New-look UCC show signs of gelling

UCC’s new-look outfit showed further signs they will be pushing the top three in Munster but, ultimately, their indiscretions cost them at key moments at Farmer’s Cross as reigning champions Cork Harlequins won by the odd goal in five.

Corner moves from Mark Black and Dan Hobbs were just reward for the host’s first half dominance. The students roared back into contention when Graham Catchpole finished from the top of the circle following a five-man move – the first goal Quins have conceded in the league this term. Makeshift forward Brian Hayes-Curtin provided an instant response, a hotly contested effort which saw UCC skipper Andy Gray sin-binned. He was one of three from his side to be sent to the line and it stagnated a strong showing which culminated in Cian Kavanagh’s equally debatable effort which seemingly struck a foot en route to goal. There were late chances to level but the champions held on to keep their nose in front of Bandon who smashed Quins’ B team 7-2 with Andrew Scannell bagging a hat-trick. On the women’s side, UCC picked up their first win of the campaign with a hard fought 2-0 victory in Limerick against student rivals UL thanks to Olivia Roycroft’s second half goals. After an even first half, the visitors gelled fully for the first time this term with captain Roycroft breaking the deadlock from play from a well-worked move down the right flank before doubling up with a reverse-stick rebound to her own initial corner strike. It was a reduced programme in the division due to the U-18 and U-16 interprovincials in which Munster claimed third place in the former and fourth in the latter competition. At the younger age group, they began in fine fashion but were just denied by eventual winners Leinster. Clodagh Moloney and Naoise O’Donnell had put the southern province 2-1 up but an equaliser from Saoirse O’Donoghue tied matters for what proved a vital draw for the blues. Munster followed up with a scoreless tie against four in-a-row chasing Ulster but they were out of the running by the time they beat Connacht 2-0 on Sunday afternoon and fell 1-0 to the South East in the final game of the competition. The title went down to a straight battle between Leinster and Ulster in the tournament’s penultimate game. A win for either would have seen them in pole position for the title and Ailbhe Marsh scored the vital goal to end a six-year wait for the crown. At U-18 level, Ulster retained the title for a fourth successive title with a perfect record, four wins and four clean sheets, using the form built up from an impressive showing at the British school’s championships in September.

Munster were out of contention on day one after losses to Leinster and Ulster but rallied on Sunday with Victoria Burns’ double under-pinning a 3-1 win over the South East and grabbed a point against Connacht in a lively 2-2 draw. ** For all the Irish Hockey Photographers’ photos from last weekend’s interprovincial action, click here Men’s Division One: Harlequins A 3 (M Black, D Hobbs, B Hayes-Curtin) UCC 2 (G Catchpole, C Kavanagh); Harlequins B 2 (R Barrett, S Ross) Bandon 7 (A Scannell 3, R Smith, P Burns, M Beamish, D Beamish) Women’s Division One: UL 0 UCC 2 (O Roycroft 2) ESB Electric Ireland U16 Interprovincial Tournament (all at Stormont) Leinster 2 (A Roopnarinesingh, S O’Donoghue) Munster 2 (C Moloney, N O’Donnell); South East 1 (A Cronin) Connacht 0; Ulster 0 Munster 0; South East 1 (R Harrington) Leinster 7 (A Roopnarinesingh 3, A Gleeson 2, S Quill 2); Connacht 0 Ulster 7 (Z Wilson 4, F Kidd, T Doherty, J Moore); Connacht 0 Leinster 7 (S Quill 2, A Marsh 2, S Patton, S O’Donoghue, P Cotter); Ulster 6 (T Dohery 2, K Edgar 2, F Kidd, J Moore) South East 0; Connacht 0 Munster 2 (E Nyland, H Redden); Ulster 0 Leinster 1 (A Marsh); Munster 0 South East 1 (K Raeburn) Final standings: 1. Leinster 10pts (+17) 2. Ulster 7pts (+12) 3. South East 6pts (-4) 4. Munster 5pts (+1) 5. Connacht 0pts (-17) ESB Electric Ireland U18 Interprovincial Tournament Connacht 0 Ulster 8 (K Mullan 5, J Edgar 2, A Cooke); Leinster 2 (E Russell, K Lloyd) Munster 0; South East 2 (S Shirley, R Bowe) Connacht 4 (E Carey 2, R Dillon, A Dunne); Ulster 5 (K Mullan 2, C Brown 2, C McCann) Munster 0; South East 1 (M-C Morrissey) Leinster 1 (L Gray); Munster 3 (V Burns 2, C Hayes) South East 1 (A Haslam); Leinster 2 (E Russell, K Lloyd) Connacht 0; Ulster 2 (C Brown, K Morris) South East 0; Connacht 2 (A Codyre, H Gormley) Munster 2 (C Hayes, An Other); Ulster 3 (K Mullan, C Brown, P Joyce) Leinster 0 Final standings: 1. Ulster 12pts (+18) 2. Leinster 7pts (+1) 3. Munster 4pts (-5) 4. Connacht 4pts (-8) 5. South East 1pt (-6)