Sport

Elliott's hat-trick makes it a date to remember

MENS HOCKEY: Gordon Elliott's recent birthday celebrations clearly failed to blunt his accuracy in front of goal

Mon Oct 04 2004 - 01:00

MENS HOCKEY: Gordon Elliott's recent birthday celebrations clearly failed to blunt his accuracy in front of goal. Pembroke's international striker managed three hits against the recent arrivals in the Leinster Senior League, Clontarf, in a one-sided 6-0 win.

That scoreline reflects the gulf of a difference between the top sides and the teams that come up from Division Two.

Clontarf were the outstanding team last year in the lower division but will struggle this season as the likes of Pembroke, Three Rock Rovers and Glenanne rip into them.

It is, of course, more ammunition for those pushing for an all-Ireland league. The pertinent question being how a 6-0 thumping can benefit either Clontarf's enthusiasm to visit Serpentine Avenue, St Marks or Grange Road or the promotion of Elliott's international career.

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Trinity, who narrowly held their place in the senior league last season, also came out at the wrong end of a big scoreline as Glenanne came visiting.

The students are always a little soft at the early part of the season, particularly in their first league outing.

Changes of personnel from year to year and the usual chaotic beginning to the university term traditionally make Trinity less sharp than they will be later in the year.

Still, Glenanne made sure that the job was done emphatically with seven goals. Alan Goulding matched Elliott's haul with a hat-trick in the 7-2 win, which puts the Tallaght side on top of the table with nine points from their first three matches.

Three Rock Rovers' 4-3 win over Aer Lingus also keeps their record clean with two wins from two outings.

Aer Lingus should again be one of the sides who will come up with shock results. As of now, a win, a draw and a defeat leave them mid-table.

Monkstown's 3-2 win over Corinthians represents their first three points of the season and leaves them in the mid-table cluster with Pembroke, Aer Lingus and Corinthians, while Railway Union's 2-2 draw with YMCA is a welcome result for the Park Avenue side.

The recent opening of their synthetic pitch should generate considerable momentum for Railway, who have drawn two of their three opening games.

Having struggled last year at the wrong end of the table, they will be keen to avoid the shuffle with the bottom-placed clubs this season.