Ireland A's Mel Ryan escapes from a Canadian attacker at Belfield this afternoon. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Ireland A scored a convincing 2-0 victory over Canada at Belfield to get their five-games series off to the best possible start.

Both strikes came in the first half, the opener a well worked short-corner move which saw the ball worked back to injector Roisin Flinn, who slapped home at the near post.

The second arrived shortly after via a 20th minute short corner switch to Nicola Evans, and the Irish were in command throughout against a side that had caused the full senior team some problems at last year’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Victoria.

Ireland restricted the visitors to just one short corner – saved comfortably by Hermes stopper Emma Gray – and had a flurry of chances to augment their lead, striking the crossbar at one stage in the second half.

“We are working on some key tactical play, and the girls performed in every aspect we were working on,” said Ireland A coach Guy Garrett. “This was a step up for a lot of them to play against a senior side, and I couldn’t have asked for more from them.”

It was a particularly notable occasion for followers of Munster hockey, who saw Cork C of I’s Mel Ryan and UCC’s Audrey O’Flynn make their first appearances in an Irish jersey.

Other Munster girls to make an appearance were Quins’ Cliodhna Sargent and UCC’s Julia O’Halloran, the latter making an exception to her self-imposed year-long sabbatical from international hockey to add some experience to the side.

Ireland A take on the Canadians again today (2pm), before the senior side face them three times next weekend.

Ireland A: E Gray (GK, Hermes); H Stevenson (GK, Railway Union); S McCay (Ulster Elks), R Flinn (UCD, capt), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), N Evans (Hermes), M Frazer (Ballymoney), M Ryan (Cork C of I), N Atcheler (Hermes) L McInerney (UCD), M Harvey (Pegasus), J O’Halloran (UCC), A O’Flynn (UCC), C Watkins (Hermes).

Having lost to Pembroke and Glenanne in their opening games, Quins knew a win for the Dubliners today would all but end their already-faint hopes of challenging for a place in the last four. And when Alan Sothern struck either side of the break, Pembroke appeared to have the tie sewn up.

The Dubliners threw away a 3-0 lead here last term in the Irish Senior Cup before eventually emerging victorious in extra-time, but there was to be no second chance this time around as they leaked three goals in the final 11 minutes. Chris Kirk gave Inst hope on 59 minutes, before Chris Barnes levelled four minutes later.

Bandon's Alison Kingston chases down a Three Rock Rovers player during the sides' Irish Trophy tie at Grange Road in Dublin. Bandon lost on penalty strokes. Picture: Emer Keogh

Skipper Mark Irwin fired the winner for the Old Boys with 90 seconds to go to revive Inst’s hopes and complete a memorable weekend that also saw them thump Annadale 4-1 in their domestic league.

It now means Pool A is wide open again, and if Quins can defeat the ‘Dale on home soil at the end of the month, they may be back in with a shout.

Elsewhere, the women of Cork C of I moved to within three points of champions Cork Harlequins at the summit of Division One thanks to a workmanlike 3-1 defeat of Catholic Institute.

Julie O’Sullivan, Suzy Herbert and Michaela Mihailou were on target in a win that means C of I can draw level with Quins if they win their game in hand. The result also all but ends Institute’s – for whom teen starlet Naomi Carroll was on the scoresheet – chances of gate-crashing the top three.

The Garryduff girls’ seconds completed a good weekend for the club as Hollie Sweetnam’s golden goal sealed a 2-1 win over Waterford in the Division Two Cup, while Ashton also progressed via a hard-fought 3-2 defeat of Bandon.

In the men’s Division Two, C of I C were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by their D side, but remain three points clear of Belvedere at the top of the table.

It was a fruitful weekend for Quins D in Division Three as they hit 14 goals in two matches, beating C of I F 8-0 on Friday night before dismantling Belvedere B 6-0 on Sunday, both away from home.

The biggest challengers to their supremacy look to be Catholic Institute B, who were nowhere near their best despite whipping basement side UCC C 7-0 at the Mardyke. They are three points behind, while Midleton aren’t out of the race just yet and lie six points further back after a 3-0 win over C of I E.

UCC B completed their programme for the first half of the season by defeating Quins E 3-0, with South African Andrew Keyes striking twice and Dickie Barrett netting the other. The result looks to have done enough to secure their Division Three status before the league is split later this month.

Whether Limerick B will be included in a four or five-team Division Four may depend on how they fare in their two games in hand, at home to C of I E and Quins E. The Treaty city side did their hopes of staying up no favours by giving Ashton a walkover this weekend, and were deducted a point as a result.

