Cork Church of Ireland passed one of their Munster title rivals off the park for a second week running as they saw off UCC 5-1 at the Mardyke on Saturday.
On this evidence, C of I are out on their own in the province, having seen off Cork Harlequins 6-1 last weekend as they commit to a patient, high-tempo possession game.
Andy Colton dragged the students in front in the first but doubles from Stephen Sweetnam and Philip Sweetnam and another Simon Wolfe cracker saw the Garryduff men cruise home.
Graham Kingston and Ali Smith both scored on their returns to Bandon after a year out of the club as they opened their league campaign with a 4-2 win over C of I B.
Elsewhere, Limerick suffered extra-time heartbreak in Galway, as NUIG claimed a 4-2 Irish Hockey Trophy win after the Treaty girls had come from two down to tie it up at the end of the 70 minutes.
UL made UCC work harder than expected for their victory in the women’s Division 1; Aine Curran, Kate Harvey and Miriam Crowley struck as the Cork students laboured to a 3-0 victory. No such problems for champions Cork Harlequins, who routed Bandon 9-0 in west Cork.
Men
Munster Div 1: UCC 1 (A Colton) Cork C of I 5 (S Sweetnam 2, P Sweetnam 2, S Wolfe); Bandon 4 (D Smith 2, G Kingston, A Smith) Cork C of I B 2 (M Gallagher 2).
Women
Irish Hockey Trophy Rd 1: Kilkenny 3 Muckross 5 (aet); Portadown 4 Grovesnor 2; Rathgar 2 Clontarf 1; Avoca 6 Bray 5; NUIG 4 Limerick 2 (aet); Weston 0 Newbridge 1.
Munster Div 1: Bandon 0 Cork Harlequins 9; UL 0 UCC 3 (K Harvey, A Curran, M Crowley).
Andy Colton dragged the students in front in the first but doubles from Stephen Sweetnam and Philip Sweetnam and another Simon Wolfe cracker saw the Garryduff men cruise home.
Graham Kingston and Ali Smith both scored on their returns to Bandon after a year out of the club as they opened their league campaign with a 4-2 win over C of I B.
Elsewhere, Limerick suffered extra-time heartbreak in Galway, as NUIG claimed a 4-2 Irish Hockey Trophy win after the Treaty girls had come from two down to tie it up at the end of the 70 minutes.
UL made UCC work harder than expected for their victory in the women’s Division 1; Aine Curran, Kate Harvey and Miriam Crowley struck as the Cork students laboured to a 3-0 victory. No such problems for champions Cork Harlequins, who routed Bandon 9-0 in west Cork.
Men
Munster Div 1: UCC 1 (A Colton) Cork C of I 5 (S Sweetnam 2, P Sweetnam 2, S Wolfe); Bandon 4 (D Smith 2, G Kingston, A Smith) Cork C of I B 2 (M Gallagher 2).
Women
Irish Hockey Trophy Rd 1: Kilkenny 3 Muckross 5 (aet); Portadown 4 Grovesnor 2; Rathgar 2 Clontarf 1; Avoca 6 Bray 5; NUIG 4 Limerick 2 (aet); Weston 0 Newbridge 1.
Munster Div 1: Bandon 0 Cork Harlequins 9; UL 0 UCC 3 (K Harvey, A Curran, M Crowley).