Jermyn makes five-star return

John Jermyn’s importance to Cork Church of Ireland was underlined in emphatic fashion as he scored five goals on his return to first-team action after a 15-week absence, helping them to a 6-1 win away to Bandon. A  potentially tricky tie on paper but was turned into a procession, as Jermyn and David Hobbs led a carousel that left Bandon dizzy. Jermyn, returning from a fractured ankle, completed the full game without difficulty – although he did drop to left-back to rest on occasion – which will no doubt be music to the ears of Irish coach Paul Revington. Stephen Jackson’s men needed to start well to frustrate C of I and keep the corner count down, but they managed none of the above, with Andrew Daunt battering one home inside 90 seconds.

Hobbs then clattered the post after being picked out by David Harvey as C of I stretched their legs, though Bandon were unlucky not to equalise after a brilliant counter-attacking move. Darren Beamish’s long ball was skilfully left by elder brother Melvin for Ali Smith to sear onto, and he squared for the unmarked Darren Beamish – who had completed a lung-busting 70-metre run – only for the ball to come slightly behind him and the chance was lost. Jermyn made Bandon pay when he converted the first of four successive drag-flicks on 20 minutes, though Alex Burns’ sin-binning for dissent prevented C of I gaining momentum while Jermyn saw a drag taken off the line by Mark Deane. And having served notice of their ability to counter, Bandon did so again when C of I mis-trapped a corner. First runner Andrew Kingston found Ali Smith on the left near halfway, and he burned off the retreating defenders before reverse-sweeping under Billy Lynch, who got a touch but the ball still trickled under the line. Any hopes that might spark a Bandon comeback were swiftly put to bed as the hosts gave C of I the set-piece chances to finish them off before half-time. Jermyn went for the top corner his with his second and, somewhat comically, did so again on the half-time whistle only for a re-take to be ordered due to C of I circle encroachment – and the blues’ marksman put it in exactly the same place. 4-1 it was at the break then, and Jermyn rubbed salt into the wounds when he capitalised on a defensive mistake to spin and finish low past Ian Hosford for five before grabbing another corner goal. The remainder of the game was notable only for its yellow cards – Ali Smith (tackle from behind), Shane O’Donnell (breaking down play) and Philip Sweetnam (dissent) with Lynch repelling a Scott Sullivan drag-flick in the match’s final act. In the other men’s match of the weekend, C of I won the battle of the B side as they saw off Quins B 2-1. The most significant result in the women’s league saw UCC earn some revenge for their shock home defeat to Ashton, and keep their IHL qualification hopes alive in the process. The students eked out a 1-0 win at the Blackrock Road school, with Amy Kate Trevor sweeping a short corner Steffi Bowe’s way for the Wexford native to convert. College missed a couple of opportunities at the back post in the opening half while Ashton couldn’t convert a number of corners and a one-on-one with goalkeeper Emma White, who also repelled a Kate Harvey drag-flick. On Friday night, Eimear Cregan hit another four goals but was, for once, outshone by a team-mate as Katie Campbell cracked in five in a 9-0 win over Cork C of I at Garryduff. Eight of those came from play, with Kym Daly and Naomi Carroll starring in the build-up to them, as Insta continued their march towards a 100% success rate in their league campaign. They now have no league game until March 3 however, with College hosting Bandon next weekend knowing victory will tie them on 17 points with Quins ahead of their Mardyke meeting on February 25. Men’s Div 1 Bandon 1 (A Smith) Cork C of I 6 (J Jermyn 5, A Daunt); Cork C of I B 2 Cork Harlequins B 1; Women’s Div 1 Cork C of I 0 Catholic Institute 9 (K Campbell 5, E Cregan 4); Ashton 0 UCC 1 (S Bowe);