Destructive Devoy drives on UL

UL were the big winners this weekend as they doubled their points tally for the season and left Cork Church of Ireland perching precariously over the relegation trap door. George Blackwell’s girls saw off the Garryduff side 4-1 and came from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Ashton, a combination of results which leaves them relatively safe in mid-table on 10 points. That leaves C of I — Irish Hockey League representatives as recently as 2010 — likely needing to win all of their remaining three fixtures to stand a chance of avoiding relegation, which is a real possibility should Limerick or Fermoy win out in Division 2.

UL’s first goal arrived when they countered quickly off a broken down C of I corner, with Emma Sherlock collecting the ball on halfway and getting all the way to the circle to beat Ciara Randles in the visitors’ goal. Jean Devoy then won and a penalty corner – she earned seven for her team in a stand-out performance – and hit a foot on the line for a penalty stroke that Rachelle Nyhan converted. Some slack defending allowed C of I get to the baseline and make the pass for Cathy Kenefick to score at the back post for 2-1 at the break, but Laura O’Kane’s fine defensive work kept UL’s lead intact. And South East interpro representative Devoy gave them some breathing space with 15 minutes to go, bashing home from the top of the D before Sherlock finished as she’d started, rebounding well for 4-1. If that was a huge boon for the Limerick girls, they may have mixed feelings from a 3-3 draw with Ashton, as will the Cork outfit. Devoy was again the key woman as she looped the ball over Ashton netminder Niamh Stockil – standing in for absent first-choice keeper Elaine Redmond – after Ciara O’Sullivan had broken down the left. But Ashton levelled it when Ciara O’Herlihy mopped up a corner breakdown, and George Treacy’s side dominated the third quarter, with Shauna Fagan caused UL – for whom Laura Griffin had an excellent outing at right-back – lots of problems. Emma Harrington scrambled one in off Hilary Griffin’s pads before working an overload down the right to give Caroline McCarthy a tap-in to seemingly wrap it up. But then came the game’s key moment, as UL were awarded a disputed penalty stroke after Nyhan hit a foot on the line. She converted for 3-2 before Devoy stole the show with a virtuoso effort, beating four players before slotting home the equaliser with five minutes to go.

Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins are now in the driving seat to take the last remaining automatic IHL qualification slot despite having a free weekend. Bandon did them a huge favour in coming from two down to draw 2-2 with third-placed UCC at the Mardyke, Grainne Cronin giving them a lifeline before Vicky Burns picked up a short corner rebound to level it in the final minute. Amy-Kate Trevor and Kate Humphries had seemingly put College in control earlier on with two fine reverse-stick efforts. Trevor pounced on a rebound after Humphries’ good approach work and although Aisling O’Leary got back to bat the ball away, it was ruled to have crossed the line. Humphries – playing a more key role in broken collarbone victim Olivia Roycroft’s absence, notched a tidy upright reverse after being played in by Nicola Kerr. The students now host Quins next weekend needing a win to keep their fate in their own hands as they chase second place. Elsewhere, it’ll be another showdown between Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland in the men’s Munster Senior Cup final after both came thorough very different semi-final encounters. Quins needed a sweet Paul Lombard deflection to see off a stubborn Bandon side 2-1, after Scott Sullivan had wiped out Dan Hobbs’ opener. David Egner had the ball in the net on 16 minutes for Quins, but it was chalked off for a foot in the build-up following umpire consultation.

Hobbs then dragged one in along the deck before Mark Black missed a sitter of a rebound following a fine Ian Hosford save of another Hobbs drag. And Bandon, who again saved one of their best performances of the season for a visit to Harlequin Park, made them pay shortly before half-time. Irish youth international Sullivan was set free down the right and made for the baseline, before pulling the ball back across goal only to see it go in off Chris Daunt as the goalkeeper attempted to intercept. Sullivan then missed by a matter of inches from a drag-flick as Bandon’s tails were up, while at the other end Colin Ross dinged an upright after being picked out by David Lombard’s super cross-field pass. Quins won it with six minutes to go, Lombard redirecting Mark Black’s crash to the net. But Bandon could have forced extra time had it not been for Daunt’s alertness, as he got his stick to Sullivan’s pass to Ricky Roycroft at close range. C of I meanwhile, conceded four but still managed to win comfortably as defences were marked absent in a 12-4 victory over Catholic Institute in Limerick. Stephen Sweetnam claimed five for the blues and was joined on the scoresheet by namesakes Philip and Clinton, while Eric Callender cracked in a hat-trick for Insta. Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for Limerick and Clonmel on the national stage as both fell as the penultimate hurdle in the Irish Hockey Challenge semi-finals.

Nathan Eacrett and Tom Clarke’s goals weren’t enough as the Treaty city men went down 3-2 to Ballynahinch at Villiers, while Dawn Grace’s second-half strike came in vain as Sue Shirley’s pair helped Kilkenny through to the final of the women’s competition. Munster Senior Cup semi-finals Catholic Institute 4 (E Callender 3, D Crowe) Cork C of I 12 (S Sweetnam 5, P Sweetnam 2, G Wilkinson 2, D Harvey, C Sweetnam); Cork Harlequins 2 (D Hobbs, P Lombard) Bandon 1 (S Sullivan); Irish Hockey Challenge semi-finals Limerick 2 (T Clarke, N Eacrett) Ballynahinch 3; Kilkenny 6 PSNI 3. Women Munster Div 1 UCC 2 (A-K Trevor, K Humphries) Bandon 2 (G Cronin, V Burns); UL 4 (E Sherlock 2, R Nyhan, J Devoy) Cork C of I 1 (C Kenefick); UL 3 (K Devoy 2, R Nyhan) Ashton 3 (C O’Herlihy, E Harrington, C McCarthy). Electric Ireland Irish Challenge semi-finals Kilkenny 2 (S Shirley 2) Clonmel 1 (D Grace); Botanic 3 Monkstown 2.