Women's ISC: Second round results

UCD completed their first round trick to pick up a famous victory over Loreto, winning on strokes just as they did against Hermes in January. Their ability from the dead-ball shoot-out is in marked contrast to their Beaufort hosts who have now twice succumbed this term in such a manner - the other to Bray in the Jacqui Potter Cup.

Railway took the spoils against Old Alex, though Mick McKinnon will not be pleased with the way his side let the Milltown club back into the game. Emma Smyth's corner shot had an open game poised at 1-0 at half-time.

Jean McDonnell eased a few nerves with a squeeze-shot from a tight angle high over the Alex keeper before Kate McKenna's deflection from McDonnell's smashed long corner to see Railway 3-0 up and cruising with 15 to go.

Aoife Budd dug a rebound out of Helen Stevenson's pads a minute later for a lifeline but McDonnell's second, after Smyth's tenacious tackling and first-up shot, appeared to end the fight-back.

Budd, though, snapped up another rebound with a tidy reverse push and Laura McCoy redirected through her own legs with six minutes to go and set up a nervy ending. Leanne Ryan, a driving force throughout, pushed her side forward but the vital chance never quite came.

Just down the road, Pembroke had an equally exciting encounter with Belfast Harlequins but, from a Leinster perspective, could not get the right result and were left to rue a number of missed chances.

Julie Getty's smart hat-trick was their undoing, scoring for 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2. In between, Louisa Moore's strike and Mount Sackville student Noelle Farrell's excellently placed shot - in the wake of being denied a certain stroke - had them on terms at different points in the game.

Corinthian were the other Leinster side to progress, causing a slight upset against Glenanne with a 2-1 win, vanquishing memories of January's 5-0 loss. Susie Geoffroy and Jemima Bartlett got the goals.

Elsewhere, Lurgan progressed with a surprise win over neighbours Armagh while Ballymoney thrashed Cork C of I 4-0.

Results:

Loreto 0 UCD 0, UCD win on Penalty Strokes 3-1; Railway Union 4 (Jean McDonnell 2, Emma Smyth, Kate McKenna) Old Alex 3 (Aoife Budd 2, Laura McCoy); Corinthian 2 (Susie Geoffroy, Jemima Bartlett) Glenanne 1 (Audrey McCormack) AET; Lurgan 2 (Jenny Harvey, Gill Edgar) Armagh 1 (Christine Russell); Ballymoney 4(Julie Alison, Bridge Cleland. Nikki Park, Lynsey McVicker) Cork C of I 0; Pembroke Wanderers 2 (Louisa Moore, Noelle Farrell) Belfast Harlequins 3 (Julie Getty 3)

* More of John Keogh's pictures from Loreto vs UCD can be seen here, Railway Union vs Old Alex are here, while Pembroke vs Belfast Harlequins will be posted tomorrow.