WOMENS HOCKEY: When they lost their fourth league game of the season in December to Pembroke Wanderers, Loreto's hopes of winning a third successive title appeared to be all but dead, the defeat leaving them eight points adrift of Hermes and Pembroke at the half-way stage of the campaign.

While Hermes remain favourites to regain the crown they last won in 2003, Loreto's sixth win in a row on Saturday suggests there's some life yet in those title hopes. Goals from Linda O'Neill and Sarah Scott put Loreto, who also missed a penalty stroke, 2-0 up against Railway Union at Beaufort before Emma Smyth pulled a goal back.

Loreto, then, despite the absence of their four internationals, Cathy McKean, Nikki Symmons, Nikki Keegan and Louisa Healy (who are in Argentina preparing for Ireland's opening game of the four nations tournament tomorrow), remain in contention, although they must surely take maximum points from their three remaining games.

It all remains in Hermes' hands. They are a point behind Loreto but have two games in hand and even without their internationals got the better of Old Alexandra on Saturday, a Shirine Young goal proving enough against the team they will meet later in the month in the Irish Senior Cup final.

Having dropped 10 points before Saturday from their post-Christmas fixtures, a slump that left them two points behind Hermes having played two extra games, Pembroke regained third spot from Railway by beating Corinthian 4-0, with Siobhán Kane getting two goals. UCD moved above Alexandra into fifth with a 1-0 win away to Clontarf while Three Rock and Trinity drew 1-1.

In Ulster, Pegasus moved a step closer to winning their ninth successive league title, without even playing. Ballymoney, their closest challengers, could only draw at home to Belfast Harlequins, meaning anything but a win over Pegasus next weekend, when the teams meet at Queen's, will all but seal the title for the All-Ireland champions.