Runner up: Billy Tomkins h/c 27 pts 32

Class I
Winner: Robbie Meany h/c 19 pts 25 (decided on back 6)

Class II

Winner: William Bradshaw h/c 30 pts 26

Visitor: Eric Bradshaw h/c 26 pts 20

Next outing: Naas on 1st June 2012

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Venue Naas
Date: Friday 1 st June
Tee Reserved: 14.45 to 15.45

Venue Delgany
Date: Friday 6 th July
Tee Reserved: 14.15 to 15.15

Venue Luttrelstown Castle
Event Captains Day
Date: Friday 20 th July
Tee Reserved: 14.45 to 15.45

Venue Moyvalley
Date: 17 th August
Tee Reserved: 14.45 to 15.45

Venue Tulfarris
Event Presidents Day
Date: Friday 14 th September
Tee Reserved: 13.45 to 14.45

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Holidays earned: Ava Cooper

Mossie and Mick’s own end of season liquid ‘celebration’ on the bus back from ‘Garvey ensured it was going to be a very raucous evening and Mick had to be reigned in on several occasion by his captain for some marginally ungentlemanly behaviour. It was only when the Ladies 2nds eventually picked up the Batt Bowl and Agnes Lewis Perpetual scoring mug could he relax knowing that his work for the year ‘was done’.

Mossie to his credit spent most of the evening teaching the 4ths new Pembroke chants (P.E.M..) and something about ‘pretending to score a goal’, which will no doubt come in handy next season, especially if the much mooted pre-season tour of Holland materializes. How the 4ths will fare against dutch opposition is anyone’s guess.

Elsewhere biggest gaffe on the night was 6ths captain Roisin Watson forgetting to thank (best friend of 16 years) Darina Errity for coaching her team of the last 6 months in her ‘thank you’ speech. No amount of apologies or drinks could console Coach Errity in the bar afterwards, still time will heal and hopefully the management team will be restored in time again for next season.

Lyn Taylor and Ciara Hughes were deserving winners of the ‘Members of the Year’ award, these girls really were the epitome of ‘getting involved’ and were a a huge help to Ava and the Committee all season long.

For Jude Hayward there was disappointment in not retaining the Agnes Lewis Perpetual Mug for a 3rd season running, Hayward warmly congratulated Rachel McGrath on her win but denied that ‘not being on the selection committee this season’ had contributed to a slightly inferior goal tally. The 2nds also took the much coveted Batt Bowl for scoring most goals, special mention to the Ladies 7ths who had a brilliant season and pushed them all the way.

Lynzer and Ciara

Senior ‘Get Involved’ Member of the Year
Lyn Taylor

Junior ‘Get Involved’ Member of the Year
Ciara Hughes

Player’s Player of the year
1sts Claire Mulcahy & Ciara Howard
2nds Louise Tolerton
3rds Fiona Keenan
4ths Jen Tutty
5ths Mary Kate McGarry
6ths Clodagh Rigby
7ths Maria O’Connor
8ths Barbara Treacy

Batt Bowl for most goals scored:
Ladies 2nds

Agnes Lewis Perpetual Mug (individual scoring award)
Rachel McGrath

Special thanks to Eimear, Lorraine, Jen, Rachel Breen, Ciara Hughes, Julie D, Lynzer, Jude and Mary-Kate for pre-dinner organisation.

Thanks to Bernie and Becca for the delicious food & being so organised, and to the Mens 1sts for stepping up and waitering on the night after their long day up and down to ‘Garvey. Not easy keeping 90 hungry screaming women happy, but they did extremely well under pressure. Thanks also to Chris for his help leading up to the night and helping out on the night.

HUGE congratulations to Ava for organising everything on Saturday and all season long, thanks Ava! See you all in August!

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The course specifically looks at the coaching needs of those with a limited background in hockey who may also require additional coaching skills to impart their knowledge.

The course is 6 hours in duration and focuses on delivering basic hockey skills to beginners and learners. The course will also focus on the way children learn sports reinforcing the IHA coaching ethos of ‘We hear we forget, we see we understand, we do we learn’.

Dublin Course:
Saturday, 19th May UCD, Dublin 10.00 -16.30.

If you have any questions , please do not hesitate to contact the IHA on vivienne.clarke@hockey.ie or call 01 716 3267.

Visit the Irish Hockey Development website for more info on courses this Summer.

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On a very wet and miserable night in Pembroke our U21′s defied the odds to ruin Monkstown’s run of dominance in the U21 Cup – going for 4 in a row.

The team very ably led by Karl Lynch started the stonger much to Monkstown’s suprise who arrived with a large contingent of supporters expecting another win. Much talk had gone on by during the previous days about how their semi final v UCD had already decided the winner.

After a series of lovely passes between our back 4 the ball fell nicely to Shimmons who weaved some magic to earn the 1st corner of the game. A neat switch back to our pusher George Dagg saw him deflect the ball high into the net over Lee Cole on the line.
A period of Monkstown pressure forced a number of errors and allowed them to pull level, 1-1.

Monkstown pressure followed for the remainder of the half with keeper Peter Collins making a number of unorthodox saves including a memerable one with his face. Stlyes and Mairtin kept the Monstown play makers at bay forcing them to resort to crash balls and aerials which were easily picked off by our defense.

