Double-chasers at the ready

It’s Munster Senior Cup final day at Garryduff this afternoon, with Catholic Institute’s women and the men of Cork Church of Ireland both seeking to annex the first half of potential league and cup doubles. Institute meet a Cork Harlequins side (1pm) who have all but relinquished their league title to the Limerick girls but will be determined not to do so with the cup they won 12 months ago with a win over the same opposition at Rosbrien. Much has changed since that 3-1 victory, though; Quins have lost experienced campaigners such as Rachael Kohler and Karen Bateman to retirement, while Institute have come on leaps and bounds and are now regarded as the strongest force in Munster, particularly now they have welcomed Katie Campbell and Kym Daly back from long-term injury absences. The one downside for Institute is that they are not likely to have midfielder Roisin Upton operating at full capacity given she had just come through four games in 48 hours at the Kate Russell. Cliodhna Sargent in particular will be leading Quins’ underdog charge, but Institute – undefeated in Munster this term – will nonetheless be quietly confident they can do the necessary here.

Meanwhile, C of I will be hoping to overcome a recent wretched run of form when they take on Bandon in the men’s decider (3pm). Mark Ruddle’s charges have shipped 10 goals in their last two games against Corinthian and Annadale, and will be looking for a boost ahead of a trio of clashes with bitter rivals Cork Harlequins that will shape the outcome of their domestic season. Bandon will, as always, relish the outsiders tag and may view C of I as being more vulnerable than usual. They have the quality up front in Ali Smith, David Smith and Graham Kingston to do some damage, but keeping at tight at the other end will be their main priority. There’s a third cup final in the offing at Garryduff too as C of I F and Quins E meet in the Barber Cup final. Division 4 champions C of I will be favourites to triumph on home turf, with Simon Wolfe and Rob Johnston key young players in their ranks, though Irish U16 Alex Burns misses out due to soccer commitments. For Quins, Mick O’Neill, Chris Scanlon and captain Joe O’Mahony will be crucial to their chances. Meanwhile, it’s another huge weekend for Ashton as they hit the road for their women’s Irish Hockey Trophy semi-final clash with Portadown. George Treacy’s side are on the crest of a wave after their best season in years, and recovered from a gutting Examiner Cup final defeat to Galway by drawing 2-2 with UCC in midweek. They will even feel they could have emerged with all three points as they led until the final minutes, when Olivia Roycroft’s bullet drag-flick saved the students’ bacon. That came after Ashton skipper Caroline McCarthy netted her 19th and 20th goals of the season, and she along with Emma Harrington, Karen Stokes and Shauna Fagan will supply the primary threats up north. The task for Ashton is a tough one however; Ports pushed Institute all the way in the semi-final of last year’s competition, but an Ashton victory would see them join UCC’s men plus Limerick and Dungarvan in a Munster-dominated Irish cup finals weekend at Belfield on April 2/3. As for College, they must now recover from that shock at Ashton in another tricky tie in west Cork, where they’ll face Bandon (12pm) minus the services of Irish international Miriam Crowley, who is on CPP duty. With midfielder Eibhlín O’Donoghue and centre-back Orla Crowley also missing due to exam commitments, it’ll be a somewhat inexperienced College side bidding to put the brakes on Bandon, who have not given up hope of an IHL wildcard playoff qualifcation spot. Ali O’Connor and Ali O’Regan will therefore be entrusted with inspiring the students, who drew 1-1 with Bandon at home back in September, while the hosts have Amy Hosford, Sarah Gray and Vicky Burns in fine recent form. UL host Cork C of I in what is something of a do-or-die clash for the Limerick students. They need a tangible result of some sort from their last three games to avoid finishing bottom of the pile, but David Egner’s C of I have gained plenty experience this term and may be able to include former Ireland A international Mel Ryan in their ranks. The sole men’s league tie sees Quins B host UCC, with the hosts hoping to draw level with the students in fourth with a victory here, and they’ll want an improved showing on their 4-0 loss at the Mardyke last month. College, however, have different priorities, preparation for the April 3 Irish Trophy final highest among them. They were not at full tilt in the semi-final win over Clontarf, and will be keen for Roger Gray to get back on the goal trail as well as giving Colin Manning, Nigel Bateman and Danny Mulligan some more Division 1 game-time ahead of the decider. Munster Senior Cup finals, Garryduff Women: Catholic Institute v Cork Harlequins (1pm); Men: Cork C of I v Bandon (3pm); Men’s Div 1: Cork Harlequins B v UCC (Harlequin Park, 2.30pm). Women’s Div 1: Bandon v UCC (Bandon Grammar, 12pm); UL v Cork C of I (UL, 3.30pm).