WOMEN'S HOCKEY: LORETO FINISHED their weekend's work yesterday as the only Leinster first division side still with a perfect record, both Hermes and UCD dropping their first points of the season.

Railway Union’s grip on their title, meanwhile, was loosened a little further, the champions drawing both their games over the weekend.

A solitary goal proved enough for Loreto to take the points from their game against Pembroke Wanderers on Saturday, Hannah Matthews’ first-half short corner strike sealing the win. Matthews was on the scoresheet again yesterday, her second half goal, to add to Sarah O’Meara’s opener in the first period, giving Loreto a 2-0 victory over UCD at Belfield.

Hermes had to come from behind to preserve their unbeaten record when they played Railway at Park Avenue yesterday, the hosts leading 2-1 at half-time through goals from Patricia O’Dwyer and Isobel Joyce.

Eimear Horan and Sinéad Connery, though, got the scores to secure the draw. Hermes are now second in the table, two points behind Loreto.

Both sides – like Loreto and UCD – were without their international players over the weekend, but even shorn of the services of Sinéad McCarthy, Anna O’Flanagan, Audrey O’Flynn, Lisa Jacob and Emma Gray, Hermes were still able to crush Corinthian 12-1 on Saturday, Deirdre Duke scoring four and Jenny Burke and Laura Pinder getting two apiece.

Railway, though, suffered in the absence of Jean McDonnell, Julia O’Halloran, Alex Speers, Emma Smyth and Nicola Evans, finding no way through Old Alexandra’s defence on Saturday, having to settle for a scoreless draw.

A Jess McMickan goal gave UCD, now third in the table, a 1-0 win over Glenanne, while goals from Rachel Scott, Lucy Small, Katie Grehan, Caroline Murphy helped earn Trinity a 4-2 victory over Bray.