The Christmas and New Year break comes to an abrupt end for many of Munster hockey’s top stars with some vital leagues games down for decision tomorrow.
Catholic Institute simply can’t afford to lose at home to UCC if they are to retain ambitions of winning back their title as 2014 gets off to a potentially explosive start at Rosbrien, the students no doubt hoping for a repeat of their 3-0 win there last season.
At the time, Institute were Munster champions and UCC in an evolutionary stage, rendering the result a major surprise. But more is expected of the students now with many of their star players in their final college year, while Insta have gone the other direction with the average age of their side coming down significantly.
College’s 2-1 victory over Institute at the Mardyke early in the campaign has them in the box seat for what will be a three-way title fight that also includes champions Cork Harlequins. The head-to-heads between these sides will decide it and UCC’s hunger is arguably the greatest as the club is without a Munster league crown since the 1990s.
If Aine Curran, Amy Kate Trevor and Antonia McGrath are on song they can be confident of a positive result but Institute have some jokers in their pack too, not least in-form Irish international forward Naomi Carroll.
In addition, the Christmas holidays did not scatter Insta’s panel around the country so training will have been easier, and they also played a game – a 4-1 win over Ashton in Cork on December 28 – during that period. By contrast, UCC opted not to enter the U21 club championships on the same day and have not seen any action since December 7.
Elsewhere, Cork Harlequins may again be without Yvonne O’Byrne and Cliodhna Sargent as Darren Smith’s Ireland side prepare for a training camp in Spain. Minus their talismanic defenders, they laboured to a 4-2 win over Ashton just before Christmas but will hope to be more clinical against Cork C of I tomorrow.
Abby Oakes and Katie O’Neill were among the youngsters who stepped into the breach last time out and Stephen Dale will again look for increased contributions from them. Eddie Kirwan’s C of I face genuine competition for their “best of the rest” tag from an ever-improving Bandon and will hope Ali O’Regan, Jen Barry and Ali O’Connor can help them eke out a shock result against Quins.
Bandon get their own crack at Quins at home on Sunday, hoping C of I will have tired them out somewhat. They lost the reverse fixture 9-0 but have improved immeasurably under Ger Burns since then, winning the U21 club championships while reintegrating Olivia Roycroft and Kate Murphy to the side.
Ashton’s visit to Limerick is an encounter that two sides at the wrong end of the table will be targeting for results. Michelle O’Brien and Graham Catchpole have done well to absorb the loss of many senior Ashton players over the summer and have blooded the likes of 14-year-old Lorna McCutcheon into the side with some success.
Their two wins have come over Limerick and Fermoy on home turf but now they need to see can they win on the road too. The Villiers girls should have Lorraine McGowan and Jenni Lyttle – who missed the 0-0 draw with Fermoy – back in situ and are gunning for their second win of the campaign.
The sole men’s Division One game sees C of I B host Bandon, with the west Cork men looking for a repeat of their 4-2 win earlier in the campaign. The Garryduff men are also in action on Sunday for the first round of the Munster Junior Cup, away to Limerick.
C of I are defending a title they won with a 3-2 victory over a doughty UCC B side in last year’s final, Philip Sweetnam’s hat-trick seeing them home. Limerick could provide a similarly stern test here; they are flying in Division 2 and have an ever-increasing clutch of talented young players – David Cardy, for example, was MVP of the recent U21 club championships – and will put it up to the visitors.
Elsewhere, Catholic Institute’s clash with Ashton doubles up as a league tie; the visitors will be without Roger Gray who has helped galvanise their season since his arrival from Canada but will look to Rory Coomey, Brian Stockil and Glenn Healy to take the fight to the hosts. Institute won 3-1 in the league in Cork before Christmas and if Simon Brickenden and Ivan Moore gain control of the contest, they will be hot favourites again.
C of I C host Quins B, the latter hoping to have a strong side available with their firsts not in action this weekend, while UCC B go to Midleton with a lot of Midleton College old boys – including Scott Hornibrook, Marc Hornibrook and John McEvoy – set to line out against their former club.
Men: Munster Div 1: Cork C of I B v Bandon, Garryduff, 3pm. Munster Junior Cup Rd 1 (Sunday): Cork C of I C v Cork Harlequins B, Garryduff, 12.30pm; Catholic Institute v Ashton, Rosbrien, 2pm; Limerick v Cork C of I B, Villiers, 2pm; Midleton v UCC B, Midleton College, 2.30pm.