The second half started with Pembroke pouring forward with Eric and Kirk pulling the strings in midfield and Karl causing general trouble across the park.
Jack walsh had a great effort saved on the line after some great work from Mairtin down right.

With 6 mins on the clock Pembroke won a short which was dispatched with some class by Mairtin Cronin with a stunning deflection high in to the net from a Dave Kane drag. Silencing the Monkstown faithful in the crowd.
5 minutes of constant pressure from Monkstown were stopped at source with some strong tackling Foy and Service and a great work ethic from everyone on the pitch.

I’d like to thank the team for the effort that they all put in. Everyone from 1-16 played a massive part in winning the Cup.

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The Mens’ 2nds abandoned Division 3 playoff match against Glenanne will now take place on Wednesday May 2nd, in UCD (tbc). The Mens 6ths face Clontarf (in Clontarf) in their divisional playoff on the same night. Times tbc next week.

The Ladies Dinner takes place THIS Saturday night, April 28th – 7.30pm. Don’t be late! If you haven’t given your name to your captain contact Ava ASAP.

The Mens Dinner will take place on Saturday May 12th.

Car park open for the Heineken Cup Semi Final
We will be running a car park on Saturday evening and the cost will be €10 per car (no buses). If you are here two hours before start time there should be no problem with spaces.

If you arrive before our team is in place please give your vehicle registration number together with the money to the person behind the Bar upstairs in the Clubhouse. We do not have a pre-booking facility.

We are six minutes distance from the stadium using the path along the Dart Line.

The Bar will be open and we have a big screen showing the Biarritz v Brive match. Food can be purchased across the road in Patricks Café and brought back to the Bar. Map and Sat-Nav co-ordinates can be found here »

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Down in UCD at the Irish Junior Cup final the Ladies 2nds fared no better – Loreto 2nds, current Div 2 champions, proved to be the sharper and more experienced side on Cup Final day. Pembroke started well but Loreto began to assert themselves after 10 minutes and scored the crucial goal 5 minutes into the 2nd half. With Pembroke pressing for the equalizer Loreto broke and bundled the ball over the line with 1 minute to seal a deserved win.
Disappoinment no doubt, but it was an invaluable experience for the majority of the 2nds squad who got their first taste of a senior Cup Final, and no doubt Mick O’Connor’s (mainly!) young side will be back hungrier than ever next season. In particular schoolgirls Joanna McDonald, Sarah Twomey, Rachel O’Brien and Sorcha Clarke all broke through into senior hockey this season, and with their raw genuine talent and the majority of the squad remaining in tact there should be plenty to be optimistic about for next year.

Big thanks to Ava Cooper for mobilising the troops in UCD and all the supporters who cheered the teams on, despite the horrific weather. Special mention to versatile club-member Darina Errity who enjoyed a maiden sumo win over her Loreto competitor who we are told was on an 11 match winning streak. We never knew you had it in you Darina

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Pembroke Ladies 2nds faced Hermes in the IJC semi-final on Sunday in Serpentine Avenue. With two league wins racked up against the Booterstown side during the year it would have been easy to feel a little bit confident. However, early nerves showed and Hermes started stronger, taking the game to the home team. A number of unforced errors and poor decisions by the Pembroke side gave Hermes the upper hand, and they took full advantage, converting one of those opportunities with a goal from play after 15 / 20 minutes. This actually settled the Pembroke team a little and they started to work their way back into the game.

Tough words from Coach Mick O’Connor at the half time break seemed to do the trick, and Pembroke blasted out of the blocks at the turn. Textbook training drills were instrumental in the equaliser, which came shortly after half time. Some nice build-up play down the left found Lorraine Horgan on the baseline who hammered home from what seemed like an impossible angle. After that it was all Pembroke, but the waves of attack fell short at the final hurdle and the Hermes defence held out well. With just minutes on the clock, Pembroke forwards hard work paid off and they won a corner. Super-sub Susan Ryan, who was a doubt for the match just days before struggling with a recurring neck injury, deflected home a stunning corner to take the lead. Two minutes left and the crowd were cheering like it was all over!

A low key celebration for Lou as Pembroke take the lead with just minutes remaining...

However, despite dominating play that finishing touch was missing! In dramatic closing scenes, Anna O’Grady won the ball on the half way line and sprinted towards the baseline, singlehandedly winning a corner on the final whistle of extra time. The corner call was made from the side but there was a breakdown in communication and the ball didn’t go where it was supposed to .The crowd gasped, Mick had his face covered but thankfully we won another corner! This time the message was delivered loud and clear, and hero of the day Susan Ryan scored her second of the match to take the win on the death – final score 3-2!

The win sees the Pembroke II’s through to the IJC final v Loreto on Sunday April 22nd at 1:15 in UCD. There will be a Pembroke v Loreto Sumo wrestling competition and facepainting so get there early. Interesting fact – three members of our squad weren’t even born the last time Pembroke made the final in 1994! Also Pembroke Wanderers have never lost a Ladies Irish Junior Cup Final – WE Need YOUR SUPPORT!!
A huge thanks to the Pembroke supporters who came out to cheer on the team – hope to see you all there again this Sunday.

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Mens Division 3 Play off
Wednesday 18th April – Pembroke Mens 2nds versus Glenanne 2nds, Whitechurch Park @ 7.30pm in a winner takes all!

This Sunday is SUPER Sunday
We’ve got 3 teams in Cup Finals on Sunday 22nd April and need YOUR support.

