WOMEN'S HOCKEY:WITH A fixture to spare Hermes are through to the last four of the Irish Hockey League after beating Cork Harlequins 3-0 yesterday in the penultimate round of pool matches. Six other clubs, though, are still in the running for the three remaining semi-final spots, which makes for a tense conclusion to the pool phase next month.
Barring a defeat by three clear goals by Railway Union on April 4th, along with a three-goal victory for Pegasus over Church of Ireland, Loreto will join Hermes in the last four. They picked up another bonus point in their 5-2 victory away to Randalstown on Saturday, putting them four points clear of Railway and Pegasus who are tied on 11.
Church of Ireland goalkeeper Orla McCarthy was largely responsible for Railway missing out on a bonus point in their 2-0 win at Garryduff.
Jean McDonnell and Patricia O’Dwyer had put the visitors 2-0 up by the break, but despite earning 13 short corners in the game Railway were thwarted in their search for a third goal.
Loreto would already have been through to the semi-finals if Pegasus had missed out on a bonus point yesterday, a prospect that looked more than possible when they happened to go a goal down to Belfast Harlequins in the 10th minute.
Suzanne Beaney levelled, though, for the Ulster champions, Kirsty McCollum adding two more before half-time, with further second-half scores from Hannah Clarke and Fiona McIllwaine securing the bonus.
In Pool B Hermes made it four wins out of four – a record matched only by Loreto in Pool A – against Cork Harlequins at Belfield yesterday, Jenny Burke (two) and Aoife Harte getting the All-Ireland champions’ goals.
The defeat saw the Munster side drop from second to fourth in the table, overtaken by Saturday winners Ballymoney and UCD.
Two goals from Nicky McCaughran helped Ballymoney to a 4-2 win over Pembroke Wanderers while UCD produced four second-half goals to ease to a 5-1 victory over Armagh, Caitriona McGilp scoring twice.
Hermes, then, are through, with Ballymoney (away to Hermes), UCD (away to Pembroke) and Harlequins (home to Armagh) all competing next month to join them in the semi-finals.
