If Pembroke Wanderers could be guaranteed winning the Irish Senior Cup for the first time since 1973 by beating Lisnagarvey on April 15th or - perhaps alternatively - even becoming all-Ireland champions, they probably wouldn't mind surrendering two Leinster trophies to Railway Union and Glenanne, respectively, this weekend.

Equally, though, Pembroke won't want to risk finishing up with nothing, so no doubt they will play their usual absorbing, counter-attacking game both in defence of the Cable & Wireless-sponsored Mills Cup against Railway at Grange Road today and in the crucial Statoil league match at Serpentine Avenue on Sunday when Glenanne need just a point to take the laurels at last.

"We'll still go all out," asserted the Pembroke coach Simon Filgas yesterday. But his squad will be anxious not to incur any further injury such as that which keeps Gordon Elliott out of this afternoon's final.

Elliott, who strained his neck in the Irish Senior Cup semi-final against Cork C of I last Saturday, was a leading figure in breaking down the Railway cover in two convincing wins when Wanderers started to find their rhythm after Christmas. "We've also got to be a little careful about Paudie Carley - he's got a slight knee injury," Filgas confided.

Railway managed to make an encouraging revival in edging out Monkstown in the Mills semi-final and if Paul O'Brien can again provide the inspiration, there will be the possibility of Dave Staniforth and his three fellow-countrymen taking medals back to South Africa.

The weekend's high-profile fixtures, which also include the deciding Munster Premiership game between Cork C of I and Harlequins, eclipse tomorrow's Irish Junior Cup final between Three Rock Rovers II and Annadale II at Serpentine Avenue.

Rovers, with half a dozen survivors from the 1998 decider (4-0), are bound to have a more testing time than on that occasion.