First up at 12 noon is the Men’s Walters Cup Final in Grange Rd, with a Men’s junior team taking on Three Rock Rovers.

Irish Junior Cup Final !
At 1.15pm the Ladies 2nds play Loreto in the Electric Ireland Irish Junior Cup Final in Belfield following their extra time win over Hermes on Sunday.
There will be a Pembroke v Loreto Sumo faceoff at 12.50 to get you in the mood so get there early. We haven’t won the Ladies Junior Cup since 1998, but the girls and Mick are looking forward to putting in a winning display on Sunday – SUPPORTERS wear PURPLE and make yourselves HEARD! (Someone please get onto Helen Walsh and tell her that her presence is required!)

Then it’s back up to Grange Rd – the Mens 2nds square off against Monkstown at 4pm in the Railway Cup Final.

U21′s Interprovincials
Congratulations to Keith Crawford on leading the Ladies to the Interprovincial title over the Easter weekend in Cork. Keith adds the U21 title to the Junior one he won with Leinster last season – great achievement.

Men’s and Ladies’ Dinners
These nights are not to be missed – mark the dates down now. Ladies Team Captains are now taking names, both nights taking place in the Clubhouse, and it is always the best night of the year, so book your spot!

Ladies – we want your photos for the Ladies Dinner – start collecting them up now!

Ladies Dinnner: Saturday, April 28th, 2012
Mens Dinner: Saturday, May 12th, 2012

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YMCA 3 – 2 Pembroke Wanderers 1st XI

On a sunny day in Alexandra College the 1st XI were left to rue a glut of second half penalty corner misses in a game that is aptly described by that often used cliche – a game of two halves.

Given the gulf in significance, at least in terms of final league position, this fixture had to the two teams with YM needing to win to secure IHL qualification while Pembroke’s league position was already cemented, the visitors could perhaps be forgiven for what was an under par first half performance. A good opening 10-15 mins of possession based hockey by the visitors was swiftly cast asunder as the hosts hunger and intensity saw them accrue a 3 nil lead with Pembroke twice paying the price for hesitance in the circle. Truth be told it was a lackluster first half performance by Pembroke who’s minds were perhaps elsewhere with the final of the Leinster Senior Cup looming large the following day.

Stern words were needed at half time and stern words were indeed delivered by coach Brendon Carolan who, quite rightly, believed that Pembroke were not being tough enough. There was an almost immediate response after the break with Pembroke’s hunger and aggression raising to expected levels with Craig Wilson to the fore. This intensity soon paid dividends with Karl Lynch netting high (“Unbelievably” in his own words) from a corner rebound. The pressure was mounting on the YM defence and the mercurial Timmy Hill was next to punish the YM backboard after a neat move down the right hand side. Keeper David Williamson smartly saved a YM penalty stroke which was incorrectly awarded after the was adjudged to have hit Karl Lynch’s body on the line from a penalty corner (despite the fact that Karl was cowardly standing about a meter outside the post).

However, despite a seemingly endless succession of penalty corners created by the forward line Pembroke were unable to level the tie but can take heart from a dominant second half display which, if repeated for 70 minutes in Sunday’s Leinster Cup final and the forthcoming IHL game against the same opponents the team should be able to garnish greater rewards than they were in this fixture. A cause for optimism.

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End of Season Bash
Saturday 31st March in the Club, with Music, dancing, games and Happy Hour from 8.30PM. See you all there!

Mills Cup Final – Sunday
Pembroke meet Monkstown on Sunday in the Mills Cup Final – we were unlucky not to come away with points in last weekends league encounter in Rathdown and will be out for a win this Sunday so get out and support the lads! The match takes place in Grange Rd at 2pm – gate receipts are being donated to the ‘Friends of Chris Pelow’ fund. If you cannot attend and would like to donate to the fund more information is here » Best of Luck on Sunday lads.

Sorcha and Anna will line out for Leinster U21's over the Easter weekend

U21′s Interprovincials – Garryduff, Easter
Keith Crawford, the Ladies Leinster U21 coach has named Anna O’Grady and Sorcha Conway in a strong panel for the upcoming interpro’s in Cork – well done girls, and best of luck Keith and all involved next weekend.

Upcoming Games
The Men have two remaining IHL group matches to play – YMCA on April 14, away at 1.30pm, and Lisnagarvey, also away on the 21st April at 2pm.

On Sunday 15th April the Ladies 2nds meet Hermes in the Irish Junior Cup semi-finals, 2pm at home – get along to any of these games if you can and show your SUPPORT!!

Men’s and Ladies’ Dinners
These nights are not to be missed – mark the dates down now. More information will be available from your captains soon, both nights taking place in the Clubhouse, and it is always the best night of the year!

Ladies – we want your photos for the Ladies Dinner – start collecting them up now!

Ladies Dinnner: Saturday, April 28th, 2012
Mens Dinner: Saturday, May 12th, 2012

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Mens’ Div 1 Pembroke 2 (Adam Pritchard, Maurice Elliott) Railway 2

Pembroke and Railway shared the points in what was a fitting end to a disappointing weekend in Irish sport. The drab bank holiday game shared none of the festival atmosphere and left most supporters wishing they had stayed home to nurse their hangovers (not mentioning any names Emma).