However, UCC C, Belvedere B, Quins E and C of I F are all practical certainties to be making the drop next month, something which may come as a relief given all have been on the end of some heavy defeats this term, shipping 169 goals between them and scoring just 38.

Elsewhere, Tom Cotter and Greg McClelland shared seven goals between them as Quins B recorded a facile 12-1 win over Limerick A in the Munster Junior Cup.  Bandon B received a walkover from Belvedere B, while Quins C’s tie with UCC B was postponed.

In the women’s Division Three, there were good wins for Waterford (8-0 vs Cork Harlequins), Clonmel (5-1 vs Midleton) and Fermoy (3-0 vs Belvedere), while in Division Four, Mallow recorded draws with Waterford and C of I, and Tiperary defeated Mallow 2-0.

Division Five saw UCC and Quins play out a scoreless draw, while Limerick were handy 3-0 winners at C of I, and Ashton drew 2-2 at home to Belvedere. In the only game in Division Six, Ashton defeated UCC 4-0.

The Limerick club struck twice in the dying minutes through Justin O’Sullivan and Eric Calendar to seal a victory that won’t have gone down well with the highly-fancied hosts.

Instead it is Institute who will now have to face down the likes of Stephen Butler and Graham Shaw at Glenanne Park on January 24, as reaching the last four of this competition guarantees entry ti the ISC.

However, it wasn’t as fruitful a day for UCC, whose interest in national competitions ended following a 5-1 defeat to Northern Ireland Civil Service at Stormont today.

C of I's Jonny Bruton was on target four times in the 7-1 rout of C of I B. Picture: Adrian Boehm

College were 2-0 down inside 20 minutes before losing John Catchpole to a yellow card, and shipped two more before Stephen Sweetnam grabbed a consolation prior to NICS netting their fifth.

In the women’s competition, there was heartbreak for Bandon, who lost 3-1 on penalty strokes to Three Rock Ladies at Grange Road following a scoreless draw.

The two in-house derbies in the men’s Division One went as expected. Quins fired eleven without response past their B team, with Lee d’Alton getting two, while Eddie Dore, Philip McLaughlin, Dan and John Hobbs, Jason and Mark Black, Paul Lombard, Phil O’Driscoll and Paul Murray also got in on the act.

Jonny Bruton hit the goalscoring trail with a vengeance, bagging four as C of I A defeated their B side 7-1. Alec Moffett struck twice for the Munster champions, with Stephen Parker completing the rout, while Andrew Scannell scored C of I B’s consolation.

In the women’s league, the top three all won as expected, but Quins and UCC were made to fight heard for 1-0 wins over UL and Catholic Institute. Hilary Chapple hit the winner for the champions, while Vicky O’Sullivan’s deflection midway through the second half did enough for an under-strength College side.

Things were more straightforward for C of I, who saw off Belvedere 4-0 with strikes from Deirdre Casey, Mel Ryan, Julie O’Sullivan and skipper Sandra Hackett. They take on Institute tomorrow knowing that a win will reduce Quins’ lead at the top to three points, and Phil Oakley’s side still have a game in hand.

In the Division Two cup, two first-half strikes from Kate Herbert – playing up front instead of in her usual midfield role – gave Quins a 2-0 win over UCC.

Quins had the better of the exchanges overall, but Ciara O’Hanlon caused plenty of problems on the right wing all day. However, Herbert’s touches of class did the trick for Quins; her first arrived on 18 minutes when she arrowed a shot home from the top of the circle.

The second, on 33 minutes, was a slick solo effort that saw her round three College defenders before slotting past Caroline Levis in the visitors’ goal.

Elsewhere, Catholic Institute progressed to the next round of the same competition after being given a walkover from Moyne/Thurles.

Lisnagarvey's Jason Lynch has declared his availability to play for Ulster. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Cork-born Irish international hockey ace Jason Lynch has declared his intention to compete for Ulster rather than his native province in this season’s senior and U21 interprovincials.

Midfielder Lynch, who won his first Irish senior cap against France this summer, currently plays for Co Down outfit Lisnagarvey whom he joined from Cork C of I in 2007 upon entering Queens University to study business.

While Lynch turned out for Munster at both senior and U21 level last term, increased college commitments and travelling considerations have led him to throw his hat in with Ulster this time around.

The 20-year-old former Bandon Grammar star is understood to have agonised over the decision, but he is by no means the first player to switch allegiances.

Should he be selected for Ulster for the senior event, Lynch will have to face his former team-mates on his old stomping ground, as the competition will be held at Garryduff from March 13-15.

Munster’s coaching committee chairman John Hobbs said it was disappointing to see any player declare for another province.

