So far, at least, there’s no stopping Hermes. On Saturday they made it five wins out of five in their most testing game of the EY Hockey League yet. Three goals in the first 15 minutes at Park Avenue proved enough, even though third-placed Railway Union went on to make a fight of it.

Chloe Watkins and Naomi Carroll had Hermes 2-0 up after just five minutes and no sooner had Emma Smyth pulled a goal back for the hosts Anna O’Flanagan restored the two-goal advantage with her ninth goal of the campaign. Kate McKenna got it back to 2-3, but Hermes held on for victory.

Ulster Elks, the league's only other unbeaten team, stay second after a goal in each half from Jessica McMaster and Megan Frazer gave them a 2-0 win over Ards.

Cork Harlequins took the honours in their Munster derby against UCC at Farmers Cross, second-half goals from Aoibhinn Martin and Olivia Roycroft seeing off the students and moving Harlequins up to fourth.

And UCD climbed to fifth with their second league win, two goals apiece from Katie Mullan and Aisling Naughton helping them to a 5-2 defeat of Pembroke Wanderers at Serpentine Avenue.

Consolation

After trailing 2-0 at half-time, Pembroke halved the deficit through Caroline Hill in the third quarter, but UCD responded with three goals before the hosts got a last-minute consolation.

In Belfast, Pegasus registered their first win of the campaign, goals from Suzanne Beaney, Pam Glass, Taite Doherty and Vanessa Surgeoner consigning Greenfields to their fifth consecutive defeat.