College bid to raid Duff bowl

Motivation won’t be lacking for UCC as they pitch up at Garryduff tonight looking to rattle Cork Church of Ireland’s cage (8pm). The majority of College’s side played childhood hockey with the Rochestown club, with Stuart O’Grady, David Doherty and Adam O’Callaghan the latest to face old team-mates while wearing the skull and crossbones. A C of I slip-up will all but hand the title to Cork Harlequins, and they won’t have Irish international star John Jermyn — scorer of five in the 6-1 win over Bandon recently — to call upon.

But player/coach David Hobbs made the point in midweek that the Blues have learned to play without their talismanic corner specialist, and they put 12 past Catholic Institute in an emphatic striking show of striking force last weekend. That they conceded four in the same game will be a focus for UCC, who will as usual look to Andy Gray’s powerful aerials to put pacemen Fionn O’Leary, Roger Gray and Shrew Power into space. Avoiding defeat would be a huge boon to their hopes of nailing down the Irish Hockey League wildcard qualification slot that comes with a third-placed league finish. Some of C of I’s players will have to double up the next day as their second-string side heads into Irish Junior Cup quarter-final action. They’ve the toughest test of all against holders Lisnagarvey, but like their women’s side — who face a more familiar opponents in Bandon — they can rely on home comforts at the self-styled ‘Duff bowl’. Across town at the Mardyke, it’s do or die for Paidi Hartnett’s UCC women, who must take three points from Cork Harlequins to keep their hopes of earning automatic IHL qualification in their own hands. The upside for the students is that Quins have been inactive for all of February due to a quirk in the fixture-lists quirk. Stephen Dale’s charges may be rusty as a result but the likes of Karen Bateman and Rachel McSharry have plenty experience of high-stakes occasions and won’t be found wanting. Ashton and UL get another chance to duel after drawing 3-3 in Limerick last Sunday. George Treacy’s side will be keen to set the record straight after giving up a 3-1 lead and conceding a hotly disputed penalty stroke. Going against them is the fact they must travel to Limerick for a second straight weekend – the fixture is reversed after the initial tie was called off earlier this season after UL had began their travel. UL’s confidence is high after taking five points from a possible six last weekend, and they have former Ireland U18 starlet Jean Devoy among a number of players in a rich vein of form. All fixtures Saturday unless stated Men Munster Div 1: Cork C of I v UCC, Tonight, 8pm, Garryduff. Irish Junior Cup quarter-finals: Three Rock Rovers v Corinthian, 3.45pm, Grange Road; Cork C of I v Lisnagarvey, 1pm, Garryduff; Kilkeel v Cookstown, 2.30pm, Kilkeel HS; Annadale v Banbridge, 2.30pm, Lough Moss. *Draw for semi-finals of men’s and women’s IJC will be made at Garryduff, Cork at 4.30pm. Women Munster Div 1: UCC v Cork Harlequins, 12.30pm, Mardyke; UL v Ashton, 12pm, UL. Electric Ireland Irish Junior Cup quarter-finals: Hermes v Pegasus, 1.30pm, St Andrews; Pembroke Wanderers v Galway, 3.30pm, Serpentine Avenue; Cork C of I v Bandon, 3pm, Garryduff; Loreto v Randasltown, 2.15pm, Beaufort.