Glenanne men hoping they can continue Irish Senior Cup quest
GLENANNE will be hoping they get the chance to attend to some unfinish-ed business this season after Hockey Ireland announced that they intend to run all branch cup competitions that have at least reached the semi final stages early in the 2020/21 season if possible.
Given that, the Tallaght side is hoping that they will get the chance to face Lisnagarvey in the last four of the Men’s Irish Senior Cup later in the year with Cookstown and UCD poised to go head to head on the other side of the draw.
Glenanne captain Gary Shaw will be hoping to see his side contest the Irish Senior Cup semi finals against Lisnagarvey later this year
It will provide these teams with an opportunity to salvage something from a season that was ended prematurely with the EY Hockey League competition in which they were competing declared null and void.
Lisnagarvey present a real test for Gary Shaw’s team having opened up a five point gap at the top of the league and played two games less than their closest challengers Banbridge before the season was cut short.
Yet while Glenanne were sitting 14 points adrift of the table toppers, they had been the only team to take points off them during the season.
Indeed they will have been disappointed that they managed only a 4-4 draw against the northerners after having opened up a 4-0 lead in the match only to be pegged back.
What’s more, the Tallaght outfit had been in impressive form in the weeks leading up to the close of the season, winning their last three games against Annadale, UCD and Pembroke that had preserved their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions Trophy.
Certainly it was a solid season for a team that had lost the services of several key players at the outset following the departure of goalkeeper, Ian Walker, Sam O’Connor to Belgium, Eddie O’Malley and player coach Joe Brennan to Corinthians.
A bye through Round One followed by victories over Cork Harlequins and Monkstown propelled Glens into the Irish Senior Cup penultimate rounds and the players will be keeping their fingers crossed they will get the chance to complete that journey.
