EYHL Saturday 7 November: Three Rock Host Leaders Lisnagarvey, Banbridge Welcome Cork Harlequins
Saturday 7 November gives the men’s EY Hockey League two ties that pull the table in opposite directions.
The headline game is at Grange Road, where Three Rock Rovers host Lisnagarvey at 3:00pm. Lisnagarvey went into last weekend top of the table after Round 6, having edged YMCA 1-2 away in a tight game, and they are the defending league and Champions Trophy winners. Three Rock are the kind of side that can ruin a leader’s weekend at home, and this is exactly the fixture where a top-of-the-table side drops points if it isn’t sharp. A Lisnagarvey win keeps the pressure on everyone below them. A Three Rock win throws the race wide open again.
At Havelock Park, Banbridge host Cork Harlequins at 2:45pm. Banbridge were third in the chasing pack after Round 6 on nine points, level with Corinthian, after Corinthian stunned them 2-1 at home in that round thanks to an Ian Stewart brace. That result was a reminder that nobody in this league gets a free weekend. Cork Harlequins, newly back in the top flight, will travel with nothing to lose, and Banbridge will want a statement win to get their title challenge back on track.
Round 6 last Saturday showed how fine the margins are in this league. Lisnagarvey won by a goal, Pembroke Wanderers won 1-0 at Portrane, Avoca came from behind to win 2-1 at Cork Harlequins, and Corinthian stunned Banbridge. Four games, four tight results. Saturday’s pair look like more of the same. For our money, Lisnagarvey at Grange Road is the one to watch first, but Banbridge’s response to that Corinthian defeat might tell us more about the title race.