Women: Munster Div 1: Catholic Institute v UCC, Rosbrien, 1.30pm; Cork Harlequins v Cork C of I, Farmer’s Cross, 1pm; Limerick v Ashton, Villiers, 12.30pm.
College’s 2-1 victory over Institute at the Mardyke early in the campaign has them in the box seat for what will be a three-way title fight that also includes champions Cork Harlequins. The head-to-heads between these sides will decide it and UCC’s hunger is arguably the greatest as the club is without a Munster league crown since the 1990s.
If Aine Curran, Amy Kate Trevor and Antonia McGrath are on song they can be confident of a positive result but Institute have some jokers in their pack too, not least in-form Irish international forward Naomi Carroll.
In addition, the Christmas holidays did not scatter Insta’s panel around the country so training will have been easier, and they also played a game – a 4-1 win over Ashton in Cork on December 28 – during that period. By contrast, UCC opted not to enter the U21 club championships on the same day and have not seen any action since December 7.
Elsewhere, Cork Harlequins may again be without Yvonne O’Byrne and Cliodhna Sargent as Darren Smith’s Ireland side prepare for a training camp in Spain. Minus their talismanic defenders, they laboured to a 4-2 win over Ashton just before Christmas but will hope to be more clinical against Cork C of I tomorrow.
Abby Oakes and Katie O’Neill were among the youngsters who stepped into the breach last time out and Stephen Dale will again look for increased contributions from them. Eddie Kirwan’s C of I face genuine competition for their “best of the rest” tag from an ever-improving Bandon and will hope Ali O’Regan, Jen Barry and Ali O’Connor can help them eke out a shock result against Quins.
Bandon get their own crack at Quins at home on Sunday, hoping C of I will have tired them out somewhat. They lost the reverse fixture 9-0 but have improved immeasurably under Ger Burns since then, winning the U21 club championships while reintegrating Olivia Roycroft and Kate Murphy to the side.
Ashton’s visit to Limerick is an encounter that two sides at the wrong end of the table will be targeting for results. Michelle O’Brien and Graham Catchpole have done well to absorb the loss of many senior Ashton players over the summer and have blooded the likes of 14-year-old Lorna McCutcheon into the side with some success.
Their two wins have come over Limerick and Fermoy on home turf but now they need to see can they win on the road too. The Villiers girls should have Lorraine McGowan and Jenni Lyttle – who missed the 0-0 draw with Fermoy – back in situ and are gunning for their second win of the campaign.
The sole men’s Division One game sees C of I B host Bandon, with the west Cork men looking for a repeat of their 4-2 win earlier in the campaign. The Garryduff men are also in action on Sunday for the first round of the Munster Junior Cup, away to Limerick.
C of I are defending a title they won with a 3-2 victory over a doughty UCC B side in last year’s final, Philip Sweetnam’s hat-trick seeing them home. Limerick could provide a similarly stern test here; they are flying in Division 2 and have an ever-increasing clutch of talented young players – David Cardy, for example, was MVP of the recent U21 club championships – and will put it up to the visitors.
Elsewhere, Catholic Institute’s clash with Ashton doubles up as a league tie; the visitors will be without Roger Gray who has helped galvanise their season since his arrival from Canada but will look to Rory Coomey, Brian Stockil and Glenn Healy to take the fight to the hosts. Institute won 3-1 in the league in Cork before Christmas and if Simon Brickenden and Ivan Moore gain control of the contest, they will be hot favourites again.
C of I C host Quins B, the latter hoping to have a strong side available with their firsts not in action this weekend, while UCC B go to Midleton with a lot of Midleton College old boys – including Scott Hornibrook, Marc Hornibrook and John McEvoy – set to line out against their former club.
Men: Munster Div 1: Cork C of I B v Bandon, Garryduff, 3pm. Munster Junior Cup Rd 1 (Sunday): Cork C of I C v Cork Harlequins B, Garryduff, 12.30pm; Catholic Institute v Ashton, Rosbrien, 2pm; Limerick v Cork C of I B, Villiers, 2pm; Midleton v UCC B, Midleton College, 2.30pm.
Women: Munster Div 1: Catholic Institute v UCC, Rosbrien, 1.30pm; Cork Harlequins v Cork C of I, Farmer’s Cross, 1pm; Limerick v Ashton, Villiers, 12.30pm.