“There are quality midfield players in both Munster and Ulster, I think he’d be hard-pushed to get into either side, but I hope it works out for him,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ireland U16 girls coach Una McCarthy has named a 34-strong panel of triallists ahead of their 2009 programme.

McCarthy finally got to run the rule over the cream of the country’s young talent at last weekend’s rescheduled interpro blitz in Milltown, and was pleased with what she saw.

“While I’m sure was difficult on the players and coaching teams, the format of a one-day tournament still showed the wealth of talent that is present at the U16 level,” she said.

“With most of last years U16 squad moving up to U18 it was great to see all the new players who are breaking through at this age group, and I am really looking forward to working with these players as we prepare for our programme.”

McCarthy has picked 10 players from tournament winners Ulster, seven each from Leinster and Munster and five each from Connacht and South East for the February 1 trial.

Irish U16 girls triallists: L Power (GK), H Heffernan (GK, both South East), V Hynes (GK, Connacht), R Barrett (GK, Leinster), L Johnson (GK, Ulster), J Devoy, A Murphy, G Walsh (all South East), F Timmins, M Russell, C Meagher, L Fahy (all Connacht), J King Hall, L Pinder, O Macken, L McCarthy, E Beatty, K Lloyd (all Leinster), G Kingston, AK Trevor, L Mullins, V Burns, A McGrath, R Barry, R Upton (all Munster), L McKee, L Murray, J Orr, K Morris, K McDonald, G Frazer, L Ewart, A Cooke, C Brown (all Ulster).

Neither side has had an easy time of it recently; College have shipped 15 goals in their last two games, while Institute leaked 11 in their last outing against Cork C of I. College are likely to be without Brendan Woods, who was red-carded in their 2-1 win at Cliftonville in the previous round.

But the carrot of a semi-final spot – and a place in the revamped Irish Senior Cup – should be motivation enough for the Munster duo, who will both go into their ties as underdogs. Should UCC progress, they have a bye to the ISC second round, while Institute will have a glamour tie with Glenanne should they advance.

In the women’s competition, Ashton have already progressed to the last eight having been given a walkover from Queens, while Catholic Institute await the winners of Bandon’s visit to Three Rock Ladies.

Elsewhere, Pembroke Wanderers and Instonians will be hoping it will be a case of third time lucky as they look to finally get their twice-postponed Irish Hockey League round two encounter at Shaw’s Bridge played on Sunday.

The frosty weather prevented the clash of two giants of Irish club hockey going ahead in November and December, meaning the landscape is now vastly different in how both will approach the tie, which Cork Harlequins will be keeping a close eye on.

Inst were in disarray earlier this term as they were without a number of their star players, with the nadir coming with a 5-0 Ulster league rout at the hands of Lisnagarvey.

C of I B's Andrew Daunt will be looking to impress against his club's firsts on Saturday. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

But the return of talismanic drag-flicker Mark Gleghorne and Steven Redpath from injury has galvanised them in recent weeks, and they have leaped from sixth to third, scoring 19 goals in their past four games.

They face a season-defining weekend, as they also meet leaders Annadale in the league on Saturday.

That means Craig Fulton won’t have to warn his Pembroke side – who have yet to catch fire this season but possess the country’s form forward in Alan Sothern – of complacency, while they know a win here could all but end Inst’s hopes of making the last four.

Queens University have set aside a pitch in the advent of Shaw’s Bridge being frozen for a third time, to ensure the clash gets played.

Having already lost to Pembroke and Glenanne – who drew with Annadale in round one – Quins will be hoping for an Inst win or a draw, as either result will prevent Pembroke from opening up an extensive gap at the business end of their pool.

Domestically, things are staying in-house at Munster’s big two this weekend, as C of I and Cork Harlequins will both expect to take full marks from their own B sides to maintain their two-horse race for the title.

In the women’s league, Cork Church of Ireland face a double-header as they look to bounce back from last weekend’s heartbreaking Munster Senior Cup penalty strokes defeat to UCC.

The Garryduff girls can call on new recruit Jennifer Kenefick in defence as they lock horns with Belvedere and Catholic Institute, though it remains to be seen whether recent returnee Jenifer Hales will be risked.

UCC's Hollie Moffett will miss her side's clash with Catholic Institute after suffering a suspected cheekbone fracture last weekend. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Wins in both games would close the gap on leaders Cork Harlequins to just three points, assuming the champions take all three points from their clash with UL, but C of I will still have a game in hand.

Elsewhere, UCC travel to Limerick to face Institute in the hope of keeping their title challenge alive, but will have to do without vice-captain Hollie Moffett, who is recovering from a suspected cheekbone fracture sustained last weekend.

Despite being handed a walkover from Queens, Ashton have no fixture this weekend and will be hoping none of their rivals pull away from what is a tight scrap at the bottom.

