Corinthian can make a big promotion push

After going agonisingly close to forcing a play-off for promotion to Leinster Senior A last season, Corinthian won't be taking anything for granted this time around even if they are well placed again, top of Senior B, two points clear of Loreto II and Pembroke Wanderers II.

This weekend could, however, prove to be highly significant in their quest for promotion, with both their closest challengers facing a tricky game against last season's Senior B champions Hermes II (they play Loreto II tomorrow and Pembroke II on Sunday), while the leaders will expect to take three points from bottom club Railway Union II.

Corinthian, coached by Roy Horsfield, who led Hermes to their first Irish Senior Cup success back in 1997, were desperately unlucky not to win a place in Senior A last season after losing just one league game and having the best "goals scored" and "goals conceded" record in Senior B.

It wasn't enough, though: Pembroke II pipped them to second place where they needed to finish to force a play-off against Senior A's bottom club, Muckross.

"It certainly hurt," said Corinthian manager Phillipa Carr, "but hopefully we'll stay on the horse this time and won't fall off. It would be a tremendous boost for the club to get in to Senior A but there's a lot to do yet, a lot of big games to come before we can even think about that."

"If Hermes can take points off Loreto and Pembroke then it would help our cause," added Horsfield, "but it's such an open division with so many teams capable of taking points off each other that it's likely to go all the way."

There's plenty of toil ahead, too, for Senior A's title challengers with two of them, Hermes and Old Alexandra, meeting at Milltown tomorrow. Alexandra must win if they are to keep their title hopes alive. A draw or a defeat for Hermes would see Loreto go top for the first time this season if they were to win their game away to Trinity, who they beat 4-0 in October.

Section Two's Priorians have the unenviable task of taking on holders Pegasus in the Ulster Shield tomorrow in Belfast, with fellow Irish Senior Cup semi-finalists Ballymoney meeting UUJ in another of the quarter-final ties.