Institute bid to take control

Catholic Institute can take a giant step towards breaking Cork Harlequins’ Munster women’s league hegemony if they can see off UCC at Rosbrien tomorrow (1pm). Institute have already seen off Quins on home turf this term, and a similar result here would see them maintain a 100% record and stretch their lead to eight points. Although Quins and UCC both have a game in hand, neither would be enthralled at the prospect of needing to maintain perfect records of their own to halt Institute’s march to the title.

That should provide plenty of motivation in itself for College, whose experienced backbone of Ali O’Connor, Miriam Crowley and Ali O’Regan are also desperate to take advantage of the Quins demise this season, having been defeated by the latter in title playoffs in 2009 and 2010. However, Institute’s superior firepower — led by Eimear Cregan and Naomi Carroll, they have outscored the students by 47 to 18 so far this term — will make them firm favourites. But with both sides without a game in over a month due to December’s adverse weather — as are the majority of clubs — rustiness may also skew the final outcome. Meanwhile, Cork C of I face a potential banana skin as they visit the Mardyke to take on UCC in the men’s league. Postponements and a quirk of the fixture list have seen College only play last year’s top three in the league so far, and that trend continues as they face a C of I side with a perfect record thus far. The students briefly led 3-2 in the return fixture before going down 7-3, highlighting the greater consistency they need to trouble the big guns. For their part, C of I will be able to call on Nick Burns once more, with the inclement weather ensuring his six-week suspension, which ended on January 1st, had minimal impact. The game is likely to be an emotional one for C of I, as it will be their first since the tragic sudden death of player coach Andrew Chambers.

Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins should have the requisite quality be able to keep up their title challenge by claiming maximum points from their inter-club derby with Quins B. Phil Oakley’s troops also have a 100% record alongside C of I, and won’t contemplate the thought of dropping points against their seconds, who currently sit in fourth place. It’s a cup weekend for Bandon and Catholic Institute, who meet in the first round of the Munster Senior Cup in Rosbrien. Home advantage should be enough for Stephen Jackson’s Bandon against an Institute outfit who have struggled so far and are without a win to their name, though they will have Ivan Moore back after suspension. But Bandon will be mindful of the 4-0 hiding they received in Limerick last term, and will hope Andrew Scannell and Ali Smith click into gear early on. Men’s Div 1: UCC v Cork C of I (Mardyke, 12pm); Cork Harlequins  v Cork Harlequins B (Farmers Cross, 4pm); Men’s Munster Senior Cup: Bandon v Catholic Institute (Bandon GS, 2.30pm). Irish Hockey Challenge Rd 1: Kilkenny v Limerick (Kilkenny College, TBC). Men’s Munster Junior Cup, Sunday: Ashton v Cork Harlequins C (Ashton School, TBC); Limerick v Bandon B (Villiers, TBC); Cork C of I C v Galway (Garryduff, 1pm) Women’s Div 1: Catholic Institute v UCC (Rosbrien, 1pm). Women’s Div 2, Sunday: Bandon v Fermoy (Bandon GS, 1.30pm); Waterford v Catholic Institute (Newtown, 12.30pm).