Pembroke 4 Kelburne 2 - final save

It was a lot more fraught than it should have been but Pembroke have picked up the first ever win by an Irish club in EHL competition tonight - a decent piece of history. It was all built on Alan Sothern's stunning first quarter hat-trick. It got a bit sticky in the third quarter but Sothern pulled it out of the bag once again to ease the nerves. Kelburne take a bonus point but need to beat Rotterdam tomorrow to have any chance of progression.

There's a very rare thing going on as Pembroke applaud the Glenanne supporters on their way round to their own set of fans. Great respect and reception all round! A night to be proud of Irish hockey.

Full reports and photos will appear on The Hook later this evening!

70 mins FULL TIME

Kelburne back to 11 and with possession but no real penetration. Exciting game coming to low-key end. Just as i type that, Paddy Good lays across goal on the dive but its cleared and that's the ball game.

65 mins

Kelburne up to ten as Marshall serves his sentence. The Scots have two great chances with Stott doing well. At the other end, Sherriff has another try saved.

64 mins

Nice move between Conlon and O'Connor leads to Sherriff getting a shot off  but comfortably saved.

63 mins

IN spite of two men's absence, Ross Stott is free to shoot but he balloons over the bar.

62 mins

Kelburne down to nine men - Johnny Christie's stupid tackle on O'Connor leads to another yellow which will see Kelburne at a numerical disadvantage at least until three minutes from time.

61 mins

Sothern does really well on the right endline but O'Connor can't squeeze it in.

60 mins

Willie Marshall sin-binned (yellow) for a nudge on compatriot Paddy Conlon on half-way.

59 mins

Craig Fulton back in action - Gordy Elliott makes a goos surge called back for a free.

58 mins

Sherriff one on one with Mark Fulton but the keeper guides him wide and wins this match-up.

57 mins

Fats Kelburne attack, wild swing from Fulton likely to get green but attack continues. Nelson's bash hits backboard but no touch in the circle. Fulton in the bin for two minutes.

56 mins

Mark Ralph skims the post and away to the right of the goal to keep two-goals in the difference.

55 mins

Kelburne win a corner; Pembroke appeal but have no tv appeals left - interestingly umpire Mattson stops time and consults and then awards a bully. From the next play, Kelburne earn another corner and it stands this time round.

54 mins - GOAL Pembroke 4 Kelburne 2

Sothern drags from slightly to the right of the top D and flings in the shot for his fourth of the evening. What a relief!

Pembroke 4 Kelburne 2

54 mins

Video umpire Miguel Servetto rules in Pembroke's favour and they have a fifth corner of the game.

54 mins

Pembroke revert back to starting team that had so much success. Gordy Elliott finds a crouched knee and there's a call for the video umpires and a corner shout.

Three-quarter time - Pembroke 3 Kelburne 2

Right on the hooter, Kenny Bain gets a shot in but David Harte saves it easily. 20 minutes ago, Pembroke were cruising, now they are in a dog-fight as the Scots bossed the first ten minutes of the period and pulled two back in that time. Pembroke gained a semblance of normalcy toward the end of the half but Derek Forsyth has done a very good job to lift his side. Fascinating final quarter in store.

Pembroke 3 Kelburne 2

53 mins

Sothern's drag goes low and wide.

52 mins

Switch to Conor Harte hits the defender's foot and the corner is reset.

51 mins

Alan Giles quick auto-pass goes down Maurice Elliott's throat and he cleverly gets in the defender's path to draw a corner from the 25.

47 mins

Alan Giles draws a fantastic save from Fulton with a reverse as Pembroke belatedly get the half started.
Maurice Elliott plays in Fulton whose shot is saved by his namesake and Sothern's rebound goes wide.

45 mins - GOAL Kelburne 2 Pembroke 3

Mark Ralph drags home and this is incredible. Unrecognisable from both teams of the first half. Pembroke all at sea and there are shades of their first EHL outing when they let a two goal lead slip against Polish opposition when only a draw was needed...

44 mins

A simple ball in finds Tim Lewis foot and after an umpire's consultation its a  corner for Kelburne.

43 mins

Horsfield flying down the right wing again - where did this come from!? He's blocked on the circle's edge by Conor Harte.

42 mins

Harte clears well as Pembroke remain pinned in their 25. A few oooh's as McConnell takes a Kelburne stick but just a free-in conceded which is dealt with.

41 mins

Gormley steps out with a blood injury, moving Tim Lewis into the back four and Andy McConnell into right back.

40 mins

Another couple of Kelburne chances and this is really worrying. Harte saves twice.

38 mins - GOAL Kelburne 1 Pembroke 3

Ian Horsfield makes his first appearance of the day. he's involved in the build-up as Ross Stott pounces three yards out to roll into the corner. Pembroke haven't started playing this half.

Kelburne 1 Pembroke 3

37 mins

We're back in action - murmurs from the group of umpires next to me that Ronan Gormley has passed the ball with his reverse-stick for a second time today. interesting, got away with it twice. They reckon it should be a corner both times - nobody around at the time, just simple passing around the back.

