A whirlwind year for Nick Burns continues after he was yesterday named as Ireland U21 captain for this week’s Four Nations tournament at Mossley.
The Cork native, a product of Midleton College and Cork Church of Ireland but currently with UCD, earned his first senior cap in January having earned a reputation as a powerful drag-flicker with a penchant for flurries of goals in big games.
He is the sole Munster man in Jonny Caren’s 18-man selection to take on England, Germany and Scotland this week but there was further good news for the Burns family as Nick’s younger brother Alex was added to the Ireland U21 training panel ahead of this summer’s European championships.
Ulster dominated the women’s tournament, scoring 16 goals without conceding any, but Munster finished their campaign on a high as goals from UCC pair Nicola Kerr and Sarah Browner helped them see off Connacht 2-1, a perfect 21st birthday present for captain Amy-Kate Trevor.
Domestically, UL’s recent resurgence continued as they clicked into gear against an out of sorts Fermoy, winning 4-0 in north Cork to all but assure themselves of Division 1 hockey next season.
A relatively even game was decided by Steph Peters and Sorcha Carey’s superior finishing abilities and some tidy goalkeeping from Elaine O’Flynn against her childhood club. Peters found the top corner to give UL a slender half-time lead before a bad mistake at the back gift-wrapped Carey a vital second.
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UL then killed the game with Carey collecting another before Peters beautifully deflected Eulalia Marce Claville’s crash ball across Ondine Roche. Fermoy continued to probe but O’Flynn was alert to make good saves from Orla Cotter and Trish Fitzpatrick.
The sides meet again on Saturday with Fermoy into last-chance territory as they now need at least seven points from their final three games to avoid the wooden spoon, with goalscoring proving their biggest difficulty having netted just once in the league all season.
Meanwhile, Clonakilty created history as they participated in and won their first ever Irish cup tie, Freda Buttimer and Catherine McCarthy’s goals handing Melvin Beamish’s Division 3 pace-setters a 2-1 win at Enniscorthy in the Irish Challenge quarter-finals.
They’ll fly the flag for Munster after Clonmel were knocked out, going down to a single goal at home to Botanic.
IRELAND U21 Men’s squad for Four Nations Tournament, Mossley HC, Belfast: J Wright (Portadown/Ulster), H Spain (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), K Shimmins (UCD/Leinster), M Robson (Annadale/Ulster), R Nair (UCD/Leinster), S Murray (Lisnagarvey/Ulster), B McMillan (GK, Mossley/Ulster), P McKibbin (Annadale/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge/Ulster), J Lorimer (Lisnagarvey/Ulster), M Ingram (GK, Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), N Glassey (Mossley/Ulster), B Cosgrove (Grove Menzieshill/Ulster), L Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), N Burns (UCD/Munster, capt), P Brown (UCD/Leinster), M Bell (Banbridge/Ulster, vice-capt), M Allister (Annadale/Ulster). Reserves: J Duncan (UCD/Leinster), R Canning (UCD/Leinster), S O’Connor (Glenanne/Leinster). Players added to U21 training panel: M Allister (Annadale/Ulster), A Burns (Cork C of I/Munster), B Campbell (YMCA/Leinster), R Lynch (Cork C of I/Munster), D Nolan (Monkstown/Leinster), S O’Connor (Glenanne/Leinster), D Walsh (Three Rock Rovers/Leinster).
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Ireland v Scotland, 5pm; England v Germany, 7pm; Wednesday: Germany v Scotland, 5pm; Ireland v England, 7pm; Thursday: England v Scotland, 5pm; Ireland v Germany, 7pm.
U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Men: Ulster 4 (M Rollins, M Allister, M Bell, J Wright) Munster 2 (S Wolfe, N Burns); Leinster 3 (L Cole, S McKeever, R Canning) Ireland U18 0; Munster 1 (N Burns) Ireland U18 3 (D Nelson, S Murray, K O’Hare); Leinster 0 Ulster 1 (O Magee); Ulster 5 (N Glassey, J Cathcart 2, J McKee, C Roberts) Ireland U18 0; Leinster 1 (S McKeever) Munster 2 (J Dale, S Miller).
Final standings: 1 Ulster 6pts (+3); 2 Munster 3pts (-1); 3 Leinster 0pts (-2).
Women: Connacht 0 Ulster 8 (L McKee 3, G Frazer 2, K Mullan, J Orr, C Brown); Leinster 3 (L Gray, E Russell, E Hinkson) Munster 1 (E O’Leary); Connacht 0 Leinster 7 (H Mulcahy 2, M O’Donnell, O Patton, S Robinson, L Pinder, R O’Brien); Ulster 6 (K Mullan 2, C Brown, R Chambers, B Barr, L McKee) Munster 0; Munster 2 (N Kerr, S Browner) Connacht 1 (M Carey); Leinster 0 Ulster 2 (C Brown 2)
Final standings: 1 Ulster 9pts (+16); 2 Leinster 6pts (+9); 3 Munster 3pts (-7); 4 Connacht 0pts (-16).
