Bizarre own goal helps Pembroke snatch draw

The new own-goal rule claimed its first victim in the Irish Hockey League earlier today, with Cork Harlequins the injured party following a bizarre incident that helped Pembroke Wanderers claim a 2-2 draw at a sodden Garryduff today. With UCC’s tie with Pegasus already scheduled for the Rochestown venue, flooding at Harlequin Park forced Quins to move both their games there as well. And they will have left with bittersweet memories, following the game’s pivotal moment in the 41st minute. With Quins having just gone 2-1 up, a speculative crash ball from Pembroke’s Sarah Clarke – from around 40m out –  looked to pose little danger, only for the ball to touch off Quins netminder Amy O’Neill, before finding the backboard. Despite Quins’ protestations, the goal correctly stood, due to the application of the new rule – confined to the IHL for now – which allows for own goals. It was a bitter pill for Quins to swallow, but they’ll know they should have had this tie wrapped up by then. Eddie Gash’s site created a litany of chances and won the corner count 7-0, while Pembroke primarily lived off scraps on the counter-attack. They hit the front on 25 minutes, when Natalie Fulton’s leg got in the way of Karen Bateman’s follow-up strike after Cliodhna Sargent had rattled an upright from a corner strike. Sargent sent Jane Coyle the wrong way from the spot, but Pembroke were level six minutes later via a goal that was almost as unusual as their second.

A long ball came all the way through to Shona Doyle, whose shot forced O’Neill to get low to save, only for the ball to somehow squirm under her and roll agonisingly into the unguarded goal. Quins weren’t rattled by this setback, and with Sinead McCarthy and Rachel McSharry in imperious form, continued to drive at the Dubliners. They were rewarded on 41 minutes, when McSharry instigated a flowing move that saw Leslie-Ann Daunt pick out Emily O’Leary on the penalty spot with a super first-time cross. The youngster’s effort struck a post, but Bateman was on hand to fire in the rebound on her reverse. The controversial equaliser came 40 seconds later, but again Quins came in waves; Daunt had the best chance of the lot when a corner rebound fell to her, and she cleverly took out the defender on the post only to place the ball the wrong side of the upright. Quins nonetheless had to live on their wits at the other end – had Sinead Loughran and Jill Collins not made a mess of a 2-on-1, things could have been very different – and will be annoyed to have ceded two points to their primary rivals in the pool. The stalemate at Garryduff certainly suited Railway Union, who are all but qualified for the semi-finals already following a stunning 4-1 demolition at Ballymoney – their third straight bonus-point win, and one that keeps up their 100% record in all competitions this term. The Joey Dunlop Centre isn’t a happy hunting ground for most teams, and Railway had lost their last five games there, but ‘Money aren’t the force of old and were ruthlessly exposed by Mick McKinnon’s rampant side. Kate Dillon fired home off the crossbar before the tournament’s top scorer Cecilia Joyce hit her fifth of the competition to put them two up inside eight minutes. Lynsey McVicker hauled ‘Money back into it, but Isobel Joyce restored the two-goal cushion 60 seconds later via a deflection before Kate McKenna made sure of the bonus point late on. Meanwhile, any lingering hopes that Cork C of I could play themselves into contention for a semi-final berth were all but quashed by a 2-0 defeat at Ards. Katy Fraser and Janice Vaughan’s deflections did the damage in a game C of I never got a real foothold in.

In Pool B, with width of a post denied UCC a draw in a dramatic tie at a sodden Garryduff this afternoon, but Pegasus were full value for a 2-1 that puts them in control of the pool. The Belfast side weathered some early College pressure to take control of the middle quarters. Claire McMahon and Suzanne Beaney caused plenty of problems up front, and the former had the ball in the net on 18 minutes, only for the backboard rule to see it rightly chalked off. Their opening goal coming on the stroke of half-time, as skipper Arlene Boyles’ corner hit found the backboard via a defender’s stick. And they doubled their advantage six minutes after the break when a Michelle Harvey drag went in off UCC keeper Karen Olden’s glove. Those were both poor strikes to concede, and College again struggled to create meaningful chances from play, but they showed great character to come back and dominate the final period. Corners have been UCC’s lifeblood in this competition, and after the sodden turf botched two first-half push-outs, they made no mistake on 56 minutes, Audrey O’Flynn’s unstoppable roofed effort giving them a lifeline. O’Flynn had another chance to level the tie with three minutes to go, but saw another thunderbolt drag come back off the inside of the upright, and Julia O’Halloran blasted the rebound wide to ensure Pegs claimed a third win on the trot. Pegs therefore lead the pool on nine points, two ahead of Hermes, who survived going behind to a Laura McCoy strike to win 3-1 at Old Alex. Aoife Harte equalised from the flick spot after Pamela Smithwick had taken out Anna O’Flanagan, and Niamh Atcheler and Jenny Kinch did the rest after the break. College are still in the shake-up thanks to the bonus point collected in defeat, but their hopes are now likely to rest on their home tie with Loreto in February; the holders roared into contention with a 4-0 demolition of pool basement side Randalstown. To view the full set of Ondine Roche and Simon MacAllister’s pictures from the UCC vs Pegasus game, click here. Due to bad light and weather, unfortunately there are no pictures from Quins vs Pembroke