After a lackluster start to the game, it was Pembroke’s Scott Furlong who eventually took the game ‘by the scruff of the neck’. Enraged by the lack of effort around him, his ensuing assault of Mossy Elliott was slightly over the top, but it was this aggressive stance that began a period of Pembroke dominance. Good work down the left saw them earn their first penalty corner through Keith “Silky” Crawford. Furlong’s initial shot was well saved but Wilson was sharp to the rebound and his follow up effort found the defenders foot and a stroke rightly awarded. It was Furlong, still on a one man crusade to lift the team, that stepped up to take it, controversially prizing the ball from the hands of regular goal scorer and all round good guy Timmy Lewis. His effort was saved, but given how ruthlessly he had disposed of Mossy no one dared argue. Thankfully Pembroke did not have to wait long for their goal. Again it was Silky Crawford, showing no ill-effects of what was presumably another heavy weekend for him, that crept his way through the middle of the pitch to earn another corner. Furlong’s initial shot was blocked but the rebound couldn’t have fallen to a better man than Cork-born Pritchard (well maybe Lynchy would have been better) to smash it away bog-ball style.

The lead didn’t last too long, Railway’s Jeremy Duncan dancing through a number of Pembroke defenders on the top of the circle to earn his side their first corner, which Peter English fired home low to the keeper’s right. From then the game turned in to a drab affair, only briefly brought to life when first, Mossy Elliott shrugged off concussion and 3 Railway defenders to fire in to the bottom corner from a tight angle, and second Duncan again slalomed through a number of Pembroke defenders, this time finishing the job himself and smashing past Williamson on his reverse to level the scores. Pembroke pressed hard towards the end and had a number of chance to win the game, most notably when Lewis’ stunning 3-yard strike was devastatingly ruled out because of an early whistle, but it wasn’t to be and it’s back to the drawing board for Pembroke and the corner team.

In the end a draw was the final and probably fairest result.

Elsewhere Glenanne drew with UCD while Monkstown picked up 3 points against Corthinians so its still all to play for at the top of Div 1.

Pictures from the Ladies 2nds recent win over Hermes in the league. They will meet again in the IJC semi final, home on Sunday April 15th.

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Securing home advantage for the Men’s Tournament has been a major boost for the Men and the event is proving popular with the hockey public already with tickets selling extremely well – indeed the Korea match has just completely sold out today. Ireland will be lead by Ronan Gormley again while Pembroke can count 5 ex-players in the 18 man squad.
The ‘Electric Ireland Road to London‘ Men’s Tournament runs from March 10th to 18th in UCD – Ireland will face Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Chile and Malaysia, with only one team to qualify. Korea will be the team to beat, entering the tournament as the sixth-ranked team in the FIH World Ranking. There will be plenty happening besides the hockey to keep supporters entertained between matches including face painting, Balloon modelling, music, pitch side cafés and bar, and even a ‘best dressed’ competition.

The Ladies will travel to Antwerp, Belgium for their Olympic Qualifier – their assignment being even tougher – they will face France, Spain, Russia, Mexico and hosts Belgium.

The Men’s Tournament website is here » while the Ladies can be found here »

Tickets
Go to www.hockey.ie to purchase tickets »

Coverage
If you can’t make it to UCD, live streaming coverage will be available here »
RTE will show the Final on March 18th should Ireland make it.
Follow @irishhockey on Twitter for up-to-the-minute info and lots more details.

Finally – Best of luck to both Irish teams from everyone in Pembroke!

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- He was suspended for the 1st XI match
- Played and won the 2nd XI match
- Umpired the 3rd XI match
- Coached the Ladies 4th XI match

Mossy is pictured below receiving a well deserved club-funded beverage.
Well done Mossy!

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Karl Lynch - should probably stick to the hockey

Kirk Shimmins was then denied by West, some say it was the new stick he was using, so its probably a good thing that it was stolen after the match. Rovers who had a few efforts themselves were denied by Williamson, who had a good game. Pembroke – without suspended Pizza boy aka Maurice Elliott and Ben Grogan who was celebrating his 21st birthday. Rovers will feel annoyed not to have taken advantage of their one man advantage in the second half when Adam Pritchard was given a yellow for a stick tackle. All in all it was a good day for Pembroke, the ginger legend taking over the reign of captaincy for the injured Ronan Flannery.

Pembroke who don’t play again till the 19th will hope to stay on “TRACK” when they play Railway Union in Park Avenue.
A Karl Lynch Production – please direct complaints to him.

And in other news…
The Ladies 1sts were beaten 3-0 by title contenders Loreto who were able to pick some of their international stars ahead of Ireland’s Olympic Qualifier next week. Emma Sweeney came in at the back while Rebecca Sweetnam was also back for the girls. Anna O’Neill’s girls will be hoping to pick up points in their last few games to finish out the season on a positive note.

No change at the top of Div 3 for the Mens 2nds who beat Three Rock 3-1 at home. David Kane, Gordon Elliott and Dave Molloy scoring. Glenanne also picked up full points against Railway so its very much all to play for with both sides locked on equal points and only 3 games left to decide matters. Pembroke have a slightly superior goal difference and it will be interesting to see if the title comes down to this.

Elsewhere on the Mens side the 3rds suffered a set back in their title ambition, losing 4-3 at home to Monkstown. The 4th XI were dealt a blow to their division 5 survival hopes, going down 2-1 away to North Kildare. However, the result of the day went to the 6th XI who won 13-3 away from home against YMCA. The goals came from Neel Bhandari (1), Matthew McDonnell (3), Ian Styles (2), Milo Arkins (4) and Mick Payne (3). The result keeps their title hopes alive and helped the 7th XI in their own push for mid-table respectability.

