UCC ended a 101-year hoodoo – and secured their place in the Irish Hockey League for the first time into the bargain – with a 3-2 victory over Cork Church of Ireland at the Mardyke on Saturday.
The students haven’t defeated C of I since winning 2-1 in a 1913 cup final; they disbanded the year after with the outbreak of World War I and didn’t reappear until 1972, and have only managed to draw with C of I in modern times, back in 2004.
But that is all history now after three first-half goals did the damage against a lacklustre C of I, who had already wrapped up the league title with a 2-0 victory over Bandon on Thursday night.
They were also minus key man John Jermyn, but will still have been livid at such a demoralising loss a week before they begin their Irish Hockey League campaign against Banbridge.
C of I had survived an early scare, Alec Moffett getting a vital block on Gary Wilkinson as he was poised to shoot with Billy Lynch out of position, when they went ahead via a scrappy own goal.
But that was as good as it got; College levelled when Fionn O’Leary pounced with a diving effort to level it, capitalising on Wilkinson and Peter Catchpole’s good build-up work, and John Sweetnam gave them a deserved lead when scooping to the roof of the net after Shrew Power’s hard cross fell kindly for the Munster U21 man.
College were in dreamland when Andrew Gray, a mainstay of the UCC side that won the Irish Trophy and varsities during his time there, gift-wrapped his old club a third. He passed a harmless free inside his own 25 straight to Greg Chambers – who was excellent throughout – and he drew Lynch before playing in Wilkinson, who reversed home off the underside of the bar.
C of I held the majority of second-half possession but their attempts to repeat their Peard Cup final comeback were thwarted by stout UCC defence, a lack of penetration and yellow cards to David Hobbs and Stephen Sweetnam, both for dissent.
They did manage one back with three minutes to go, Stephen Parker following up after Gray’s drag-flick was saved by Brian Corcoran, but never looked like getting another.
Cork Harlequins held up their end of the bargain by beating Bandon in west Cork for the second week running, all three Hobbs brothers – Dan, Rob and John – scoring in a 3-2 success with David Smith and Mark Kingston replying for the hosts.
It means all the major issues are decided in the men’s Division 1; C of I are champions once more, while UCC will finish second, edging Quins out of an automatic IHL berth for the first time as the Farmer’s Cross side head for the wildcard playoffs at Bandon’s expense.
Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins and UCC will contest the Munster Senior Cup final after both won through after some scares. College beat C of I 4-2 in the semi-finals while Quins saw off Ashton 5-1 in Saturday’s last eight tie before surprisingly falling behind to Fermoy, eventually running out 6-1 winners, Karen Bateman proving the difference as she scored hat-tricks in both games.
They were also minus key man John Jermyn, but will still have been livid at such a demoralising loss a week before they begin their Irish Hockey League campaign against Banbridge.
C of I had survived an early scare, Alec Moffett getting a vital block on Gary Wilkinson as he was poised to shoot with Billy Lynch out of position, when they went ahead via a scrappy own goal.
But that was as good as it got; College levelled when Fionn O’Leary pounced with a diving effort to level it, capitalising on Wilkinson and Peter Catchpole’s good build-up work, and John Sweetnam gave them a deserved lead when scooping to the roof of the net after Shrew Power’s hard cross fell kindly for the Munster U21 man.
College were in dreamland when Andrew Gray, a mainstay of the UCC side that won the Irish Trophy and varsities during his time there, gift-wrapped his old club a third. He passed a harmless free inside his own 25 straight to Greg Chambers – who was excellent throughout – and he drew Lynch before playing in Wilkinson, who reversed home off the underside of the bar.
C of I held the majority of second-half possession but their attempts to repeat their Peard Cup final comeback were thwarted by stout UCC defence, a lack of penetration and yellow cards to David Hobbs and Stephen Sweetnam, both for dissent.
They did manage one back with three minutes to go, Stephen Parker following up after Gray’s drag-flick was saved by Brian Corcoran, but never looked like getting another.
Cork Harlequins held up their end of the bargain by beating Bandon in west Cork for the second week running, all three Hobbs brothers – Dan, Rob and John – scoring in a 3-2 success with David Smith and Mark Kingston replying for the hosts.
It means all the major issues are decided in the men’s Division 1; C of I are champions once more, while UCC will finish second, edging Quins out of an automatic IHL berth for the first time as the Farmer’s Cross side head for the wildcard playoffs at Bandon’s expense.
Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins and UCC will contest the Munster Senior Cup final after both won through after some scares. College beat C of I 4-2 in the semi-finals while Quins saw off Ashton 5-1 in Saturday’s last eight tie before surprisingly falling behind to Fermoy, eventually running out 6-1 winners, Karen Bateman proving the difference as she scored hat-tricks in both games.
Men’s Div 1: UCC 3 (F O’Leary, J Sweetnam, G Wilkinson) Cork C of I 2 (own goal, S Parker); Cork C of I 2 (S Parker, S Wolfe) Bandon 0; Bandon 2 (D Smith, M Kingston) Cork Harlequins 3 (R Hobbs, D Hobbs, J Hobbs); UCC 4 (F O’Leary, G Chambers, A Scannell, J Sweetnam) Cork C of I B 0.
Women’s Munster Senior Cup semi-finals: Cork C of I 2 (A Roberts, C Hickey) UCC 4 (M Crowley, S Fischer, K Harvey, A McGrath); Fermoy 1 (own goal) Cork Harlequins 6 (K Bateman 3, R Hobbs 2, Y O’Byrne); Quarter-final: Ashton 1 Cork Harlequins 5 (K Bateman 3, O Cotter, R Hobbs); Munster Senior Plate semi-finals: Catholic Institute w/o UL scr; Limerick 4 Ashton 1.