Munster Div 1: Fermoy 0 UL 4 (S Peters 2, S Carey 2)
Irish Hockey Challenge quarter-finals: Clonmel 0 Botanic 1 (L McLean); NUIG 0 Raphoe 3 (S Barnett, W Bustard, K McKinney); Enniscorthy 1 (J Flood) Clonakilty 2 (F Buttimer, C McCarthy)
Ulster dominated the women’s tournament, scoring 16 goals without conceding any, but Munster finished their campaign on a high as goals from UCC pair Nicola Kerr and Sarah Browner helped them see off Connacht 2-1, a perfect 21st birthday present for captain Amy-Kate Trevor.
Domestically, UL’s recent resurgence continued as they clicked into gear against an out of sorts Fermoy, winning 4-0 in north Cork to all but assure themselves of Division 1 hockey next season.
A relatively even game was decided by Steph Peters and Sorcha Carey’s superior finishing abilities and some tidy goalkeeping from Elaine O’Flynn against her childhood club. Peters found the top corner to give UL a slender half-time lead before a bad mistake at the back gift-wrapped Carey a vital second.
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UL then killed the game with Carey collecting another before Peters beautifully deflected Eulalia Marce Claville’s crash ball across Ondine Roche. Fermoy continued to probe but O’Flynn was alert to make good saves from Orla Cotter and Trish Fitzpatrick.
The sides meet again on Saturday with Fermoy into last-chance territory as they now need at least seven points from their final three games to avoid the wooden spoon, with goalscoring proving their biggest difficulty having netted just once in the league all season.
Meanwhile, Clonakilty created history as they participated in and won their first ever Irish cup tie, Freda Buttimer and Catherine McCarthy’s goals handing Melvin Beamish’s Division 3 pace-setters a 2-1 win at Enniscorthy in the Irish Challenge quarter-finals.
They’ll fly the flag for Munster after Clonmel were knocked out, going down to a single goal at home to Botanic.
IRELAND U21 Men’s squad for Four Nations Tournament, Mossley HC, Belfast: J Wright (Portadown/Ulster), H Spain (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), K Shimmins (UCD/Leinster), M Robson (Annadale/Ulster), R Nair (UCD/Leinster), S Murray (Lisnagarvey/Ulster), B McMillan (GK, Mossley/Ulster), P McKibbin (Annadale/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge/Ulster), J Lorimer (Lisnagarvey/Ulster), M Ingram (GK, Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), N Glassey (Mossley/Ulster), B Cosgrove (Grove Menzieshill/Ulster), L Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), N Burns (UCD/Munster, capt), P Brown (UCD/Leinster), M Bell (Banbridge/Ulster, vice-capt), M Allister (Annadale/Ulster). Reserves: J Duncan (UCD/Leinster), R Canning (UCD/Leinster), S O’Connor (Glenanne/Leinster). Players added to U21 training panel: M Allister (Annadale/Ulster), A Burns (Cork C of I/Munster), B Campbell (YMCA/Leinster), R Lynch (Cork C of I/Munster), D Nolan (Monkstown/Leinster), S O’Connor (Glenanne/Leinster), D Walsh (Three Rock Rovers/Leinster).
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Ireland v Scotland, 5pm; England v Germany, 7pm; Wednesday: Germany v Scotland, 5pm; Ireland v England, 7pm; Thursday: England v Scotland, 5pm; Ireland v Germany, 7pm.
U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Men: Ulster 4 (M Rollins, M Allister, M Bell, J Wright) Munster 2 (S Wolfe, N Burns); Leinster 3 (L Cole, S McKeever, R Canning) Ireland U18 0; Munster 1 (N Burns) Ireland U18 3 (D Nelson, S Murray, K O’Hare); Leinster 0 Ulster 1 (O Magee); Ulster 5 (N Glassey, J Cathcart 2, J McKee, C Roberts) Ireland U18 0; Leinster 1 (S McKeever) Munster 2 (J Dale, S Miller).
Final standings: 1 Ulster 6pts (+3); 2 Munster 3pts (-1); 3 Leinster 0pts (-2).
Women: Connacht 0 Ulster 8 (L McKee 3, G Frazer 2, K Mullan, J Orr, C Brown); Leinster 3 (L Gray, E Russell, E Hinkson) Munster 1 (E O’Leary); Connacht 0 Leinster 7 (H Mulcahy 2, M O’Donnell, O Patton, S Robinson, L Pinder, R O’Brien); Ulster 6 (K Mullan 2, C Brown, R Chambers, B Barr, L McKee) Munster 0; Munster 2 (N Kerr, S Browner) Connacht 1 (M Carey); Leinster 0 Ulster 2 (C Brown 2)
Final standings: 1 Ulster 9pts (+16); 2 Leinster 6pts (+9); 3 Munster 3pts (-7); 4 Connacht 0pts (-16).
Munster Div 1: Fermoy 0 UL 4 (S Peters 2, S Carey 2)
Irish Hockey Challenge quarter-finals: Clonmel 0 Botanic 1 (L McLean); NUIG 0 Raphoe 3 (S Barnett, W Bustard, K McKinney); Enniscorthy 1 (J Flood) Clonakilty 2 (F Buttimer, C McCarthy)