Ladies 2nds stay 3 points off the top

The Ladies 3rds lost out away to Div 3 strugglers Naas while the Ladies 4ths could only draw with Malahide meaning their next game against Newbridge is a must win. The Ladies 5ths picked up a hard earned point drawing away to Guinness and will also need points from their last two games while the 6ths remain up against it after a draw away to Our Ladies.

Better result for the Ladies 7ths who won 5-0 while the 8ths narrowly lost out to Botanic 2-1 out in Glasnevin.

** No matches this coming weekend with the Olympic Qualifiers in UCD – all games have been moved to the end of the month **

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Mick controls a high ball against Clontarf

The Ladies 1sts suffered a frustrating day out against UCD Ladies, they took a 2-0 lead (Sharon Carey & Anna O’ Neill) going into half time in the early fixture at Serpentine; but 3 college goals in the 2nd half – with the killer goal in the last couple of mins sealed maximum points for the students who are hot on the heels of Railway at the top of Div 1.

The Ladies 3rds continued their excellent post-Christmas form with a 4-1 win over Weston in the late game – Kate Hurley opening the scoring with a cracker, smashing an unstoppable shot into the goal. Katie England was next up popping it past the goalie opening her goal scoring for the season. Schoolgirl Sarah Twomey was welcomed back to the team and marked it with a well finished and composed shot off a short corner on the left post. Last but not least was Darina Errity with a lovely reverse stick finish past the goalie from close in.

Sarah Twomey grabbed the third goal for the 3's

The Ladies 4ths had a good win out in Santry against Trinity on Saturday morning (2-0, Holly Porter & Julie Delany scoring) but Mossie’s team have some big games coming up after losing to Three Rock on Sunday, and every point will count now near the bottom of Div 5. One can only assume the Cocktail night did not aid the girls performance on Sunday afternoon! The Ladies 5ths had a superb result against Monkstown out in Rathdown – Monkstown Ladies 1sts have been flying up the leagues the last couple of seasons, but our 5ths managed to hold them to a 1-1 draw, Katie Ackland getting the score. The Ladies 6ths had a tough time of it losing 0-3 to Old Alex and now face a tough run-in. Fixtures against Our Lady’s, UCD and Three Rock Ladies remain.

For the Ladies 7ths, the curse of never winning when Dave is on the sidelines was finally lifted – not ideal conditions for our Ladies 7ths’ passing game as the late fixture meant it was starting to get cold, and the floodlights came on – however commitment to the cause could not be faulted when Geraldine hit a ball so hard it broke it two! Sarah Large got a goal and happily the girls managed to defend it for the rest of the game, ensuring maximum points.

The 8th’s game was more eventful on what was a beautifully sunny morning for the match. Sarah Williams got (her usual) 2. Jude Hayward got (her usual) 2. Becca Gallagher got 1 (yes!) Barbara Treacy was subjected to some very rough play but managed to keep her cool – an example to us all. Jude was also subjected to the same treatment but responded in the best possible way – 2 goals – thank you very much.

Your team report missing / too short?
Send us your match-report / goalscorers to web@pembrokewanderers.ie
You can also tweet results & goalscorers to @PWHC

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View Photo slideshow »

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Gladiators & Goddesses get your Toga’s out!!!

A night not to be missed with:

Delicious Drinks
Chariot Racing
Slave Auction
Strongest Gladiator Comp and lots more!!

From 8 till late Saturday 25th February!!

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Justin Sherriff had netted twice for the home side to get back into the tie, before Corinthians took what seemed too be the winner toward the end of normal time. Gordon Elliot popped up though to dramatically send the tie into overtime, but Pembroke hearts were broken within the first few minutes with Corinthians claiming the vital score.

The Ladies had a slightly easier time of it against UCD 2nds directly afterwards. Last time the sides met was in the league before Christmas which saw a competitive game with Pembroke running out 3-0 winners.

The opening 15 minutes of the game saw the ladies dominate possession and territory. The back four dictating play and setting up a good attacking platform. Viv Fenton continued her fine run of form breaking infield and causing the UCD defense all sort of problems. Some great baseline play and quick movement through midfield saw a couple of chances go astray. Anna O’Grady and Sue Ryan linked up to win a corner which saw the Pembroke corner machine doing what it does best…score putting the ladies ahead thanks to Rachel McGrath, 1-0! However the short corner to goals ratio only frustratingly declined for the remaining 70 mins. With a couple of straight strikes flashing wide and one clipping the inside of the keeper’s pad which went agonizingly close past the post.

After an impressive first half display, the sort that has only seen them lose one game in the league, one couldn’t be blamed for thinking the ladies would run out easy winners. However that was not to be the case. A 2-0 lead came through some nice build up play and a close finish by Sue Ryan after Anna O’Grady had done all the hard work. UCD got a bit of fire in their bellies a combination of crash balls and pressing hard created a half chance which was nicely taken. Anna O’Grady grabbed the game by the game by the scruff of the neck and made some explosive carving runs through the heart of the UCD defense which unfortunately lacked the finishing qualities needed. The game became frantic in the last 10 minutes with turnover after turnover amid the monsoon conditions and end to end attacking with no real venom. Thankfully the defense which has concede 0.833 goals a game this season held firm to progress to the quarter finals.

