Quins and UCC look to make their mark

Cork Harlequins will seek to keep their 100% start to the season intact when they welcome Old Alex to Harlequin Park in the second round of the women’s ESB Irish Senior Cup tomorrow (1pm). Quins have yet to drop league points under new coach Eddie Gash, with Karen Bateman in scintillating form, and will be hoping for a repeat of their first-round 4-0 thrashing of Belfast Harlequins. Alex, who can now call on Irish international Roisin Flinn, will prove a tougher nut to crack, as evidenced by their sterling defensive performance in the 1-1 Irish Hockey League draw with holders Loreto a couple of weeks ago. Quins endured their first dip of the season last week when they twice fell behind to Bandon, but the three points were nonetheless secured and they will have no reason to be fearful on home turf.

UCC are also in action as they return to Ulster for the second time in a fortnight following their intervarsity outings in Belfast, as they visit Ards. A largely unheralded side until their run to IHL qualification last term, the northerners currently lie second in Ulster’s top tier, and already have a 2-1 defeat of Ballymoney under their belts. College go into this clash still not knowing their true value. They have won the majority of their games this term with ease without being tested, but unravelled badly against Ulster Elks in the last four of the varsities. Nonetheless, they’ll be determined to prove they can grind out tough results and advance, particularly given the false starts in this competition in the past two seasons that have seen them crash out to UL and Railway Union at the first hurdle. Railway Union will hope to bring their scintillating league form, which has seen them score 14 times in three games, to St Andrew’s, where they will meet a Hermes side who have struggled to get going this term. Of the other ties, Armagh’s visit to Loreto is one to look out for as it pits the Dubliners’ Lizzie Colvin against her childhood club, while Ashton are the other Munster side in national cup action – they head into the unknown for an Irish Trophy visit to Avoca. Domestically, there is a tasty encounter to look forward to at the Mardyke, where the Munster men’s league’s most improved teams clash. There has been little love lost between UCC and Catholic Institute in recent seasons, and there’s likely to be less so this time round with both keen to put down a statement of intent in the race for third place. Like their female counterparts, College are yet to discover where they’re at, given they have just two games with their full side under their belt thus far.

Institute have been the success story of the men’s season so far, but know they must make an impression here to prove they can be equally impressive on the road – the 8-2 mauling they suffered in this fixture last time out certainly wasn’t pretty. Bandon are the side both are looking to usurp, and things don’t get any easier for the west Cork outfit who have struggled to find their best form so far this term. They travel to champions Cork C of I this evening knowing they must improve at both ends of the pitch to stand a chance. Lack of clinical finishing is one thing, but the volume of short corners conceded is another; Dan Hobbs dragged in four last weekend and John Jermyn did a similar amount of damage in this fixture last term. Irish World Cup commitments will rule him – along with David Hobbs – out this time around, and those looking for an intriguing sub-plot need look no further than midfield, where former Bandon Grammar schoolmates Andrew Scannell and Clinton Sweetnam do battle. Sweetnam left Bandon to join C of I in the summer, with Scannell moving in the opposite direction. Elsewhere, C of I B’s woes look set to continue at the hands of Quins, as their chances of picking up their first league points look slim despite home advantage. However, they will be buoyed by the news that Paul Lombard and John Hobbs look set to miss out once again due to injury and illness respectively, with back injury victim Eddie Dore another casualty for Quins. With many teams involved in national competition, there is just one women’s top-tier fixture, as Bandon head for Limerick in the hope of stopping an Institute juggernaut that has seen them hit 23 goals without reply so far this term. Meanwhile, Ireland’s men yesterday ended their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifier on a high note, drawing 4-4 with England in the second of two non-cap matches, having lost the first 4-2. See here and here for full reports. Men Munster Div 1: Cork C of I vs Bandon (Tonight, Garryduff, 8pm); UCC vs Catholic Institute (Mardyke, 12pm); Cork C of I B vs Cork Harlequins (Garryduff, 2.15pm). Women ESB Irish Senior Cup Round 2: Hermes vs Railway Union (St Andrews, 3pm); Pembroke Wanderers vs Glenanne (Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm); Loreto vs Armagh (Beaufort, 2pm); Ards vs UCC (Ards LC, 2.45pm); Cork Harlequins vs Old Alex (Harlequin Park, 1pm); Pegasus vs Randalstown (Queens, 2,30pm); Bray vs UCD (Loreto Bray, 1pm); Lisnagarvey vs Ballymoney (Hillsborough, 2.30pm). Munster Div 1: Catholic Institute vs Bandon (Rosbrien, 2,30pm); ESB Irish Hockey Trophy Rd 1: Banbridge vs Weston (Havelock Park, 4pm); Queens vs Genesis (Queens, 1pm); NUIG vs Clontarf (Dangan, 2pm); Avoca vs Ashton (Newpark, 1pm); Kilkenny vs Galway (TBC); Parkview vs Coleraine (Ballyclare HS, 2.30pm); North Kildare vs Kilkeel (Naas, 3pm); Newbridge vs Carrickfergus (St Marys Naas, 1pm); Knock vs Botanic (St Coleman’s School, 1pm);