Three months since their Leinster League campaign got under way with a 2-0 defeat by Loreto at Beaufort, Old Alexandra start the second half of their season against the same opposition at Milltown tomorrow, this time as league leaders and on a run of 12 successive competitive victories.

The team, which competes in the European Cup Winners' Cup (B Division) in Rome next April, is already through to January's quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup and Leinster Cup and only Pegasus in Ulster have put together a better run since the start of the season. Confidence in the Loreto camp, though, should be equally high after their 4-1 win over Muckross a fortnight ago revived their title hopes. A repeat of their opening day victory would put them level on points with Alexandra.

Having won their first seven games of the league campaign, Hermes have now dropped five points in their last two matches, and need to get back to winning ways against Pembroke Wanderers at Serpentine Avenue. Muckross, too, must avoid any more slip-ups if they are to close the three-point gap between themselves and Alexandra.

In Munster, UCC have the chance to cut Harlequins's lead at the top of the table to three points if they can beat the University of Limerick tomorrow afternoon, while in Ulster Pegasus are close to going through an entire year's hockey undefeated. This weekend they meet Victorians, the last team to beat them in any competition (September of last year in the league).