Banbridge and Three Rock Rovers will go down to the wire in the men’s EY Hockey League after the two sides ended the weekend level on 42 points after 17 matches.
The Co Down side’s midweek exploits, beating Lisnagarvey 3-0, had put them in pole position but a run of four games in eight days eventually took its toll on them.
They laboured to a 3-2 win over lowly UCD on Saturday before drawing on Sunday afternoon 1-1 with seventh-placed Glenanne, Olympians Eugene Magee and Shane O'Donoghue splitting the goals.
Three Rock, meanwhile, continued their incredible run of form with a 10th successive win in the league, beating Cork C of I 3-0 at Garryduff.
Mitch Darling set them on their way before second-half goals from James Walker and Conor Empey put them in the frame.
Six-goal advantage
The advantage is still very much with Banbridge as they hold a six-goal advantage over Rovers on goal difference going into the last round of games which take place on April 22nd.
Bann play a Railway Union side that will be fighting to avoid the relegation playoff spot on the final day of the season. But they will be concerned that Rovers meet an already relegated Instonians who look like they have already checked out, capitulating to a 10-0 defeat to Lisnagarvey.
If Instonians do not turn up to full effect then suddenly a few calculators could spin into action.
Monkstown moved back into the top four for the first time in a couple of months despite a mixed weekend. They lost to Glenanne on Saturday before winning on Sunday against Inst 3-1 to leap-frog a Cork C of I side that have suffered a disastrous loss of form, losing four of their last five games.
Men’s EY Hockey League results
Saturday: Cork C of I 0 Three Rock Rovers 3 (M Darling, C Empey, J Walker); Banbridge 3 (E Magee, D Ward, B McCandless) UCD 2 (J Duncan, A Meates);Glenanne 2 (E O’Malley, S Ronan) Monkstown 1 (D Carson); Instonians 0 Lisnagarvey 10 (A Williamson 2, R Arneill 2, M Robson, M McNellis, T Cockram, P Gleghorne, M Nelson, S Arbuthnot); Railway Union 4 (M English 2, K Springett, S McKeever) Pembroke 5 (A Sothern 4, W Brownlow)
Sunday: Banbridge 1 (E Magee) Glenanne 1 (S O’Donoghue); Monkstown 3 (D Carson, K Good, G Cole) Instonians 1 (J Corry)
Women’s EY Hockey League results
Saturday: Hermes-Monkstown 1 (N Evans) UCD 2 (L Tice 2); Ards 0 Pegasus, 2 (R McMillan, H Craig); Belfast Harlequins 1 (G Frazer) Loreto 5 (S Torrans 5); Pembroke 2 (R Scott, E Markey) Ulster Elks 0; Railway Union 1 (K Orr) Cork Harlequins 0
