MEN'S HOCKEY- Irish Senior Cup preview: Forty-five teams competed in this year's Irish Senior Cup and that number has now been whittled down to four.
Most attention will primarily focus on two sides, Cork Harlequins and Lisnagarvey. That they are not facing each other at this stage is good for the competition.
Instonians must muscle past cup holders Lisnagarvey while the Cork side travel to Stormont in an effort to seal their place in the final at the expense of NICS.
Lisnagarvey are also preparing for their European Cup Winners Cup tournament in Vienna in April and are anxious to show the type of form that suggests they will compete well there.
They will be pleased to have several of their players back to full fitness but the drag-flicking ability of Instonians' Chris Barnes remains a considerable threat if they concede set-pieces.
Lee and Mark Tumilty, as well as John Gray and Phil Stirling, are approaching full fitness and only Erroll Lutton, Lisnagarvey's experienced international, is in any doubt with a slight calf strain.
The Cork side, which had 10 players selected for the Munster team and who sadly had no stage to show their ability because of the bad weather that wiped out the Interprovincial Championship, should feel confident enough.
With such talent all around the park, Harlequins' problem may well be to enter the game in the right state of mind at the historic Stormont venue. Undoubtedly the technical ability they possess is superior but NICS are a tough lot and won't give much away without a fight. A chance of upsetting the odds and playing in an Irish Senior Cup final makes the home side a dangerous package with little to lose.
Throughout the tournament goals have not been a problem for Harlequins, They beat Glenanne 7-2 in the last round and that was preceded by six strikes against Dublin University and 12 against Dublin side Portrane in the opening rounds.
While the NICS's 3-2 away win over Cookstown after extra-time indicates they are a side that does not fold, they will be faced with beating a Cork side that also has a bit of grit and bite about them. In the end, it's the battling streak that might just get them through.
In Division Two of the Leinster Senior League a crucial match on the back pitch at Grange Road takes place between Naas and Avoca. A win for Avoca would ensure they went into the play-offs along with top-of-the-table Clontarf and the two bottom teams in the first division for a place in Division One.
SATURDAY FIXTURES
Irish Senior Cup semi-finals: Lisnagarvey v Instonians, Havelock Park 2.30; NICS v Cork Harlequins, Stormont 2.30.
Leinster Senior League - Division One: Corinthians v Three Rock Rovers, Whitechurch Park 3:30 (Refix from February 7th). Division Two: Naas 1 v Avoca, TRR back pitch 2:30; Bray v St Brendan's, Loreto Bray 1:0; Portrane v Clontarf, College of Surgeons 1:0; Suttonians v Skerries; St James' Gate v Weston
Minor Cup semi-finals: Naas 2 v Suttonians 3 Naas 12:30; Weston v Corinthians, Kings Hospital 4:30.
Intermediate Cup semi-finals: Clontarf v Weston, DCU 3:30; YMCA III v Navan, Wesley College 2:0.