A quick thank you to the great support on the balcony, sidelines and bar looking forward to seeing you all donning the purple for the Qtr Final tie at home against Galway on Feb 25th.

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Schedule of remaining Matches in Valencia
8 February Ireland v Belgium 12.00
9 February Ireland v Belgium 12.00
12 February Ireland v Belgium 16.00
13 February Ireland v Spain 12.00

Don’t forget – details of the Men’s FIH Olympic Qualifier in Dublin next month are here » and tickets are selling FAST – call the ticket hotline 01-7163262 to order and for package details.

The Tournament runs from March 10th to 18th in UCD – Ireland will face Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Chile and Malaysia.
The prize for both couldn’t be greater – the winner the Olympic Qualification Tournaments will earn a place at the London 2012 Games.

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Peter Priestley’s men face a Corinthians side who hammered Trinity 11-0 in their first round match. Corinthians lie 3 places below the lads in the league but a 3-2 narrow victory back in September suggests a tight affair come Saturday. News from 2nds the camp is that recent training sessions are going well and have been highly competitive leading into the Cup fixture. Last Saturday’s hard fought victory over Fingal was an excellent way to prepare for what should be an equally competitive fixture. With a couple of players facing fitness tests this week the squad will be announced in the coming days.

On the Ladies side the 2nds are in good current form, coming back from a goal down to take a 1-1 draw against Railway last weekend not only served to show their mettle but kept them joint top of the league. Schoolgirls Joanna McDonnell, Sarah Twomey and Rachel O’Brien have settled well into senior club hockey, while the additions of Anna O’Grady, Anna O’Connell, Ali O’Mahoney and Jane Brownlee have proved key also. Team veterans Eimear McCarthy (excellent IJC scoring record) and Louise Tolerton will be hoping to keep their scoring form up on Saturday, while both Lorraine Horgan and Kate Hurley thankfully continue to settle back in after their ankle injury lay-offs. The Ladies face newly promotoed UCD 2nds at 3.30pm – directly after the guys.

…Elsewhere the Men’s 1sts find themselves back in title contention after Monkstown slipped up against Railway last weekend. The lads travel to Whitechruch to play Corinthians while Monkstown take on Three Rock Rovers at home. The Ladies 1sts took a resounding 3 points against Three Rock last Wednesday night up in Grange Rd, just reward on a rainy night which didn’t stop the Pembroke faithful from travelling – thanks to all the diehards for their unwavering support! Emma Keilthy scored a great opening goal, while Rachel McGrath made sure of the points with a second. The girls will be looking for points again on the road this weekend – they play Trinity in Alexandra College at 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

In the Cup the Ladies 3rds fly the flag for the Ladies section – they will travel to Bray for a semi-final date on Sunday February 12th. The Ladies 1sts were knocked out of the Jacqui Potter Cup last weekend 3-0 by Hermes. The Ladies 5ths Cup run came to an end last weekend also – despite putting in a great performance they succumbed 1-0 in their Qtr Final to a very useful Three Rock Ladies 2nds team who play a division above them. Very hard luck girls.

The Men’s 1sts will meet Corinthians in Serpentine on Sunday 12th in the Mills Cup semi-final – mark it in your diaries. Monkstown and Three Rock face-off in the other half of the draw, while Pembroke Men’s 2nds will have a Railway Cup Qtr Final tie to look forward to against Three Rock on Feb 19th.

Please send us your match reports, photos, photos links on Flickr / Facebook » web@pembrokewanderers.ie

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The match began at rapid pace with Pembroke exhibiting slick passing and smart movement to repeatedly frustrate Clontarf, who were left chasing shadows for the majority of the opening exchanges. Pembroke’s dominance, however, failed to yield an end product, with Pembroke failing to convert a number of short corners and gradually the visitors began to find a foothold in the match.

Clontarf’s revival was short lived though, with Pembroke finally breaking the deadlock midway through the first half. Some good work down the left set up first team regular, Kirk Shimmons at the top of the “D”, who blasted home with a strike that any senior player would have been proud of.

Pembroke Men's U21's in action last night

Pembroke pressed hard off the restart and didn’t have to wait long for a second. Alex Service battled hard to win the ball just inside the 25, which broke for Shimmons to pick up his and Pembroke’s second of the night. The half finished with Pembroke the stronger, Jack Walsh and John Orr both making the most of their opportunities, showing their tenacity and strength, winning a number of crucial fifty-fifty challenges around the pitch. However, tempers did threaten to boil over and the interval came at just the right time for both teams.

Pembroke began the second half, as they had finished the first, Geoff Garrett this time taking his chance to get on the score sheet from the top of the circle. At 3 – 0 up, the boys in purple were in dreamland, but their slumber was rudely interrupted when Clontarf pulled one back with a very brave finish after Pembroke ‘keeper, Peter Collins, appeared to have been first to the ball.

Stung into action by that setback, Pembroke went in search of another goal. Mairtin Cronin and Dave Kane had been passing superbly all evening and after patient build up work from the back, Kirk Shimmons was presented with the chance to wrap up his hat-trick, which he duly did.

