Ructions were expected at the top of the table but it was the relegation battle that produced the shocks on a topsy-turvy weekend of Munster hockey.
Jenni Lyttle’s hat-trick propelled Limerick to a stunning 3-1 victory over Bandon, meaning one more good result in their final three games should be enough to guarantee their presence in the league next season.
UL chalked up their first win of the campaign, stunning Ashton 3-2 in Cork on Friday night. Sorcha Carey and Rachelle Nyhan cancelled out strikes from the hosts’ Tracey Johnson and Emma Harrington before a slice of good luck sealed their fate.
Grace O’Malley’s cross struck the upright and was picked up by an Ashton defender, but the spin on the ball saw it roll off her stick and into the goal.
The result is that Fermoy – who shocked Bandon in the cup last week but fell 10-0 to a rampant Catholic Institute, for whom Roisin Begley and Roisin Howard scored on their debuts – have been cut adrift at the foot of the table, four points behind UL.
Crucially, the bottom two now meet in back-to-back games while Fermoy must also play Limerick and Ashton before the season’s end, with Limerick and UL also meeting in a potential six-pointer.
At the other end of the table, Cork Harlequins and UCC cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw in awful conditions at Farmer’s Cross.
Quins hold the aces with a six-point lead over second-placed Institute, with College a further three behind, although the chasing sides both have games in hand.
UCC’s title hopes now rest on a favour from Institute, who have two games against Quins in the coming six weeks, while winning all their remaining four fixtures against sides below them.
In the men’s league, Cork C of I have all but secured the title after two big wins in 48 hours but the battle for second place and automatic Irish Hockey League qualification is proving to be a humdinger.
C of I kept their noses in front throughout a 5-4 victory over Cork Harlequins on Thursday night, before Andrew Gray’s short corner goal helped them grind out a 1-0 victory at Bandon on Saturday.
Stephen Sweetnam’s double and goals from Andrew Daunt and Stephen Parker – with Dan Hobbs and Julian Dale replying for Quins – had C of I seemingly cruising at 4-2.
But Quins made a game of it when they teed up Adam Daunt-Sheehan before Nigel Buttimer finished a corner move to restore the two-goal advantage. David Lombard’s screamer into the top corner reduced the deficit again but despite winning five corners on the trot prior to that goal, Quins couldn’t find another.
UCC are the only side who can mathematically catch C of I after chalking up their best win of the campaign as Gary Wilkinson hit a brace and Stuart Miller notched a cracker in a 3-1 win at fourth-placed Quins.
Bandon are in third after Julius Haendel’s double and a first goal for Clinton Sweetnam since his return to the club helped them see off C of I B 6-1 on Sunday.
In the Irish Senior Cup, Monkstown won the big men’s game 3-1 against Banbridge while Lisnagarvey, Three Rock Rovers and Pembroke Wanderers also advanced. Pembroke caused a big shock in the women’s quarter-finals, edging out Loreto on strokes, while Railway Union, Lurgan and UCD complete the semi-final line-up.
Men
Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals: Fingal 2 (C Neville 2) Three Rock Rovers 7 (J Bruton 2, J Hosking, P McConnell, P Blakeney, P Fitzpatrick, A Haughton) Corinthian 0 Pembroke 4 (S McKeever, R Flannery, T Hill, A Sothern); Lisnagarvey 7 (T Cockram 3, J Lynch, D Nelson, M Raphael, A Williamson) Glenanne 2 (D O’Malley, G Shaw); Monkstown 3 (L Cole, K Good, D Carson) Banbridge 1 (S Dowds).
Munster Div 1: Cork C of I 5 (S Sweetnam 2, S Parker, A Daunt, N Buttimer) Cork Harlequins 4 (D Hobbs, J Dale, A Daunt-Sheehan, D Lombard); Cork Harlequins 1 (P Lombard) UCC 3 (G Wilkinson 2, S Miller); Bandon 0 Cork C of I 1 (A Gray); Bandon 6 (J Haendel, M Kingston, A Smith, D Smith, C Sweetnam) Cork C of I B 1 (D Whitaker).
Women
Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals: Old Alex 0 UCD 2 (A O’Flanagan 2); Ulster Elks 0 Lurgan 1; Ballymoney 2 (N Parke 2) Railway Union 6 (E Lucey 2, K Dillon 2, K Lloyd, J O’Halloran, A Speers); Pembroke 2 (S Carey, J Collins) Loreto (H Matthews 2), Pembroke win 3-2 on strokes.