It’s a cup weekend in Division Two, with UCC’s visit to Quins one of the most intriguing ties on paper.

The Farmers Cross outfit won 4-1 in the sides’ most recent league fixture, but College have shown they are well capable of getting a result on their day, drawing 1-1 with Waterford earlier this term despite only having 10 players available.

Institute host Moyne/Thurles in a clash of last year’s top two, while Ashton meet Bandon and Waterford travel to C of I in search of revenge for last weekend’s 2-0 defeat.

Oakley is the Irish Hockey Association’s western regional development officer, which brings both Munster and Connacht into his remit, a full-time, multi-faceted position that sees him working with the branches to organise underage blitzes one minute, and helping to establish a club in the wilds of County Mayo the next, while training youth leaders in between.

As if that wasn’t enough, Oakley also lines out for Belvedere and coaches the women of Cork Church of Ireland, but he couldn’t be happier; this hockey junkie only picked up a stick for the first time at 18 years of age at UCC, and hasn’t looked back.

He’s also well-placed to take the pulse of the future of Munster hockey, a particularly hot topic this year given the merry-go-round at the start of the season on the men’s side of things.

Phil Oakley in his role as Cork C of I coach, watching his charges against Cork Harlequins. Picture: Adrian Boehm

His Belvedere side took the unprecedented step of demoting themselves from the men’s Division One, citing the need to build from the bottom again to secure the club’s future.

Bandon B subsequently followed suit, and Catholic Institute briefly flirted with the idea of joining them in Division Two. Thankfully, the Rosbrien outfit decided to stay put, but the overall message was clear – something has to be done to increase player numbers.

“We’re in a good position on the girls side of the sport, the U10 and U12 blitz in Quins in November had more than 600 attending, which is absolutely huge,” offers Oakley.

“But on the boys side, the numbers are declining across the board, so we need to address that. In comparison to girls hockey, you might have had 170 boys at the biggest blitz last year. That’s probably the biggest challenge, to get boys and mens hockey back on its feet.”

The push is on at secondary level, and a number of clubs, such as C of I, Catholic Institute, Limerick and Ashton, have increased their numbers partially off their own back and also with Oakley’s help. But as Oakley points out, having just five schools playing boys hockey in a province the size of Munster “isn’t good enough”.

He knows a short-term fix isn’t the answer here, which is why the majority of his efforts is aimed at primary school level. Here the emphasis is on forging links between clubs and primary schools.

“Kids at 13 or 14 are more likely to streamline into one sport, whereas 11 or 12-year-olds are still trying everything,” he says. “Trying to set up those links is very difficult. Ashton School have had good links with C of I for a long time, which has been strengthened by someone like Dave Hobbs going back teaching and coaching. Quins had that for a while too. So maybe getting ex-pupils back into the schools might be one option.

“Or, they could set up new club-school links – if there’s a school in their area that they would like to target, we can help them out with things like equipment and help them source a coach. It’s a case of them either setting up a link with a school that is playing hockey, such as one from our Tricks 4 Sticks programme, or if it’s a new school we can help them develop a link.

“But the school must be open to bringing hockey in, it’s very difficult to set up the sport in a school that have no interest in hockey. Its not simply a case of pointing out a school and we arrive at the door with a bunch of sticks.”

Oakley has attempted to facilitate the process via the aforementioned Tricks 4 Sticks programme, a further development of an initiative suggested by the Munster branch which was successfully piloted in Cork last year, and will be rolled out nationwide.

He wrote to schools across Cork city and county in targeted areas where there are clubs that can facilitate new members inviting them to participate.

Catholic Institute's Kym Daly coaches at the Model School in Limerick, helping to increase numbers at her club in the process. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

This year, 26 schools took part, with Quins forward Dave Egner making his way around to each school, taking specially-designed sessions aimed at capturing the interest of kids who were complete beginners. Each participant was given a letter for their parents detailing the club(s) in their area, training times and contact details.

On the back of this venture, Bandon invited participating schools to the club for an open day last year, and increased their underage section by 10% as a result. A finals open day of sorts, coached by Irish internationals and other high-profile players, held near the end of the school year, copper-fastened the process.

Long-term, the idea is to set up primary schools leagues, which has already been done in Limerick, with eight schools now partaking in regular blitzes. The programme is also running in parts of Leinster and as far afield as Clones.

Oakley admits that not all clubs grasped the nettle, but is happy that the programme can now expand and improve.

“Some clubs didn’t take the opportunity and that’s what we need to change this year – it was a learning process for us as it was the first year,” he says.

