Hockey: Kelly stars as Pembroke hold out against three Rock
Veteran Pembroke Wanderers defender Colin Kelly played a starring role as his understrength team took a
point off Three Rock Rovers in the Leinster league at the weekend.
With international Ronan Gormley unavailable with a bruised shin, 33-year-old Kelly was switched from full-back to centre-half and responded to the move with some exemplary tackling.
Three Rock did the lion's share of the attacking in the crunch game at Serpentine Avenue, but their eagerness produced precious little in the way of clear-cut chances as Kelly and Conor Harte provided the best of cover.
Pembroke took the lead on 44 minutes when Alan Sothern pounced on a misplaced pass to put a rasping shot whistling past Charlie Henderson into the Rovers' goal.
However, the reigning Leinster and national champions hauled themselves back level 20 minutes later.
The equaliser came at a smart penalty corner move finished with a shot from Mitch Darling that clipped a
post on its way to the net.
Meanwhile, the race to succeed Dave Passmore as national men's hockey coach moves close to conclusion this week, with six hopefuls due in Dublin this week.
Passmore has been promoted to national performance director and IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland has confirmed that four of the six candidates are coming from abroad for Thursday's interviews.
With Argentina due to play Ireland in a couple of games at the end of the month, the job of looking after the team is likely to fall to his assistant Craig Fulton.
However, the new man (or woman) should be in command by the time Ireland meet Scotland at the end of November.
It is believed that South African Fulton, currently employed as player coach with Pembroke Wanderers, is among those who have thrown their hat into the ring to take over from Passmore.
l Hermes, the Leinster and All-Ireland women's champions, woke up from their slumber when losing 1-0 to Railway Union last week by picking up their first points of the Leinster League on Saturday. In the process they dished out an 8-2 trouncing to visitors Trinity at St Andrews with Nicola Evans, Jenny Kinch and Christine Quinlan all in scoring form with two goals apiece.
- David Medcalf
