Women's IHL: Round Three, Saturday round-up

Group A
Railway Union 2 (Emer Lucey, Emma Smyth) Belfast Harlequins 0
Two goals in seven, third quarter minutes moved Railway Union into second place in Group A, ahead of Pegasus, completing a 2-0 win over Belfast Harlequins.

They had the best of the first half but found themselves foiled by Harlequins' keeper Jenny Foster. Five minutes into the second, though, Emer Lucey broke the deadlock, cracking home a penalty corner. Emma Smyth (pictured, left) doubled up soon after for a comfortable advantage.

Nicole Morrow was causing problems at the other end, one effort flashing across Helen Stevenson's goal but they could not net a bonus point.

Cork C of I 1 (Amy Roberts) Loreto 4 (Nikki Symmons, Niamh Small, Hannah Matthews 2)
Loreto continued to keep full control of Group A with a bonus point in Garryduff, overturning a first-half deficit with starlet Hannah Matthews marking her return from long-term injury with two goals.

Amy Roberts gave the hosts the lead, finishing adroitly after cutting in from the left in an opening quarter that C of I dominated.

But Nikki Symmons hauled Loreto level just after the break, sparking a superb second-half performance from the seasoned Irish international star.

Niamh Small rattled home a short corner to give Loreto a lead to take into the final quarter, and that advantage was doubled when Matthews exchanged passes with Symmons at corner time before finding the backboard.

Matthews rubbed salt into C of I’s wounds with her side’s fourth in the final minutes, and the bonus point accrued propels them to the head of the table with three wins from three.

Group B
Cork Harlequins 3 (Rachel McSharry, Hilary Chapple, Jane Chapple) UCD 1 (Fiona Braddish)
Harlequins took temporary charge of Group B, ahead of the Hermes-Pembroke match on Sunday, taking control of their tie in the third minute when skipper Rachel McSharry swept home from a neat corner move.

The students were back on terms in the second quarter when Fiona Braddish flung herself at a loose ball after Lisa Jacob's early incision. McSharry, though, instigated a move on the stroke of half-time, keeping the ball alive to feed Rachel Kohler and her nicely angled cross was deflected home by Hilary Chapple.

Jane Chapple added the decider in the third, creating and finishing a breakaway to put UCD on the verge of elimination. Harlequins, meanwhile, are in rude health, especially as their final group game with Armagh will be a dead rubber.

Ballymoney 5 (Lyndsey McVicker 4, Sally Stewart Moore) Armagh 0
A virtuoso performance from Irish legend Lyndsey McVicker (pictured, right) got Ballymoney into an overnight tie for second in Group B though they will drop tomorrow after the group is completed.

They have, however, got right back into the mix with a great five-star performance in the Ulster derby. MBE McVicker netted a first half hat-trick, netting her fourth in the closing ten minutes and Sally Stewart Moore completed the rout.