Top two on song again

Cork Harlequins’ superior movement and team-work was central to their 4-1 win over UCC at the Mardyke, which keeps the pressure up on C of I at the top of the table.

College will be glad to see the back of a period of fixtures which has seen them play last year’s top three in their first three games, as they now turn their attention towards next weekend’s intervarsities. They were rarely able to trouble a Quins outfit that rarely gave the ball away and produced some fine build-up play – only the finishing was lacking as, in truth, this could have been a heavier defeat. With both sides without their coaches patrolling the sideline for various reasons, Quins’ experience and know-how shone through. David Eakins got hold of his second drag-flick of the day, having duffed his first effort, for a 1-0 lead inside eight minutes. That was cancelled out almost instantly as Andy Gray’s overhead found younger brother Roger, who fed Colin Manning on the right. He looked set to pull the ball back having got to near the endline, but instead somewhat fortunately beat Chris Daunt at his near post. That was about as good as it got for UCC though, and when Darren Farrell adroitly buried a half-volleyed upright reverse, after Mark Black’s bullet was repelled by College keeper Brian Corcoran, Quins never looked back. Black then won Quins’ third corner of the day and John Hobbs did the necessary with a drag-flick for a 3-1 half-time lead. The second half saw more of the same, with College largely under siege and unable to string together the pacy breaks which served them so well against C of I.

Roger Gray’s reverse, comfortably saved by Daunt, was their sole effort of note, and when David Lombard skilfully made his way to the endline and pulled back for Phil McLaughlin to finish, it seemed the floodgates would open. But Quins’ finishing let them down thereafter as they struggled to get shots on target, though McLaughlin was unlucky to see his lob skilfully taken off the line from inches underneath the crossbar by Roger Gray, with Corcoran beaten. Elsewhere, C of I kept up their 100% record thus far with a facile 9-1 win over Catholic Institute, another side who are entitled to think the fixture Gods are against them. League top scorer John Jermyn put away five of those at Garryduff, with Stephen Sweetnam tucking away a brace and Andrew Daunt and Phil Smith completing the rout. Brian Downes, as he had done against Quins, claimed Institute’s consolation.