Half-time

Pembroke really dominated that and if they maintain this lead they will be all but through to the KO16. Kelburne have really struggled, in particular Willie Marshall and Mark Ralph, in defence where they have been opened up time and again. Sherriff has been awesome, Paddy Conlon is finding plenty of space as is Alan Giles and if it continues, they could bag a hatful. The scoring slowed in the second period as the Scots went half-court but have yet to make a meaningful forward surge.

35 mins - HALF TIME

Sothern miscues and its easy for Fulton - cleared and the half-time hooter goes.

34 mins

Another superb bit of interplay, Giles find Maurice Elliott and he wins the second corner on the right baseline.

34 mins

Superb move creates a world of space for Gordon Elliott to cross and he finds Sherriff, just wide. Great move.

33 mins

Or maybe with his right foot! Mexican wave makes its first appearance on the Pembroke side of the stands

32 mins

Sothern drags and Fulton saves well to his right hand side with his glove.

31 mins

Willie Marshall pushes Tim Lewis and its the first corner of the game.

30 mins

Green card for Michael Bremner - not really sure what for, Kelburne were on the attack and have a free on the five-metre line - comes to nothing

26 mins

Sublime work from Alan Sothern with his trademark punch into the ground over a flat-stick challenge. Plays in Fulton but his sweep shot goes well wide.

25 mins

Kelburne take the sensible option of going back to half-court to minimise the space. Pembroke have held the ball for quite while now.

22 mins

Pembroke have taken the sting out of the game a bit and the game has been between the 25s for the past five minutes.

18 mins

Back in action, balmy evening with the floodlights now on at full strength.

Quarter-time - Pembroke 3 Kelburne 0

Fantastic first period for Pembroke - and hitman Alan Sothern in particular - as they have spanked Kelburne. The pace of Sherriff and O'Connor combined with the quick-witted play to set them free has been too much for the Scottish back four who look shell-shocked.

17 mins

Kenny Bain his the side-netting with Kelburne's first real shot in anger.

16 mins

Glens fans still singing - this time Mick O'Connor is the subject of their tributes "we love you Hector, we do". He pulls one back from the endline which just goes without a touch.

15 mins - GOAL - Pembroke 3 Kelburne 0 Sothern hat-trick

Sothern rolls it bottom left for 3-0. Hat-trick for Sothern.

Pembroke 3 Kelburne 0

15 mins - Penalty stroke Pembroke

Fulton lay-off feeds Sothern who returns the favour. Fulton is impeded whilst shooting, he hits the post but its brought back for the stroke.

12 mins

Mick O'Connor goes 60 metres on his own, again pace killing Kelburne, and is just denied winning a corner.

10 mins

Pembroke content to soak up pressure and definitely have the pace to burn Kelburne's slow defence on the break - something Scottish coach Russell Garcia was a severe weakness last week.

8 mins GOAL Pembroke 2 Kelburne 0

Conor Harte's superb diagonal ball finds Justin Sherriff free on the left wing, he enters the circle unimpeded, cracks a reverse and Alan Sothern dives in to tap it in.

Pembroke 2 Kelburne 0

5mins

Scholefield flies into the circle but Alan Giles clears the danger from in front of David Harte.

2 mins

Unbelievable start - you don't win games in the first minute but Pembroke have given themselves a huge boost early on. Kelburne have bounced back reasonably well, Jonny Christie reaching the endline while they have held possession since the goal.

6 seconds - GOAL Pembroke 1 Kelburne 0

Alan Sothern latches onto some dreadful Kelburne defending from their own tip off and smashes in a reverse-stick shot

Pembroke 1 Kelburne 0

Team presentation done and dusted and we're ready to go.

Starting line-ups

Pembroke: David Harte, Adam Pritchard, Tim Lewis, Conor Harte, Ronan Gormley, Paddy Conlon, Alan Giles (capt), Andy McConnell, Gordon Elliott, Alan Sothern, Justin Sherriff
Subs: Nigel Henderson, Simon Thornton, Craig Fulton, Maurice Elliott, Mick O'Connor, Patrick Good, Stu Garrett

Kelburne: Mark Fulton, Kenny Bain, Ross Stott, Michael Christie, Jonny Christie, Mark Ralph, Chris Nelson, Willie Marshall, Chris Sholefiled, Alan Forsyth, Josh Cairns
Subs: Michael Bremner, Ian Horsfield, Gareth Hall, Gordon McIntyre

Welcome to the Pembroke vs Kelburne live match-tracker

The sides have just made their way onto the pitch. It's cooled down a lot from earlier this afternoon and will be much more to each side's liking. Just spotted Ian Horsfield looking a bit odd in yellow socks and purple shorts compared to the more recognisable sky-blue. Nigel Henderson has been in relaxed mood at the edge of the press box. The wind has also picked up a bit, blowing the water from the sprinklers my direction!

Team news to follow shortly...