Cookstown continued their winning form as they won 4-2 away to Belfast Harlequins to stay top of the Men’s Premier League.
The win means ‘The Reds’ stay three points clear at the top, whilst Quins lost for a third week running.
Gregg Allen gave the visitors an early lead when he scored from the penalty spot midway through the first quarter.
Cookstown then doubled their lead just before the halftime break when Allen got his second of the game from a well-executed reverse.
The hosts looked to have found a route back into the game when an in-form Cameron Ruttle scored his sixth of the season, but Michael Kerr restored the two-goal away advantage when he scored via a deflection.
With the game entering the dying stages, Ryan Millar made it 4-1 when he converted from a penalty corner before Ruttle got his second of the game to round off the scoring.
Meanwhile, South Antrim and Kilkeel both lost ground in the title race as they drew with two sides in the bottom half.
The Lisburn side were held to a 1-1 draw away to Bangor, whilst NICS held Kilkeel to a 1-1 draw in Belfast.
The draws give Cookstown a five-point lead at the top of the table as we now enter the business end of the season.
Elsewhere North Down earned a massive three points in the race to stay in the division when the beat Raphoe 4-1.
After a goalless first quarter, the hosts got three goals in quick succession in the second to storm ahead in the tie.
Two goals from Josh Gilmore and a drag flick from Gareth McKeown gave them a 3-0 lead going into halftime.
Gilmore then completed his hat-trick in the third period to make it 4-0 and take the game beyond their visitors who got a consolation strike late on.
The loss keeps Raphoe at the bottom of the table and nine points from safety, whilst North Down climb to seventh place.
Queen’s University also got three points at home as they continued their resurgence, beating Portadown 2-0 at home.
The win makes it four wins in a row for the reigning champions, a run of form which has seen them climb from eighth to sixth.
The victory which now puts them level on points with Saturday’s opponents and only behind on goals scored.
Meanwhile, the result end a run of three without defeat for Portadown as they remain fifth, three points behind Belfast Harlequins.
Photo: Front Row Union