“This year we wanted to grow the programme by another 10 schools, which will mean there will be 30 participating in Munster. This wouldn’t be possible without the Irish Sports Council, who have given us extra funding as they really believe in the programme.

“We’re giving information to the clubs so it’s up to them to grasp that opportunity, and while some clubs have been great, we need more to follow suit and be proactive. They need to understand that we are here to support but we can’t do all the work for them – they need to take the first step.

“To be fair, a lot of the clubs have been very supportive of the programme this year, and the key for us is that they can account for any successes that the programme has in their club. We need to measure the numbers Tricks 4 Sticks are generating, so that we know if the investment has been worth it.”

Of particular interest to Oakley, and Munster hockey in general, is the development of the game in Limerick, to maintain two natural centres for the sport to bloom.

Being a university team, UL naturally don’t have an underage section, but Oakley is happy to report that both the Catholic Institute and Limerick clubs are at full capacity in terms of underage girls, and their underage boys sections are going from strength to strength.

Therefore, he has taken steps to form a third junior girls club working out of Crescent College, but finding coaches is proving to be the biggest stumbling block. The IHA are hopeful that the new club will begin to find its feet in 2009 and will officially be set up for the 2009/10 season.

This isn’t a unique problem in the Treaty City – Oakley explains that Institute have their own pitch but a dearth of coaches, while Limerick have plenty of volunteers but not enough pitch time.

He also cites the latter – named Emerging Club of the Year at the most recent ESB Irish Hockey awards – as the blueprint for other clubs looking to strengthen their youth section.

Oakley says he will be happy with the work he has done on the developmental side as long as he keeps seeing progress. Picture courtesy IHA

“At Limerick, when you come along with your child, the coaches are waiting for you, and say ‘We’ll take your son or daughter provided you give up a Saturday to come and help’, so they guarantee volunteers,” he explains.

“After that, you’re taken to see a presentation of what is expected of both parents and kids, so no-one’s under any illusions. Then you’re taken into another room where Gilmour Sports sort you out with all the gear and safety equipment.

“They already have a waiting list of kids aged five who won’t start for three years – that’s how forward-thinking they are. They’ve got 450 kids in their system, and you could only think of the potential they could have if they had their own pitch.”

Predictably, both Institute and Limerick still have spaces for boys, and the focus is on developing the game in mixed and all-boys schools as a result – for example, Institute’s Ireland A international Kym Daly is coaching in the Model School, a mixed school where some of the boys now attend Catholic Institute.

As you’d expect, the processes aren’t confined to the cities, though Oakley cites the development of rural clubs as “one of our main failings so far” and is hoping to beef up the work done outside Cork and Limerick.

Attempts are being made to link a burgeoning junior section in Kilmallock with the fledgling senior club in Bruff, while Oakley says Tipperary, Clonmel and Moyne Thurles are clubs that the IHA would like to see junior sections being formed in, as there is currently no underage hockey in the county aside from in schools.

In the Déise county, where the distance required to travel to any away game can be a major deterrent to players, he is trying to foster links between the Waterford club and WIT, with a strengthening underage section now doing well in Dungarvan.

To this end, Oakley has been encouraging Newtown School to work with both the area’s senior clubs to help develop their underage sections.

Oakley is also forthright with his opinions on steps to develop hockey at veteran and committee level. He is attempting to formalise a six-a-side women’s veteran structure on the basis that “if you get those club members back playing, the are more likely to help out” on the volunteerism side of things as well as offering opportunities in hockey to those no longer playing it.

He acknowledges that those on the Munster branch don’t have it easy, copping flak from all sides yet soldiering on because no-one else seems to want the responsibility.

“Since I picked up a stick the make-up of the branch hasn’t changed that much in terms of the volunteer base, with few new volunteers taking on roles. This leads to volunteers becoming frustrated and burnt out, but the problem is that there aren’t enough people willing to come forward,” he offers.

“It’s up to the branch to find ways of changing that, and we are trying to bring in people to do smaller projects, where the branch can also lend its expertise and ideas. In some ways it’s disappointing to see the same people there year in, year out, but at the same time I have to admire their commitment – without them the whole thing will fall apart.

“The branch now need to find ways to increase the number of volunteers and replace themselves. At AGMs people just won’t put their hands up to take up a role. People aren’t as generous with their time as they used to be, that has changed a lot in ten years.

“People become frustrated with it, which is understandable as everyone can’t be happy. And part of it as a sign of the times. But the sport’s going to die unless we find a way to bring people back in.”

To help remedy this, the IHA runs a youth leadership programme for 15-21-year-olds – Oakley says 50 have been trained in Munster alone in 2008 – who go back to their clubs and umpire, coach, manage teams and help out in general.

