Returnees bid to boost C of I

Age may be just a number but as Cork Church of Ireland will attest to, getting the balance right is crucial to sporting success. The Garryduff girls have endured a few fallow seasons, largely down to a variety of factors which stripped the side of a number of its young adult players. The appeal of college hockey took most away, but emigration was a factor too; many who left at 18 never returned as they sought employment elsewhere. It left the side with some stalwarts in their 30s, a host of teenagers and little in between.

That changed this season, though. Ali O’Connor, Ali O’Regan and – as of last week – Orla Crowley all arrived from UCC. Mel Ryan and Sarah Delaney returned from London. All of a sudden, new coach Eddie Kirwan has a more balanced side mixing youth, experience and that vital mid-20s ingredient in between. It’s early days in their development but the signs have been good this season, and tomorrow’s home game against Irish Senior Cup quarter-finalists UCC gives them a chance to prove they can mix it with Munster’s best having pushed Quins hard a couple of weeks ago. The sub-plots are numerous with many players on both sides facing their former club; nonetheless, College are favourites and their need for points is arguably greater as they seek to keep pace with leaders Cork Harlequins. Quins head for an away game in Limerick once again operating on relatively meagre resources; the league leaders have one of the division’s smallest squads but also one of its most potent, and they will be hotly fancied to make it 11 wins from 11. At the other end, Fermoy host Bandon in a game the north Cork side will have been greatly anticipating. Despite Bandon’s ongoing resurgence after a poor start, basement side Fermoy will hope luck finally turns their way as they seek their first points of the season following some heavy beatings at the hands of Quins and Catholic Institute. That three senior league games are going ahead on Saturday is down to Munster’s dwindling interest in the women’s Irish Junior Cup. Ashton are the province’s only side still standing after round one and have a winnable home tie against Queens University to look forward to. Ashton’s firsts will then visit Catholic Institute on Sunday; Rosbrien has not been a happy hunting ground for anyone this season except UCC, and despite the light blues’ continued improvement under Alan Dobson, Insta will be fancied to take the points. In the men’s Irish Junior Cup, UCC hit the road to Ulster for the sixth successive tie, with Annadale lying in wait this time around. Having stunned Cork Harlequins B in the Munster Junior Cup last week, Peter Catchpole and Stuart O’Grady’s charges are full of confidence, and will be asking their vanquished Leeside neighbours for advice having seen Quins go down 5-2 to the ‘Dale in the first round.

  The students’ first round win away to NICS was their first in this competition in 17 seasons; by contrast, Cork C of I won the whole thing as recently as 2009 and have another crop with great potential at this level. They host an Ulster side again having dispatched Mossley first time around, with Belfast Harlequins the visitors to Garryduff this time. There’s also plenty of Munster interest in the quarter-finals of the Irish Hockey Challenge, with Catholic Institute and Limerick flying the flag in the men’s tournament with home ties while Dungarvan and Cashel/New Inn are still alive in the women’s equivalent. Men Irish Junior Cup Rd 2: Annadale v UCC, Lough Moss, 1pm; Cork C of I v Belfast Harlequins, Garryduff, 1pm; Avoca v YMCA, Newpark, 2pm; Corinthian v Cookstown, Whitechurch Park, 2.30pm; Monkstown v Lisnagarvey, Rathdown, 2.30pm; North Down v Glenanne, Hillsborough, 2.30pm; Fingal v Banbridge, ALSAA, 2.45pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Bangor, Serpentine Avenue, 3.30pm. Irish Hockey Challenge quarter-finals: Ballymena v Saintfield, Ballymena, 1pm; Catholic Institute v Parkview, Rosbrien, 2pm; Limerick v PSNI, Villiers, 2.30pm; Mullingar v Cliftonville, Park Avenue, 3pm. Women Munster Div 1: Cork C of I v UCC, Garryduff, 11am; Limerick v Cork Harlequins, Villiers, 12pm; Fermoy v Bandon, Loreto Fermoy, 2pm. Sunday: Catholic Institute v Ashton, Rosbrien, 1.30pm. Electric Ireland Irish Junior Cup Rd 2: Ashton v Queens University, Ashton School, 1pm; Banbridge v Railway Union, Havelock Park, 1pm; Lisnagarvey v Loreto, Hillsborough, 1pm; Ballymoney v Old Alex, Joey Dunlop Centre, 1.15pm; Lurgan v Randalstown, Lurgan JHS, 2.30pm; Portadown v Hermes, Edenvilla, 2.30pm; UCD v Genesis, Belfield Water, 2.30pm; Ulster Elks v Pembroke Wanderers, UUJ, 2.30pm. Electric Ireland Irish Hockey Challenge quarter-finals: Dungarvan v Gorey, Dungarvan, 12pm; Parkview v Wexford, Parkview, 1pm; Renmore v Cashel/New Inn, Mervue, 1.30pm; South Antrim v Kilkenny, Laurelhill, 2.30pm.