Munster Div 1: Cork Harlequins 0 UCC 0; Catholic Institute 10 (K Campbell 3, R Howard, C Hutchinson, R Begley, N Carroll, M Barrett, H Redden, C Moloney) Fermoy 0; Limerick 3 (J Lyttle 3) Bandon 1; Ashton 2 (T Johnson, E Harrington) UL 3 (R Nyhan, S Carey, own goal); Bandon 1 (J Buttimer) Catholic Institute 3 (N Carroll, C Moloney, E Sherlock)
The result is that Fermoy – who shocked Bandon in the cup last week but fell 10-0 to a rampant Catholic Institute, for whom Roisin Begley and Roisin Howard scored on their debuts – have been cut adrift at the foot of the table, four points behind UL.
Crucially, the bottom two now meet in back-to-back games while Fermoy must also play Limerick and Ashton before the season’s end, with Limerick and UL also meeting in a potential six-pointer.
At the other end of the table, Cork Harlequins and UCC cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw in awful conditions at Farmer’s Cross.
Quins hold the aces with a six-point lead over second-placed Institute, with College a further three behind, although the chasing sides both have games in hand.
UCC’s title hopes now rest on a favour from Institute, who have two games against Quins in the coming six weeks, while winning all their remaining four fixtures against sides below them.
In the men’s league, Cork C of I have all but secured the title after two big wins in 48 hours but the battle for second place and automatic Irish Hockey League qualification is proving to be a humdinger.
C of I kept their noses in front throughout a 5-4 victory over Cork Harlequins on Thursday night, before Andrew Gray’s short corner goal helped them grind out a 1-0 victory at Bandon on Saturday.
Stephen Sweetnam’s double and goals from Andrew Daunt and Stephen Parker – with Dan Hobbs and Julian Dale replying for Quins – had C of I seemingly cruising at 4-2.
But Quins made a game of it when they teed up Adam Daunt-Sheehan before Nigel Buttimer finished a corner move to restore the two-goal advantage. David Lombard’s screamer into the top corner reduced the deficit again but despite winning five corners on the trot prior to that goal, Quins couldn’t find another.
UCC are the only side who can mathematically catch C of I after chalking up their best win of the campaign as Gary Wilkinson hit a brace and Stuart Miller notched a cracker in a 3-1 win at fourth-placed Quins.
Bandon are in third after Julius Haendel’s double and a first goal for Clinton Sweetnam since his return to the club helped them see off C of I B 6-1 on Sunday.
In the Irish Senior Cup, Monkstown won the big men’s game 3-1 against Banbridge while Lisnagarvey, Three Rock Rovers and Pembroke Wanderers also advanced. Pembroke caused a big shock in the women’s quarter-finals, edging out Loreto on strokes, while Railway Union, Lurgan and UCD complete the semi-final line-up.
Men
Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals: Fingal 2 (C Neville 2) Three Rock Rovers 7 (J Bruton 2, J Hosking, P McConnell, P Blakeney, P Fitzpatrick, A Haughton) Corinthian 0 Pembroke 4 (S McKeever, R Flannery, T Hill, A Sothern); Lisnagarvey 7 (T Cockram 3, J Lynch, D Nelson, M Raphael, A Williamson) Glenanne 2 (D O’Malley, G Shaw); Monkstown 3 (L Cole, K Good, D Carson) Banbridge 1 (S Dowds).
Munster Div 1: Cork C of I 5 (S Sweetnam 2, S Parker, A Daunt, N Buttimer) Cork Harlequins 4 (D Hobbs, J Dale, A Daunt-Sheehan, D Lombard); Cork Harlequins 1 (P Lombard) UCC 3 (G Wilkinson 2, S Miller); Bandon 0 Cork C of I 1 (A Gray); Bandon 6 (J Haendel, M Kingston, A Smith, D Smith, C Sweetnam) Cork C of I B 1 (D Whitaker).
Women
Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals: Old Alex 0 UCD 2 (A O’Flanagan 2); Ulster Elks 0 Lurgan 1; Ballymoney 2 (N Parke 2) Railway Union 6 (E Lucey 2, K Dillon 2, K Lloyd, J O’Halloran, A Speers); Pembroke 2 (S Carey, J Collins) Loreto (H Matthews 2), Pembroke win 3-2 on strokes.
Munster Div 1: Cork Harlequins 0 UCC 0; Catholic Institute 10 (K Campbell 3, R Howard, C Hutchinson, R Begley, N Carroll, M Barrett, H Redden, C Moloney) Fermoy 0; Limerick 3 (J Lyttle 3) Bandon 1; Ashton 2 (T Johnson, E Harrington) UL 3 (R Nyhan, S Carey, own goal); Bandon 1 (J Buttimer) Catholic Institute 3 (N Carroll, C Moloney, E Sherlock)
I think Brian Corcoran saved a crucial stroke in the UCC game as well when UCC were ahead 2-1! His second such save in 3 games if I’m not mistaken….