By this stage, the match was over as a contest and the early fluidity had been replaced by hard challenges that pushed the boundaries of fairness. Mark Loughrey in particular, appeared to be singled out for some “treatment” by the opposition; twice being on the wrong end of fouls that had no place in a match of this nature. Pembroke refused to be shaken by this, with George Dagg and Mark Loughrey grabbing a goal each, either side of one for Clontarf that left the final score 6-2.

This performance was far from vintage though and the lads will need to step up their performance for the next round. Of particular concern will be the failure to convert a number of short corners that could prove crucial as the competition heats up. For now though, Pembroke move on with optimism and a spring in their step.

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Lady Captain fantastic

The first half was tightly contested with both sides having several chances which they were unable to convert. Railway started stronger but the Pembroke defence were up to the challenge and counter-attacking from the back with some skillful play from Ellen, Emily, Amy and Julie. From the middle of the first half Pembroke were in the ascendency, creating even more chances – one of the highlights starting with some quick passing between the mids Niamh and Kate, passing through to Jude, on to Alison finishing with a well saved shot from Ash. However it wasn’t until nearing the end of the second half, with the golden goal looming, that a breaking ball fell into space in the Railway 25. Edwina “vice-like grip” Mulcahy struck the ball from the top of the D, took a deflection over the goalie and into the back of the net. The celebration was worthy of a goal but unfortunately it was judged to be outside the circle and disallowed. Pembroke kept up the pressure until the end but the whistle meant it was golden goal time. Extra time also held plenty of chances with the Pembroke and Railway defences managing to keep the ball out of their nets.

Down to the wire and the 5 bravest of the team (Ellen, Emer, Alison, Julie & Ash) volunteered to take the flicks. Thankfully Stef volunteered to go in goals…… In what typified the fixture, the flicks started the same as the game, all square after the first 5, neither side seeming to be able to break the deadlock and it finished 4-4. Ellen confidently took Pembroke’s first flick of the second round, her accuracy equally matched by Railway. Next up was Emer who made sure Pembroke were still in with a chance. Railway stepped up to take their shot, the ball went into the back of the net but unfortunately for Railway, the flick was disallowed and Pembroke could celebrate! Final score 6-5 aet, penalties.

Dave kept the spirits up and Lucozade kept the energy levels high! Thanks to all the supporters who despite the cold and the lack of goals stayed with us until the end. Thankfully it was worth it!

Ladies 6ths miss out on Semi Final spot after 2-2 draw, and flicks
Darina Errity’s Ladies 6ths were extremely unlucky on Saturday in their Qtr Final Cup game away to Loreto. Showing fantastic determination they came back from behind twice and fought hard til the very end. Stunning goals from Clodagh Rigby and Cait Maguire kept Pembroke in the tie. Tatianna and Karen had superb games and overall Player of the Match awarded to Steph Courtney for her outstanding performance (despite already playing for the 4ths and nursing an injured hip!) in goals. Thanks to Jude and Ava for helping out the day before their own big game.

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Rachel O’Brien in midfield tormented Clontarf, and late in the first half she burst out of a tackle and picked out Rachel McGrath, who took the ball beautifully and charged the circle for a one on one with the keeper. Rachel clipped the ball and it bounced over the diving keeper to score Pembroke’s first goal. However, the teams elation was short lived when Clontarf responded with what can only be described as an opportunistic goal, given they only managed two circle entries in the first half. A crash ball from inside the half way line bounced into the circle and a Clontarf player put it in the back of the net. Despite the Pembroke protests that the ball was kicked in, the goal stood, and at half time it was all level. Clontarf started the second half at pace, and the Pembroke defence had to soak up a concentrated period of pressure. However espite controlling possession, Clontarf were unable to create anything, and the game began to level out again. Fiona Keenan and Rachel McGrath worked tirelessly up front, and Pembroke forced a number of corners and opportunities from play in succession, but failed to convert their chances.

With just minutes to go it was still all level, and Louise Tolerton at left back pushed up to take a long corner, facing into a wall of Clontarf players. Forced right, she managed to find Rachel O’Brien at the top of circle, but with her back to goal, and Clontarf defenders behind her it seemed unlikely she could do anything. In what looked an impossible move, Rachel danced her way around the Clontarf defence and calmly placed the ball in the bottom right corner of the goal. With 2 minutes on the clock, Clontarf made one last push for an equaliser. They did find their way into the circle, but the ball was crashed wide and the final whistle went, leaving Pembroke as 2 – 1 winners, and through to the semis to the delight of the team, and the Pembroke faithful who came to support!

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Fillies Goalkeepers wanted!
Specialised goalkeeping coaching is available.
We are looking to recruit some new young goalies, so any under 12 girls who are interested in trying out, and getting specialised training from qualified goalie coaches, should let Ian or Sinead know.

Drop an email to us » if you are interested or talk to Sinead or Ian.

Fillies goalkeepers training last September - we are looking for more keepers, get in touch with us!

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“Welcome back for the second half of the hockey season after what I hope was a good Christmas break for you all.
Whilst the main focus in Irish hockey is the upcoming Mens and Womens Olympic qualification tournaments in Dublin and Belgium respectively, our eyes remain on the progress of Pembroke’s teams for the remainder of the season, be they in the senior or junior sections of the Club.

A lot of hard work goes into fielding the various teams – after all this is what Pembroke is all about – and continuing this effort, even enhancing it where possible, is in the hands of all of us as Members and supporters. Pembroke Wanderers is a great Club – lets make it greater!
Happy New Year”.

West Thornton, President.