David Hobbs has helped foster and maintain links with his club C of I and alma mater Ashton by teaching and coaching at the school. Picture: Adrian Boehm

He also singles out Mary Walsh – the IHA’s Volunteer of the Year – and her youth committee for the work they have done in implementing the transition to the new underage structures piloted by Mick McKinnon: “Without her, my job would be very difficult.”

While Oakley, as you’d expect, paints a bright picture for the future development of Munster hockey, he acknowledges there is a major cloud on the horizon.

The government’s decision to curtail funding for substitute teachers is expected to have serious knock-on effects for sport in schools, and is hardly conducive to schools welcoming a new sport with open arms when they can barely keep their existing ones running.

“The big issue here is for schools whose teachers undertake their training sessions and go to matches. A lot of schools employ external coaches so that teachers aren’t required to leave class, but it’s expensive and not all schools can afford it,” says Oakley.

“It’s a real shame, especially for smaller schools or schools where hockey is played and it may not be their main sport – I would be concerned that in schools like this, fringe sports may be removed with the focus and funding going on the main sports. Of course, this affects all sports and not just hockey, so I’m sure we’re not the only ones worried about this.

“Hopefully it won’t have any effect on our primary school work, but I can see some major consequences on getting the sport into new schools for the reasons I pointed out above, unless we can find external coaches from local clubs and build links there.

“Alternatively, we need to ensure that anyone who wants to play hockey can be given that opportunity, and if that has to be in a club instead of a school because of lack of funding, then that’s what needs to happen.”

Despite these obstacles, Oakley is satisfied with his overall raison d’etre and has a clear message to anyone worried about the future of Munster hockey.

“People need to realise we’ve only had a regional development officer for 18 months, it’s going to take a hell of a lot of time for us to turn things around, even on the girls side there are clubs who could be much stronger,” he offers.

“People need to be patient first of all, we’ve had some reasonable success in the first year. I did a presentation on my first yea for the branch AGM and once I completed it I was surprised by the amount we’d actually achieved.

“It’s great to hear people’s opinions and I don’t mind criticism where it’s deserved. We need people coming forward with ideas, because we don’t have all the answers, and we don’t claim to. But on the other hand, people will often ignore the successes and focus on the negative things, which can be quite frustrating.

“When you put yourself in a public position, people think you’re there to be kicked about, and when you do something good, you often don’t get the recognition you deserve. I’m not saying we’ve done anything fantastic, but we’re trying our best and we have seen progress, as long as we’re seeing that I’ll be happy.”

With the original tournament cancelled due to frozen pitches in Kilkenny, the IHA and provincial branches agreed on this one-day format as a compromise, with Ulster’s firepower proving enough for them to add to the U18 crown they annexed in Cork in November.

Armagh’s Lucy McKee hit vital goals for the northerners in the 3-0 defeat of Munster and 1-0 win over Leinster, while Chloe Brown and Kerri McDonald also claimed two goals each over the course of the day.

Ulster saw off South East 3-0 and drew 0-0 with defending champions Connacht to claim top spot, which was relatively harsh on the westerners who also went through the tournament unbeaten but were left to rue a 0-0 draw with Leinster.

Munster’s girls sadly failed to sparkle, failing to score in each of their four games and gaining just a single point from their goalless draw with South East, who took the wooden spoon by virtue of an inferior goal difference.

Meanwhile, promotion hopefuls in both the men’s and women’s Division Two saw their hopes dented by the old guard yesterday.

Richie O’Dell’s hat-trick gave Belvedere a 3-1 win over Galway, who were understandably rusty having been inactive for more than two months, wrecking the westies’ 100% record in the process.

In the women’s league, Waterford slipped up once again as they were downed 2-0 by C of I, for whom Lauragh O’Neill scored both goals.

ESB U16 Girls Interprovincial Blitz, Alexandra College, Milltown, Dublin

South East 0 Leinster 1 (E Beatty);
Connacht 0 Ulster 0;
Munster 0 South East 0;
Connacht 0 Leinster 0;
Ulster 3 (L McKee, K McDonald 2) Munster 0;
South East 0 Connacht 3 (L Ring, C Meagher, D Gorman);
Leinster 0 Ulster 1 (L McKee)
Munster 0 Connacht 1 (R O’Sullivan);
South East 0 Ulster 3 (K McQuillan, C Brown 2);
Leinster 1 (A Naughton) Munster 0;

Final standings

1 Ulster  10 pts (+7)
2 Connacht 8pts (+4)
3 Leinster 5 pts (+1)
4 Munster 1 pt (-5)
5 South East 1 pt (-7)

On an afternoon of high drama at the Mardyke, College finally beat C of I at the sixth attempt and in the cruellest of fashions after a dour and tense game had finished scoreless following extra-time.

