MEN'S HOCKEY:NOT OFTEN do you score a hat-trick and end up on the losing side. Three goals is normally plenty but not in Stephen Butler's cases yesterday for Glenanne. Butler's three, and one from Johnny Goulding, was simply not enough against Pembroke, whose young striker Alan Sothern also grabbed a hat-trick in the Serpentine Avenue side's important win yesterday in Pool A of the Irish Hockey League.

Sothern struck twice in the opening 10 minutes from drag flicks at corners and had his three in the bag after 22 minutes as Pembroke raced ahead. A penalty stroke from Butler and a roofed short corner then had the sides at 3-2 in a frantic first half.

Goulding tied the match for Glenanne from play before Pembroke inched ahead from just their second corner, Tim Lewis deflecting a Sothern short corner effort. Then with just two minutes remaining Justin Sherriff delicately lofted the goalkeeper before Butler completed his hat-trick with another corner drag. Glenanne’s bonus point means they remain on top of the pool.

In Pool B Three Rock Rovers earned a one-sided win against visiting Banbridge at Grange Road with goals coming from Peter Blakeney, Lucas Picolli, Michael Maguire and Mitch Darling in a 4-1 win, Banbridge’s lone goal arriving from Simon Magowan.

Rovers are still in contention but chasing C of I, who crucially saw off Lisnagarvey in Garryduff. Goals from John Jermyn, Jonny Bruton and David Hobbs was enough for a 3-2 win and to keep the crack Cork side the leading edge of the group. Monkstown also had a good win over Fingal with Andrew Ward, Ian Allen, Gareth Watkins and Brian Groves outscoring the one from Derek O’Gorman.

IRISH HOCKEY LEAGUE

Pool A: Cookstown 2 (T Smyth, D Best) Cork Harlequins 2 (C Ross, E Dore); Pembroke 5 (A Sothern 3, T Lewis, J Sherriff), Glenanne 4 (S Butler 3, J Goulding); Annadale 2 (P Purcell, I Hamilton), Instonians 1 (M Gleghorne).

Pool B: Three Rock Rovers 4 (Peter Blakeney, Lucas Piciolli, Michael Maguire, Mitch Darling) Banbridge 1 (Simon Magowan); C of I 3 (J Jermyn, J Bruton, D Hobbs), Lisnagarvey 2 (P McDonnell, T Cockram); Monkstown 4 (A Ward, I Allen, G Watkins, B Groves), Fingal 1 (D O'Gorman).