Saturday, March 20, 2010

Title retains focus as IHL places decided

Women's Division One:
Corinthian 1 (Susie Geoffroy) Hermes 5 (Elaine O'Neill, Juliette King-Hall, Deirdre Duke, Aoife Harte, Anna O'Flanagan)
With the majority of loose ends being all but tied up today, the most important issue remains anybody's guess as both Railway and Hermes fulfilled their part of the bargain to stay neck-and-neck in the title race. Hermes ended up lengthy winners at Corinthian - playing their last league fixture of the season - though they were forced to endure a few scares in the second quarter before eventually pulling clear. They got off to a flyer, Elaine O'Neill opening the scoring before Anna O'Flanagan (right) played in Juliette King-Hall at the back post to score her first senior one goal.

But the reds pounced on the break, Susie Geoffroy smashing home a 27th minute corner while Ciara Bregazzi-Nevin's effort was well smothered by Emma Gray soon after. Hermes, though, knocked the stuffing out of the fightback when Michaela McMullen slipped to Deirdre Duke to reassert a two goal advantage at the interval.

Duke earned the fourth, drawing a foot on the line and Aoife Harte netted the ensuing stroke before O'Flanagan completed the scoring after a Duke assist.

Railway Union 2 (Patricia O'Dwyer, Jean McDonnell) Pembroke 1 (Noelle Farrell)
Railway kept pace with Hermes with their final day showdown looking an ever more likely title decider as they overcame a potential banana-skin, Jean McDonnell getting the vital goal 15 minutes from time. Patricia O'Dwyer rebounded after Kate McKenna's shot hit the post but Noelle Farrell tied the game up at the break, scoring in the 33rd minute. But McDonnell proved the gamebreaker, smacking home a straight corner strike to take the derby day honours. Pembroke drop to ninth as a result and are the only side that Bray can now catch up with.

Loreto 4 (Nicci Daly 2, Nikki Keegan, Cathy McKean) Old Alex 0
Loreto kept their faint hopes of the division one title alive though they are running out of games for the leading duo to slip up in if that is to become a reality. They produced a strong second half against the Jacqui Potter winners, netting three times after the break in spite of the absence of Lizzie Colvin and Nikki Symmons, on international duty against Germany's U-21s in a training fixture. Nicci Daly scored the first inside five minutes from a corner rebound and, after a long wait, Nikki Keegan made it 2-0 and Cathy McKean and Daly's second copper-fastened the points. Alex were without Roisin Flinn but despite the setback are confirmed as the fifth place finisher by virtue of other results on the day and now must prepare for the IHL play-offs for a second year running.

Bray 0 UCD 1 (Rosie Carrigan)
Rosie Carrigan's (pictured, left) scrambled corner goal five minutes from time finally earned the win for UCD at Bray, confirming their place in the 2010/11 IHL while Bray are on the brink of being confirmed as tenth place and a promotion/relegation playoff against an eligible division two candidate. Mary Goode and her defensive troops frustrated the students for long periods, keeping out multiple corners until Carrigan eventually scored while the hosts were down to ten players.

Glenanne 2 (Mary Waldron, Rachel Maunsell) Trinity 0
Glenanne leapt three places by virtue of their win over Trinity at St Mark's this afternoon, overtaking Pembroke, Trinity and Corinthian, confirming their place in the division in the process as they moved clear of the reach of Bray with just a fixture with Loreto to come.

ESB Irish Junior Cup:
Old Alex II will fly the Leinster flag in the women's Irish Junior Cup final after Sylvia Gilsenan's golden goal proved the only divider between the Milltown club and Railway Union II, 2009 finalists. They will play Randalstown II in the final after they disposed of Lurgan II, 4-0.


Results: Randalstown II 4 (Pamela Muir 3, Louise Mellor) Lurgan II 0; Railway Union II 0 Old Alex II 1 (Sylvia Gilsenan) on golden goal

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

go on alex go on alex fot the junior cup!!!!!!!