Olden saved low to her right from Mel Ryan and Sinéad Connery, after the latter’s sister Áine had been fortunate to see her scuffed effort trickle past a wrong-footed Orla McCarthy.

Ali O’Connor, Julia O’Halloran and Audrey O’Flynn all fired their efforts home emphatically to spark an outpouring of emotion for College, who had lost last year’s MSC final to C of I on a golden goal.

UCC goalkeeper Karen Olden, seen here watching a shot from Catholic Institute's Rosie Pratt earlier this season, saved two penalty strokes against C of I. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

But it was an afternoon of mixed emotions for O’Halloran. She accidentally caught team-mate Hollie Moffett in the face with the ball from a raised free seven minutes after half-time, a freakish injury that saw the Irish international star taken to hospital with a suspected broken cheekbone.

O’Halloran channelled her emotions in admirable fashion thereafter, taking over the running of the College midfield in Moffett’s absence. She was everywhere as others tired late on, before keeping up her end of the bargain come stroke time by confidently rifling her effort into the corner of the net.

Moffett had an industrious first 20 minutes as College started better, but the students were fortunate to get the rub of the green from umpires Philip Shine and Andrew Gray throughout, particularly when two credible C of I short corner shouts were waved away.

Both sides were penetrating the circle at will – C of I via a slick passing game, while College used the dribbling ability of Áine Connery and Miriam Crowley up the middle – but shots on goal were strangely at a premium, as were short corners.

C of I finally got the game’s first set-piece chance on 31 minutes, Michaela Mihailou dummying her way past the runners to get a clean sight of goal, but Olden saved neatly.

College forced their only short corner of the entire 85 minutes just before half-time, but McCarthy was equal to O’Flynn’s high drag-flick.

C of I by far played the better hockey in the second half, with College understandably shaken by the unfortunate injury to Moffett. Deirdre Casey emerged as the game’s stand-out performer, as she and Amy Roberts helped create three half-chances for Julie O’Sullivan, but she couldn’t get any clean strikes on target under pressure from Orla Crowley and Áine Donegan.

When Áine Connery was yellow-carded for taking out a rampaging Mihailou from behind with nine minutes to go, the scene looked set for C of I to break College hearts late on once more.

But the closest they came was a Roberts reverse which crept harmlessly wide, and though they edged a tension-filled extra-time too, O’Flynn got a superb short corner block on Ryan to snuff out the Garryduff girls’ best chance.

Sisters Sinéad and Áine Connery, seen here in a game earlier this season, had mixed fortunes in a tension-filled penalty shootout. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

Mihailou buried C of I’s first stroke to set the tone for the shootout, and the psychological advantage look to have swung C of I’s way when a nerve-riddled Áine Connery needed three attempts to take College’s first.

Her eventual effort was botched, but McCarthy had gone the wrong way. Olden did her part by saving from Ryan and Sinéad Connery – though she had no chance with Casey’s effort – but the College trio of O’Connor, O’Halloran and O’Flynn never looked like missing, and it proved enough for a 4-2 win.

College will now take on Catholic Institute, who dispatched Ashton 2-0 thanks to goals from Aoife Roisín Burke and Aoife Kenny.

Burke gave the visitors the lead on five minutes when she intercepted in midfield and her shot squirmed past Vanessa Sargent. Ashton had the better of things thereafter but found Ciara Ronan in inspired form between the sticks for Institute, who made it safe ten minutes from time though Kenny.

While the students will start as favourites on paper on the evidence of their 3-1 win earlier this season, they will have to travel to Limerick for the February 28 encounter.

Things were far more straightforward for Cork Harlequins, who handed Belvedere an 11-0 thrashing in Ballincollig. Karen Bateman was in imperious form, claiming five goals, while Cliodhna Sargent bagged a double, with Hilary Chapple, Rachel McSharry, Emily O’Leary and Tracy Johnston also on target.

Quins, determined to win back the MSC having surrendered it last season following 12 consecutive wins, will now host Bandon in the semi-finals. The west Cork side progressed without hitting a ball, after they were given a walkover from UL.

Karen Bateman (left) netted five times for Quins against Belvedere. Picture: Adrian Boehm

In the only two top-level men’s games of the weekend, Quins A and B completed a decent day’s work for the club with wins over Bandon and UCC respectively.

Two Dan Hobbs strikes – the first a drag-flick in the first minute – and a Mark Black goal did the damage for Quins A in a 3-1 league win, with Clinton Sweetnam replying for Bandon.