Ronan Gormley will be hoping to lead Ireland to Olympic qualification this coming March in Belfield

Details of the Men’s FIH Olympic Qualifier in Dublin this March have been released - and tickets are now on sale – call the ticket hotline 01-7163262 to order and for package details. The Tournament runs from March 10th to 18th in UCD – Ireland will face Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Chile and Malaysia.

Korea will be the team to beat, entering the tournament as the sixth-ranked team in the FIH World Ranking. The Ladies will travel to Antwerp, Belgium for their Olympic Qualifier – their assignment is even tougher than the Mens, they will face France, Spain, Russia, Mexico and hosts Belgium. Details here »

The prize for both couldn’t be greater – the winners of each of the Olympic Qualification Tournaments will earn a place at the London 2012 Games.
For the Men, hosting of this prestigious tournament in Dublin, and home advantage gives the Irish lads a major boost ahead of their preparations. With national team coach Paul Revington recently winning an FIH All Star coaching award, hopes are high that it will be a monumental year for Irish hockey and sport.

The Irish Times looks ahead to irish hockey prospects in 2012 »
Get your Tickets for the Olympic Qualifier now »
All Leinster senior league fixtures for March 10th have been moved to March 31st to facilitate spectators and volunteers attending the Olympic Qualifier more »

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To book this course or get more info, visit the Irish Hockey Development website

The course is 6 hours in duration and focuses on delivering basic hockey skills to beginners and learners. The course will also focus on the way children learn sports reinforcing the IHA coaching ethos of ‘We hear we forget, we see we understand, we do we learn’.

The course is being run by the Irish Hockey Association.

Visit the IHA Development Centre for booking info or contact Vivienne Clarke at the IHA on 01 716 3267 for more information.

Course Details
Sunday Jan 29th, 2012 – 11AM – 5PM.
The Kings Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20.
The course will be delivered indoors and costs €50.

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Dodgy ankle: Kate Hurley, out for 6 weeks following a roller-skating accident

On Thursday night all seemed bleak when the Ladies 2nds lost a fourth starting XI player this season to ankle injury. Lorraine Horgan suffered ligament damage following an awkward fall at training, leaving just one of the regular midfielders available for the first match of 2012 v Genesis.

By Saturday morning coach Mick O’Connor’s head-cold had spread through the squad and the team-talk was barely audible over the din of nose blowing and sneezing! This was a must win game for the 2nds, as despite being at opposite ends of the table, they have struggled against Genesis, drawing the first league encounter and losing 2-0 in the JP Cup in December. However, this time it was personal, with the 2nds determined to take the 3 points and keep the pressure on at the top of the Division 2 table.

The Christmas break was very evident in the opening 20 minutes of the game, with both teams making a lot of unforced errors and failing to string together any decent passages of play. However the II’s eventually began to find their pre-Christmas form, and following some consistent pressure up front, won a couple of corners in quick succession. Louise Tolerton, continuing to smash her previous seasonal-best goal tally, coolly slotted home a ‘Lou Special’, complete with her trade-mark celebratory dance.
Shortly before half time Jane Brownlee scored her first goal for the 2nds. Linking up well with Anna O’Grady, Jane received the ball at the top of the circle, and showing beautiful composure, calmly chipped the on-rushing keeper to find the net.

She shoots, she scores - Louise Tolerton broke the deadlock

In the second half the 2nds began to control the play – Anna O’Grady and Rachel McGrath (back after ankle injury) hunted down the back four relentlessly on the press, and the midfield line broke down play well to halt any Genesis comeback. The back line, with Lisa O’Rourke (heroically, given her circumstances) stepping in goals and Emma Sweeney slotting in at left back, showed why they have one of the best league defensive records, blocking everything that Genesis could throw at them, though Lisa was called on to pull off a great a save late on in the game to keep a clean sheet.

Goal number three came with less than 10 minutes to go, when Sorcha Conway drove across the circle from left to right before finding Joanna McDonnell patiently waiting at the back post to put the game to bed.

Win number 8 out of 10 for the 2nd’s this season, leave them 3 points clear at the top of the table.

Want to see your team-match report here? Email reports and photos to web@pembrokewanderers.ie

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The Blue Ribband event of the 2011/2012 season took place on Sat 7th Jan as Pembroke Wanderers 6th and 7th teams faced off for the second time this season.
In an end to end first half, the 6ths went on the attack and pressed high, but met an organised and spirited 7ths defence which soaked up the pressure and countered dangerously on the break. Good work by Callum Donnelly created the opportunity for Iain Styles to knock in the opening goal for the 6ths midway through the first half. However, the 7ths responded by creating a number of good opportunities though counter attacks led by Stefan Tudor and Roger Gonzales.
The second half opened at the same frantic pace of the first, and the 7ths superior fitness and sharpness started to tell. Despite a number of short corners and good chances, the 7ths could not find an equaliser. As the match moved into the final quarter, the 6ths rediscovered their shape and attacking game, forcing a number of short corners and saves from Robert Morgan. With 5 minutes left on the clock, a penalty stroke was awarded to the 6ths for a foot on the line. However, 6ths Captain, Andrew Stokes failed to convert from the spot and the game remained 1-0 to the final whistle.

An end to end contest that made up for in spirit and attacking play, what it perhaps lacked in quality and composure. Both sides eagerly eye a potential re-match in the Minor Cup, should their first round matches go the right way.

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