Saturday, November 14, 2009

Women's league looks set for two-horse race

Leinster Women's Division One:
Trinity 0 Hermes 3 (Jenny Burke, Deirdre Duke, Aoife Harte)
Hermes made better use of their corners to ease to three points against Trinity in spite of the absence of Chloe Watkins (ankle injury), Aine Connery (camogie commitments) and Niamh Atcheler (wrist injury). Colin Stewart stepped in as caretaker coach for the day and witnessed Jenny Burke hit in a corner and Deirdre Duke score from play to make it 2-0 at half-time. Aoife Harte deflected in a perfect corner move in the second half while Emma Gray kept a clean-sheet against her former club, keeping out seven short corners.

Railway Union 1 (Jean McDonnell) Bray 0
Jean McDonnell (pictured, right) finally unlocked the key to Mary Goode's goal deep into the second half as Railway continued their 100pc record in the league and carved open a five-point margin between themselves and the chasing pack in third place in the process. McDonnell's virtuoso strike, reaching the baseline before pulling the ball back onto her open side and beating Goode at the near post was the high point of a scrappy affair in which Bray held out severe pressure for long periods with Grainne Howe impressing in the centre. Railway's Australian newcomer Claire McGarity enjoyed a baptism of fire on debut, facing up to Linda O'Neill as she took on the left-mid role vacated by Emma Smyth in the first half and picked up a yellow card for her troubles.

Loreto 2 (Cathy McKean, Nicci Daly) UCD 1 (Catriona McGilp)
Loreto came from a goal behind to maintain their perfect start to division one with a fifth home win on the spin, taking the laurels from a tough encounter against UCD. Catriona McGilp's excellent execution of a one-on-one with Louisa Healy had given the students the lead but Cathy McKean levelled matters when she took the ball out of the firing line of a Nikki Symmons' reverse to promptly bury in the bottom corner. And the winning goal was a truly stunning piece of team-work from the Beaufort side. Nikki Keegan (pictured, left) produced some excellent stick-work on the 25 before finding Ali Meeke on the endline and her lay-off found Nicci Daly in space to complete the move and the win.

Pembroke 1 (Sinead Loughran) Glenanne 2 (Dearbhla Kieran, Ciara Nugent)
Glenanne picked up their first league triumph as they overturned last week's cup defeat to Pembroke with a last-gasp Ciara Nugent goal. She scrambled in with three minutes to go to plunder the points at Serpentine Avenue and reconnect with the rest of the sides in the table with the bottom six covered by just three points. Sinead Loughran had given the 'Broke the lead when she finished off a fine move, instigated by Natalie Fulton who weaved a pass to Shona Doyle on the endline who picked up the final assist. But Dearbhla Kieran rebounded a broken down penalty corner on the half-time hooter to get the Glens back into the game. And their high-pressing game earned dividends in the final minutes as Nugent mopped up for the win. Pembroke skipper, meanwhile, was harshly red carded for two yellow cards - both for not retreating fully from an auto-pass.

Corinthian 0 Old Alex 3 (Laura McCoy 2, Aisling Flinn)
Old Alex produced their most fluid performance to date this season to move into a share for third place with a 3-0 away win at Whitechurch Park. The Trinity connection was in full effect as Aisling Flinn opened the scoring with a back-post tap-in before Laura McCoy arrived late from right midfield to deflect in Rachel Griffith's crash ball. McCoy rounded off the scoring in the second half with a rebound. For Corinthian, Aisling Naughton gave notice of her ability with some flashes of skill, breaking through for a one-on-one but Pamela Smithwick stood her ground well to maintain her clean-sheet.

ESB Irish Junior Cup round-up:
Reigning champions Hermes II fell at the first hurdle as they lost out to Glenanne II on a day of eye-catching results in the women's Irish Junior Cup. Hailing from the lower reaches of Leinster division four, the Glens defied the odds with goals from Siobhan Bastable and Jane Salter to secure a 2-1 win in St Andrew's.

2009 finalists Railway Union II kept their hopes alive of emulating that performance by reaching the last 16 courtesy of Michaela Ring's extra-time winner against Pembroke, 3-2. Clontarf II won the other Dublin derby 1-0 against Three Rock Ladies (pictured).

