Seven Munster nominees for IHA gongs

IHA AWARDS: Munster players, coaches and volunteers have been nominated in the majority of the categories ahead of the upcoming Irish Hockey Association awards. Cork Harlequins sweeper John Hobbs is among the nominees for the men’s club player of the year, an award given for the best performances by players who are not regulars in Irish international squads. Hobbs, whose aerials and drag-flicks pose a constant threat for Quins, faces still competition for the award from Lisnagarvey’s John Gray, profilic forward Maurice Elliott of Pembroke Wanderers and Monkstown talisman Gareth Watkins.

His club-mate Karen Bateman is nominated in the women’s club player category, a reward for another fine season in which her goalscoring rate and appetite for the game has not waned despite advancing years and increasing family commitments. Bateman is still the fulcrum of the Quins side and there are many who feel she would still be an Irish team regular if she had not retired from the international game. Nonetheless, the competition is fierce in this category too; Isobel Joyce has been a model of consistency for Railway, Anna O’Flanagan a constant source of goals for Hermes and Arlene Boyles is still Pegasus’ on-field general. Nick Burns is up for U18 Male Player of the Year, following a season in which he made a breakthough with C of I’s first team and helped guide Midleton College to a first Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup victory in 20 years. His opposition in this category comes from classy Cookstown man Ian Sloan and hotshots Stephen Dowds and Shane O’Donoghue of Banbridge and Glenanne respectively. Cork Harlequins coaches are to the fore in their categories, with Eddie Gash – boss of Quins ladies firsts and Bandon Grammar’s senior girls and manager of Munster’s senior men and girls U16 sides – up against Mick McKinnon (Railway ladies) Craig Fulton (Pembroke men) and Gareth Grundie (NICS men). David Egner, coach to two Munster ladies’ teams – U18 and Junior – is up for the U18 coach of the year gong, along with Mandy Holloway (St Andrews), Richie Malone (Connacht/Galway) and Miles Warren (Alex/Old Alex). Elsewhere, Bruff – who dominated the women’s Division Six this term – are up against Malahide and North Kildare for the Developing Club of the Year gong, while Ivy Dennis of the Munster Branch is among the Volunteer of the Year nominees. The full list of nominees for all the awards can be seen here. LIMERICK: John Meyler has hailed an “outstanding year” for his Limerick ladies firsts side, after they completed the Division Four double last weekend. Having defeated Tipperary 3-0 in the section’s cup final, Meyler’s troops faced them again in their final league game, knowing a win would give them the title, but defeat would leave the sides and Ashton locked in a three-way playoff. Goals from Aoife Ryan and Ciara Hayes quelled the Tipperary revenge mission as they held out for a 2-1 win, leaving Meyler – who also managed the Munster junior men’s side this term – ectsatic.

“I’m so proud of his 3 ladies teams, they work so hard all year round,” he said. “I am only delighted to see them get their rewards and wish to thank LHC for all their support throughout the year.” Limerick;s Division Five team also won their league at the first time of asking and now go to Division Four, while the club’s and their new Division Six team finished in the top four of their league and won the league’s plate competition. SCHOOLS: A hat-trick from Andrew Colton helped Midleton College make history by picking up a schoolboys treble for the first time in the school’s history, as they defeated Ashton 3-2 in the U16 decider in midweek. Colton had his side 2-0 to the good at half-time, but as they had done in the senior decider five days earlier, Ashton rallied, and drew level before Colton’s late drag-flick gave Midleton the spoils. VETS: The Munster Vets Tournament date has been moved to May 22 in Garryduff, it emerged today. The IHA are seeking to hold a mixed six-a-side evening tournament on the day, and are asking clubs to submit teams before May 14. The IHA’s western RDO Phil Oakley said: “The piloting of the event is part of a longer term strategy to increase the number of active vets players in the province and attempt to form a formalised number of events in Munster each season. “It is likely that if this event is successful, another one will be held in late 2010. “The six-a-side format is to allow clubs who do not have large vets numbers to participate and we can run several games off on one pitch.” The rules of the tournament are yet to be fully agreed, however it will include the following: 6-a-side (squads of 9), no goalkeepers on a third of the pitch; goals scored within a 10-metre area; must be at least three women on the pitch at all times; ages are 30 for women and 35 for men; standard hockey rules including the auto-pass during games; games to be umpired by resting teams; €80 per team entry fee. The event will be run for 3-4 hours, with a social event in the clubhouse afterwards.