C of I lay down a marker

Men’s IHL Pool B Cork Church of Ireland 4 (Simon Wolfe 2, Ali Smith, Richard Lynch) Glenanne 1 (Eddie O’Malley) Cork Church of Ireland showed they could be a dark horse for this year’s Irish Hockey League by routing Glenanne 4-1 at Garryduff on Saturday. This was a very comfortable victory for the Munster champions, a major reversal from the defeat Glens inflicted on the hosts by the same scoreline the last time they met here in 2010. Glens had their chances too but were all at sea at the back, allowing Ali Smith’s reverse to put C of I on the front foot when the ball fell kindly off Gareth Carragher’s save from a David Harvey shot.

Richard Lynch then dug the ball out of Carragher’s pads off a relatively tame Stephen Sweetnam reverse sweep to score the second. The Ireland U18 man nearly had another when he was found all alone at the top of the circle by Alec Moffett, but his lob cleared the crossbar having beaten Carragher. It mattered little  as Stephen Sweetnam was given far too much time to roam into the circle and play in Simon Wolfe for number three. He added another shortly after when a long aerial flummoxed the Glens defence, allowing Andrew Daunt to mop up and play in Wolfe for number four. Eddie O’Malley got a touch to Rowland Rixon-Fuller’s drag to give Glens a consolation but they’ll need to sort out their defensive frailties if they are to make an impact in this competition. Elsewhere in Pool B, YMCA won the Dublin derby at Milltown as they came from a goal down to beat Railway Union 3-1 while Banbridge continued their IHL hoodoo over Lisnagarvey, recovering a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2. IHL Men’s Pool A Cork Harlequins 1 (Philip McLaughlin) Cookstown 6 (Greg Allen 2, Jon Ames, Simon Todd, Stephen Sloan, Ryan Millar) Cookstown ran riot in Garryduff as they clocked up a 6-1 win over Europe-bound Cork Harlequins. Quins are ravaged with injuries right now and the Tyrone men gradually wore them down, taking control with second-quarter goals from Jon Ames and Simon Todd at short corner time as they avenged their ISC defeat in style.

Steven Sloan slotted home after a great break while Ryan Millar made it four before Quins got one back from Dave Eakins shot which was deflected in by Philip McLaughlin. The revival was short-lived, though, as Greg Allen nabbed two goals in the closing phases. Elsewhere, Monkstown blew Pembroke away in the first half to romp to a shock 6-1 victory over the Leinster champions. This was a far cry from last weekend’s Irish Senior Cup final — won 5-4 by ‘Town after extra-time — as Andrew Ward, Kyle Good and Gareth Watkins laid waste to the purples’ defence for a 5-0 half-time lead. Instonians won the all-Ulster battle with Annadale 2-1. Women’s IHL Pool A Catholic Institute 2 (Eimear Cregan, Elaine Bromell) Ulster Elks 0 Catholic Institute were somewhat wasteful against an Ulster Elks side missing half a dozen regulars but did enough to win. Naomi Carroll and Kym Daly calmly set up a diving Eimear Cregan for the opener after winning the ball in the press late in the first half. The Elks missed a golden opportunity to get back on level terms when Elaine Redmond saved Kirsty Lammey’s penalty stroke, contentiously given after Sarah Galbraith’s goal-bound reverse struck Caroline Hutchinson. Lammey and Rachel King threatened occasionally for the Jordanstown side, while Stacey Kells in goal had a game to remember as she consistently repelled Institute’s best efforts. Ger O’Carroll’s girls were also guilty of a lot of poor finishing. But without the requisite subs and an injury to Danielle Wilson, the Elks ran out of puff and Elaine Bromell made it safe from the penalty spot in the final quarter, slotting in off the post. Meanwhile, Loreto made a massive statement of intent in the women’s competition, beating holders Railway Union 3-1 while Vanessa Surgeoner’s helped cut open Hermes with a brace of goals as Pegasus ran out 4-1 winners.

IHL Women’s Pool B Cork Harlequins 2 (Cliodhna Sargent, Orlagh Cotter) Lurgan 1 (Zoe Hawthorne) A very valuable four points to kickstart the campaign for Quins, as they built on Cliodhna Sargent’s early bullet from the top of the circle, giving them the lead in just the fourth minute. The northern side had their moments in the first half but were pegged back further when Acacia Taylor’s shot was saved by Victoria Parks into the path of Orlagh Cotter who struck home the rebound. Zoe Hawthorne who struck home in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1 after the Lurgan forwards were left two on one with the Quins keeper. But the Cork hosts held on for the four points with Lurgan taking just a losing bonus from the tie. In the pool’s other games, Ards stunned Leinster champs UCD 2-1 and Ballymoney beat Old Alex 3-0. Irish Hockey League Rd 1 Men’s Pool A: Monkstown 6 (A Ward 2, G Watkins 2, D Cole, K Good) Pembroke Wanderers 1 (A Sothern); Instonians 2 (J Lewis, J Corry) Annadale 1 (M Allister); Cork Harlequins 1 (P McLaughlin) Cookstown 6 (G Allen 2, J Ames, S Todd, S Sloan, R Millar). Standings: 1. Cookstown 4pts (+5) 2. Monkstown 4pts (+5) 3. Instonians 4pts (+1) 4. Annadale 1pt (-1) 5. Pembroke 0pts (-5) 6. Cork Harlequins 0pts (-5) Men’s Pool B: YMCA 3 (own goal, B Campbell, S Parker) Railway Union 1 (own goal); Cork C of I 4 (S Wolfe 2, A Smith, R Lynch) Glenanne 1 (E O’Malley); Lisnagarvey 2 (A Forrest, J Quigley) Banbridge 3 (S Dowds, own goal, D Ward). Standings: 1. Cork C of I 4pts (+3) 2. YMCA 4pts (+2) 3. Banbridge 4pts (+1) 4. Lisnagarvey 1pt (-1) 5. Railway Union 0pts (-2) Glenanne 0pts (-3) Women’s Pool A: Railway Union 1 (E Smyth) Loreto 3 (H Mulcahy, H Matthews, N Small); Pegasus 4 (V Surgeoner 2, K McConnell, S Beaney) Hermes 1 (L Jacob); Catholic Institute 2 (E Cregan, E Bromell) Ulster Elks 0. Standings: 1. Pegasus 4pts (+3) 2. Loreto 4pts (+2) 2= Catholic Institute 4pts (+2) 4. Railway Union 0pts (-2) 5. Ulster Elks 0pts (-2) 6. Hermes 0pts (-3). Women’s Pool B: UCD 1 (A O’Flanagan) Ards 2 (J Vaughan, C Brown); Ballymoney 3 (N Parke, K Minihan, K Caithness) Old Alex 0; Lurgan 1 (Z Hawthorne) Cork Harlequins 2 (C Sargent, O Cotter). Standings: 1. Ballymoney 4pts (+3) 2= Cork Harlequins 4pts (+1) 2= Ards 4pts (+1) 4= UCD 1pt (-1) 4= Lurgan 1pt (-1) 6. Old Alex 0pts (-3).