Quins B progressed to the semi-finals of the Charity Cup with a 7-1 win over UCC that wasn’t as straightforward as the scoreline seems.

College took an early lead through Mark Barry only for Greg McClelland to cancel it out, before Quins were awarded a penalty stroke for an over-zealous stick tackle.

Brian Hayes-Curtin did the necessary from the spot, but College’s Graham Jeffery took his protestations too far, earning two yellow cards that turned into a red one in the process.

It was still 2-1 at the break as Quins B were largely out of sorts, but they plundered some early second-half goals and College went to pieces, with Eddie Dore, Colin Ross, Thomas Cotter, Phil O’Driscoll and Wes Bateman all getting on the scoresheet.

In the only other game of the day, C of I A defeated C of I B 2-0 in the women’s Division Five.

C of I's Grace Young (front) and Suzy Herbert celebrate Mel Ryan's opening goal against UCC last month. The Garryduff girls will be looking to record their sixth straight win over College this weekend. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

Another chapter in what has become one of the most enduring rivalries in Irish club hockey will be written today when Cork Church of Ireland and UCC meet in the quarter-finals of the women’s Munster Senior Cup at Garryduff (2pm).

An open draw for the tournament has resulted in last year’s finalists meeting again at the first hurdle this time around, with history weighing heavy on the students’ minds.

College will feel they owe C of I one, as the Rochestown girls have won the sides’ last five encounters by a single goal.

Their most recent meeting on December 20 saw C of I’s Mel Ryan hit a last-ditch winner, after College had recovered from 2-0 down to level it up.

That win put a serious dent in College’s league ambitions and revived C of I’s, following their 2-0 loss to champions and leaders Cork Harlequins earlier this term.

C of I also annexed their first Munster Senior Cup in three decades at College’s expense last season, with Rebecca Sweetnam’s golden goal the only strike of the game, and there will be little love lost between the sides this afternoon.

The hosts go into the clash slightly under-strength. Forwards Suzy Herbert and Lauragh O’Neill are currently out of the country, while new signing Jennifer Kenefick, who arrived from Railway Union, is unable to take her place at centre-back having not played the requisite number of league games.

The same applies to another talented central defender, Jenifer Hales,  who has resumed training in recent weeks after taking a year out for personal reasons.

College coaches Denis Pritchard and Paidi Hartnett won’t have a full deck to pick from either; captain Jean Long is abroad while defender Sarah Gray is in the final stages of recovery from a long-term knee injury.

Elsewhere, UL have given Bandon a walkover in one of the other quarter-finals, as they are unable to field a team with the academic term yet to begin.

Sisters Áine (left) and Sinéad Connery will do battle once more. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

In the other two ties, Catholic Institute will be favourites to oust Ashton despite having to travel.

But the Rosbrien girls didn’t have it all their own way in a league encounter with the Division One basement side before Christmas, winning by the odd goal in three.

Nonetheless, they should have enough firepower in the form of that day’s goalscorers Kym Daly and Naomi Carroll, along with Rosie Pratt, to claim a spot in the last four.

The same applies to Cork Harlequins, who head to Ballincollig to take on Belvedere. This is the most mismatched tie on paper, with Quins in their familiar position at the top of the table while Belvedere are at the wrong end.

But if the hosts can show some strength in resolve by frustrating Quins and prevent them from scoring early, it may be an uncomfortable afternoon for the defending league champions.

There’s a repeat of the Peard Cup final in the men’s Division One as Quins meet Bandon at Harlequin Park, with the west Cork men determined to have another crack at the city side after narrowly going down 1-0 on St Stephen’s Day.

That game is likely to be Geert Fromme’s last for Quins, as the Erasmus student is set to return to Holland later this month. Fromme has had an interesting soujourn in Cork, having been instrumental in his side’s 4-2 win over rivals C of I, while he helped CIT to the final of the intervarsities.

Meanwhile, UCC will be hoping to overturn a surprise 8-1 hammering at the hands of Quins B when the sides clash in the Charity Cup. A flood of second-half goals put paid to the students’ hopes before Christmas, and they will be mindful of not yielding once again to a side they are likely to be battling with at the wrong end of Division One.

In Division Two, Galway can finally resume their promotion bid after a series of postponements left them inactive for more than two months. They put their 100% record on the line at Belvedere.

Southern Fried has got off the ground far quicker than I thought it would, and the majority of the feedback has been really positive, so I’m glad people seem to be enjoying reading it. As outlined here, The Hook has also had a very successful year, making it a happy 2008 for the world of Irish hockey blogging.

Also, this site will be moving to its own domain in the new year; I’m still working out the bugs in trying to transfer everything across but will let everyone know when the move can be made!

Cheers,
Al