Derby date gives IHL a local flavour

The opening weekend of this season’s women’s ESB Irish Hockey League will have a distinctly local flavour to it on Leeside, where perennial rivals Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland will lock horns in Pool A tomorrow (Harlequin Park, 2pm). With three Munster sides qualifying for this season’s competition — C of I emerged from the wildcard playoffs after Quins and UCC took the automatic spots — two of them were always going to be drawn together. Current form suggests Quins should continue to have the Indian sign over their rivals, who they defeated twice last season en route to a 14th straight Munster title. Quins have recruited well – former England underage international Sinead McCarthy is a real find – and come into this game in ruthless goalscoring form; Karen Bateman alone has bagged five in her two outings so far this term.

C of I are licking their wounds following a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of UCD in the Irish Senior Cup, but will be significantly strengthened if Sue O’Connor, Sinead Connery and Julie O’Sullivan — who all missed that defeat — are back in harness. Elsewhere in Pool A, Ards make their IHL bow with an intimidating trip to Park Avenue to face down Leinster champions Railway Union, for whom Irish international playmaker Emma Smyth will make her first appearance this season. Pembroke Wanderers will not relish having to head north to the Joey Dunlop Centre, where Ballymoney rarely drop points on home turf. There is a perception that the Ulster side are on the wane, and while they will miss Megan Frazer – who is now on a scholarship to the University of Maryland – ‘Money will be no pushovers. In Pool B, UCC will be taking a step into the unknown as they welcome Randalstown to The Mardyke. College have racked up 11 goals in two league victories so far despite playing nowhere near their potential, and look to have weathered the losses of Aine Connery and Hollie Moffett, with Olivia Roycroft impressing since her move from Bandon. Randalstown hardly set the world alight in last season’s competition, but are something of an unknown quantity, which will make them dangerous opponents. Former international Katherine Elkin and Ireland U18 starlet Vanessa Surgeoner are their key players. Given the presence of last year’s finalists Hermes and Loreto, plus Ulster kingpins Pegasus, all to come down the line, College will surely have targeted this one for a confidence-boosting win in what is a very tough debut year. Sunday sees those three heavyweights enter the fray, as defending champions Loreto host IHL debutants Old Alex, while old rivals Hermes and Pegasus renew acquaintances at Belfield. The latter duo dominated the national scene for a decade in the pre-IHL days, sharing 10 club championships titles, before Loreto broke the trend last year. UCD’s dismantling of Pegs in last year’s Irish Senior Cup final has shattered the air of invincibility that once had some teams beaten before a ball was hit.

Nonetheless, the Belfast side will be determined to prove they are not a team on the wane, and will also want to avenge last season’s semi-final loss to the Dubliners. But the hosts’ hopes have been handed a significant boost, after they completed the signing of Irish international attacker Áine Connery from UCC yesterday. The 21-year-old Kilkenny native and Irish international, will be drafted straight into the first-team squad having finished her camogie commitments with St Lachtain’s last weekend and completed her studies in Cork. She joins elder sister Fiona at the Boosterstown outfit, where she played her club hockey as a teenager, and will come up against her former UCC team-mates when the Hermes host the students on November 22. With the men’s IHL not getting underway until December 5, attention turns to the Peard Cup quarter-finals in Munster, where C of I’s visit to UCC will likely attract the most attention. The champions were given a rigorous workout by Catholic Institute last weekend before labouring to a 2-0 win, and College will be determined to make life similarly difficult for them. Institute welcome Quins B to Rosbrien, knowing a win is well within their capabilities. They are a far more organised, hard-working side under new coach Ollie O’Connor, but must begin taking their chances at short corner time. The women’s Examiner Cup — a trophy reprised last season as a competition for non-IHL teams — also gets underway this weekend, with the novel inclusion of Connacht sides Galway and Greenfields. Galway, a side laden with underage internationals, welcome Catholic Institute to Dangan, with Ger O’Carroll’s side looking to rekindle their fine early-season form after two weekends off. UL will be hoping to put their dismal league form to one side when they travel to Connacht champions Greenfields. Bandon go to Ashton in search of a confidence-booster after losing their opening league games to UCC and Waterford, while the hosts will be seeking to build on last week’s morale-boosting victory at UL. Meanwhile, Ireland senior men’s coach Paul Revington is sweating on the fitness of Joe Brennan ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers in Argentina. The Glenanne sweeper broke his thumb on EuroHockey League duty and could be sidelined for up to a month. All fixtures Saturday unless stated Men Peard Cup quarter-finals: UCC vs Cork C of I (Mardyke, 2.30pm); Catholic Institute vs Cork Harlequins B (Rosbrien, 11am)

Munster Div 2: Sunday: Cork Harlequins C vs Limerick A (Harlequin Park, 12pm); UCC B vs Bandon B (Mardyke, 1pm) Women ESB Irish Hockey League Round 1 Pool A: Ballymoney vs Pembroke Wanderers (Joey Dunlop Centre, 1pm); Cork Harlequins vs Cork C of I (Harlequin Park, 2pm); Railway Union vs Ards (Park Avenue, 5pm). Pool B: UCC vs Randalstown (The Mardyke, 12.30pm) Sunday: Hermes vs Pegasus (UCD, 1.45pm); Loreto bs Old Alex (Loreto Beaufort, 3.30pm). Examiner Cup: Ashton vs Bandon (Ashton School, 2.30pm); Galway vs Catholic Institute (Dangan, 12pm); Greenfields vs UL (TBC) Munster Div 2: Sunday: Catholic Institute vs UCC (Rosbrien, 12.30pm); Ashton vs Cork C of I (Ashton School, 3.30pm)