Loreto II knocked Priorians for six while Corinthian II also beat Ulster opposition, getting the better of Lisnagarvey II 2-0 while Old Alex II beat Portadown II 5-0 to make it six Leinster names in Sunday's hat for the draw.

Genesis II, UCD II, Bray II and Trinity II, though, all bowed out. Elsewhere, UCC II caused an upset against a Cork Harlequins' side featuring Rachel Kohler and Jane Chapple, leading twice before eventually prevailing on penalty strokes.

Irish Junior Cup results
Clontarf II 1 (Susan Lawless) Three Rock Ladies II 0; Priorians II 0 Loreto II 6 (Wendy Byrne, L Pomphrett 3 C Howard, C Baker); Lurgan II 1 (Chloe McCann) Ashton II 0; Coleraine II 0 Catholic Institute II 9 (Sorcha O'Dea, Gloria Joyce 2, Karen Downing 2, Orla Curtain 2, Sandra Hedgian); Greenisland II 4 (T O'Connor, G Cathcart, A MacCorquodale 2) Dromore II 3 (K Lautton 2, V Cummings) aet; Corinthian II 2 (Sara Smith, Hannah Donnelly) Lisnagarvey II 0; Cork HQ II 2 (Jane Chapple, Denise O Connor) UCC II 2 (Fiona O Connell, Vicky O Sullivan) UCC won 3-1 on strokes; Galway II 3 (Alison Hynes 2, Elaine Newell) UCD II 2 aet; Bray II 0 Armagh II 1 (Jill Johnston); Pembroke W II 2 (Marie McKeogh 2) Railway Union II 3 (Karen Clakre, Nicola Taylor, Mikaela Ring) aet; Bandon II w/o Ards II scr; Belfast Harlequins II 4 (Rachel Ross, Laura Callaghan, Tasmin Sturgeon, Claire Caruth) Dublin University II 2 (Ali O Reilly, Nicky McAllister); Randalstown II 4 (Cathy Johnston, Louise Mellor 2, Lynsey Black) Ulster Elks II 1 (Louise Wright); UL II 3 (Susie McDonough 2, Laura Davis) Genesis II 2 (Sarah Kavanagh, Anna O'Loughlin); Hermes II 1 (Orla Patton) Glenanne II 2 (Siobhan Bastable, Jane Salter); Portadown II 0 Old Alex II 5 (Hazel Agar, Sylvia Gilsenan 2, Liane Costello 2)

* For more of Deryck Vincent's pictures from the ESB IJC game between Clontarf II and TRL II, click here

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will there be any information on the Irish Junior Cup results from today?

Anonymous said...

great game at beaufort today! Loreto probably deserved to win, just.

Anonymous said...

any idea when the draw for the next round of the IJC is being made?

Anonymous said...

Pembroke skipper, meanwhile, was harshly red carded for two yellow cards - both for not retreating fully from an auto-pass.
Can i ask why harshly? i am sure she was warned a couple of times prior to the cards. go to see an umpire using the cards.. should be more of this. Players know the rules now so not they must pay for not retreating..

Stephen Findlater said...

The IHA have confirmed they will publish the IJC draw on Monday.

Anonymous said...

any news on the schoolgirls results?

Anonymous said...

In relation to the red card - Im very surprised to see a red card being shown in ladies hockey - because I feel that the umpires within the ladies panel are way too nice - the girls are told to move back more than once, I can guarantee that she was told more than once - she received a yellow - she did not learn from this - did the same thing again and got a second yellow for the same offence and hence the red card - Usually I find the girls cop on much quicker than the guys - so fair play to the umpire -

Anonymous said...

If the draw was done yesterday will they put the next round up. i've been on the Website a few times this morning and nothing yet for IJC

Anonymous said...

Seriously Steve, already calling it a two horse race? That's a bit much isn't it?

Anonymous said...

I agree with 2.34 -two horse race - it is very early days, we are coming up to the half way stage, but a lot can happen - I hope it stays as it is but..........

Anonymous said...

Hermes look the most likely to bridge the gap but they've lost already to both the top two this year and to Pegasus in the IHL and drew with Pembroke. Not sure it bodes well to catching the top two but hope I'm wrong.