WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Weekend round-up: Last season's top three in the Leinster first division, Loreto, Old Alexandra and Hermes, experienced wildly varying degrees of difficulty en route to victories on Saturday, but, having played five games between them in the new campaign, all three are yet to drop a point. It's as you were.
Alexandra, playing their first game of the season, had the most comfortable of wins, beating Three Rock 5-0 at Milltown. Orla Bell strengthened her squad during the summer by bringing in the talented duo of Ciara Murphy, from Connacht, and Laura McCoy, from Trinity, and both marked their debuts with goals.
In contrast, Hermes' victory over Pembroke Wanderers was slender, 3-2, but they led by two goals for much of the game, Pembroke only scoring their second a minute from time. Two first-half goals from Carol Devine put Hermes in the ascendancy, and, after they conceded from a penalty corner a minute before the break, Molly Powers restored the advantage 10 minutes from time.
Loreto had to come from behind against Railway Union, who have the look of a team that's developing nicely. Ciara O'Brien, who scored Railway's winner against Three Rock last week, gave her team the lead from a corner early in the first half, but Loreto rallied, taking the lead through Cathy McKean and Wendy Byrne before the break, a lead they held until the end.
Corinthian had the better of their game against UCD at Whitechurch, but after leading though Linda Campbell they fell behind to two goals from Barbara Fitzgerald. Fiona Purcell levelled, though, early in the second half and the game finished 2-2.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Clontarf 2 (D O'Brien, N Mooney), Genesis 2 (C Maguire, C Stewart); Railway Union 1 (C O'Brien), Loreto 2 (C McKean, W Byrne); Old Alexandra 5 (T Conway, C Murphy, Z Dahl, L McCoy 2), Three Rock 0; Hermes 3 (C Devine 2, M Powers), Pembroke Wanderers 2 (S Kane, K Henderson); Corinthian 2 (L Campbell, F Purcell), UCD 2 (B Fitzgerald 2). Division Two: Trinity 2 (A Budd, H Irvine), Loreto III 1 (A Branigan); Diocesan 3 (V Jones, S Jones, M Grealy), Muckross 2 (C O'Connor 2); Old Alexandra II 1 (E O'Reilly), Glenanne I 0; Hermes II 1 (T Dowling), Skerries 2 (N Seaver, S Kinnane); Loreto II 2 (N Keogh 2), Pembroke Wanderers II 3 (H Williams, J Phelan, C O'Callaghan).
ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Ballymoney 2, Pegasus 0; Ballymena 0, Omagh 3; Knock 3, Ards 3; Victorians 0, Randalstown 5.
