Drama abounded in the women's IHL competition as round five kept the seven sides in the running for the three remaining semi-final slots living on their nerves right to the last.
UCD and Ballymoney were edged out in Group B by Eimear Cregan's last gasp goal which secured a bonus point for Cork Harlequins in their 4-1 trouncing of Armagh. The Irish captain ran fully 40 metres with the ball before cracking in a volley with 30 seconds left on the clock to secure he point which would prove vital in the final reckoning.
UCD had looked like they might be the ones to take the laurels as they built up a 2-0 lead at Serpentine Avenue as Fiona Braddish worked a nice interchange with Ciara McNestry for the first goal and the latter player slammed in a second from a corner.
But there chances of a bonus point were stung by Louisa Moore's goal which effectively ended the students hopes of progressing. Had they have got the extra point on offer, they would have advanced ahead of Harlequins on goal difference.
Ballymoney, meanwhile, were denied passage to the last four as they came up against an already qualified Hermes l
ooking to secure the group's top spot.
ooking to secure the group's top spot.Susie Martin had 'Money on course when she converted a 10th minute stroke but Ulster woman Shelly Sloan equalised before Nikki Evans' superb effort to round the keeper and finish from an acute angle sounded the death knell for the Northern team's chances with just five minutes left on the clock.
Foyle schoolgirl Megan Frazer scored a corner in the final minute to garner two points but were still one shy of progression.
The evening games produced similar drama as battle raged between Railway Union and Loreto while Pegasus needed a bonus point victory to assure qualification. That they missed out on that target due to their 3-1 win over an understrength Cork C of I nearly opened the door for Railway.
The Park Avenue side twice held the lead thanks to Kate Dillon's drag-flick and Kate McKenna's tap-in. Ed Sports player-of-the-match Nikki Symmons pegged back the hosts in the first half for 1-1 but the crucial strike came with 11 minutes to go.
In an incident packed closing quarter, Cathy McKean latched onto Nikki Keegan's ball, rounded Helen Stevenson to find the second leveller. Railway pushed hard to get a winner which wo
uld put them through but it never came.
uld put them through but it never came.In the group's dead-rubber, Belfast Harlequins and Randalstown played out a 4-4 draw.
Results:
Group A: Pegasus 3 (Claire McMahon 2, Alex Speers) Cork C of I 1 (Michaela Mihailou); Railway Union 2 (Kate Dillon, Kate McKenna) Loreto 2 (Cathy McKean, Nikki Symmons); Randalstown 4 (Rebecca Winnington 3, Vanesa Surgeoner) Belfast Harlequins 4 (Sarah Wilkinson 3, Kelly Thornton)
Group B: Hermes 2 (Shelley Sloan, Nikki Evans) Ballymoney 2 (Susie Martin, Megan Frazer); Cork Harlequins 4 (Eimear Cregan 2, Karen Bateman, Jennifer Murphy) Armagh 1 (Emma Stewart); Pembroke Wanderers 1 (Louisa Moore) UCD 2 (Ciara McNestry, Fiona Braddish)
16 comments:
Anybody know what the score was in corinthian ucd match yesterday?
In regard to April 6, 2009 11:14 AM, can someone please email me some details from this match as my phone is currently incapacitated!
Thought Railway were unlucky. They had much the better of possession and territory but couldn't find the killer touch to provide the perfect end to a great week.
Picture perfect drag flick into the top corner from Nikki Symmons too
Perfect end to a great week?? In the last couple of weeks the amazers Railers have lost to Hermes, Pembroke, Ballymoney and failed to do the business against Loreto so that their season is now over when other teams still have 1-2 months of hockey in their seasons.. A bit of humility would be advisable for next season..
sour grapes maybe 2.18? Take yourself a little less seriously
2.18 would have thought that using "Railway" rather than "we" might have tipped you off. As an informed neutral I think that winning the league for the first time in a long time constitutes a great week. It was a great game on Saturday that both teams contributed to. Other teams might have more hockey to play, but that doesn't mean Railway haven't done well. You stay classy...
I suspect 2.18's comment was more in response to a vast collection of comments on this blog this season rather than simply 11.52's comment. There's been a lot of "best team in the country" talk this season when really there should be a bit more "class" as 3.45 pointed out. Railway certainly shouldn't be begrudged their leinster league victory. It's a great achievement for the club and one which was well deserved. They've certainly "done well" this year but a bit of balance would just be nicer I think. For example, it's not nice to see a team lose a final and then turn around straight away and claim to be (a) by the far the better team on the day and (b) robbed by the umpires. Whether it's the team themselves or their supporters, it's just not "classy"...
It was farcical in Railway this weekend. After been knocked out of the IHL by Loreto, club players and members wore league medals around their necks made from cardboard. Teams need to be gracious in victory as well as defeat!!!
I'm not a Railway supporter at all and totally agree that some of the comments about them being "the best team in the country" were arrogant but they were celebrating their league win on saturday and just having a laugh with the medals.They did well in the league this year and deserved to celebrate it.
5.31, how does that comment make sense? Gracious in defeat? The Loreto and Railway girls were all together in the Railway bar after the match enjoying a chat about the Leinster league and the IHL. The medals thing just shows two things. Firstly, how extremely happy that team is to finally bring some silverware to the club. Maybe they made a big deal of it, but they have a right to - very few if any of them will ever have won any senior medal and I doubt if any of the Loreto players begrudged them their little team joke. Secondly, the scenes in Railway on Saturday night simply show that the team won the league on a Monday. Win lose or draw in the IHL, they have a right to celebrate their league win in their club with their team and clubmates whatever way they want, whimsical though it may be.
I think all of you out there so ready to disparage the behaviour of these players in deserved celebration need to take a bit of a look at yourselves and ask why it is you feel the need to write such things on this blog about a group of girls who achieved something they worked so hard for and obviously appreciate.
I think we should go back to the Hermes Loreto duopoly because some people in Leinster seem to be more comfortable with that!
relax guys....
The Soap Box Lectures are getting tedious.
Women's hockey will never improve with "supporters" who come out with this constant begrudging. Support your own club rather than making ill informed comments about other clubs.
It must be exhausting being so petty.
Well said 9.06
I doubt comments claiming Railway were "the best team in the country" were made by people on or around the Railway team themselves. They are in no way arrogant as can be seen by the extent of their happiness at winning the Leinster League.
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