institute and Kilkenny, Cookstown and Cork Harlequins were producing the results of the round, both coming through testing away games to progress in the competition.

Cookstown’s victory over Monkstown was all the more impressive in light of the fact that they trailed 2-0 after just 10 minutes, Gareth Watkins and Franny Lee scoring for the Leinster side with superb strikes.

A double from David Ames, though, had the visitors level 10 minutes before the break, the Irish international making Monkstown pay for some poor defending.

Andy Barbour completed the turnaround early in the second half, Monkstown again punished for needlessly conceding possession at the edge of their circle, and it was 4-2 soon after when Barbour set up David Best.

Filip Jaros pulled a goal back for Monkstown but Cookstown held on to take their place in the second round.

Instonians also had to come back from two goals down against Harlequins, but the Munster side held their nerve to win the game in extra time with a golden goal from Lee d’Alton. A Mark Black reverse strike from the edge of the circle and an Eddie Dore effort gave Harlequins a surprise 2-0 lead by the 20th minute, but it was one they surrendered before half-time, Mark Gleghorne scoring twice for Instonians.

That was the end of the scoring in normal time, d’Alton clinching the victory six minutes in to extra time when he turned home David Egner’s cross.

Church of Ireland also got the better of their Ulster opponents, beating Antrim 6-2 with Jonny Bruton, Alec Moffett and John Jermyn giving the Cork side a 3-0 half-time lead, before Bruton again, Peter Catchpole and Adam Pritchard completed the scoring after the break.

Bandon, though, fell to Fingal, Derek O’Gorman getting the tie’s only goal.

Pembroke Wanderers eased past YMCA with a 5-1 victory, but it was Glenanne and Three Rock who produced the round’s biggest drubbings, Peter Blakeney scoring five in Rovers’ 9-1 defeat of Kilkenny and Johnny Goulding getting a hat-trick in Glenanne’s 11-0 win over Catholic Institute. Simon Hunter, meanwhile, put Bangor through to the second round with the only goal of the game against UCD.