Bateman the difference in battle of the Quins

Karen Bateman was given the freedom of Harlequin Park to rattle home a hat-trick as Cork Harlequins strolled into the second round of the ESB Irish Senior Cup with a 4-0 dismissal of a disappointing Belfast Harlequins this afternoon. The decorated former Irish international star is still one of the country’s best performers at club level, but the Ulster visitors inexplicably stood off her all day and routinely left her free in the circle to wreak havoc. In truth, another couple of goals wouldn’t have flattered Eddie Gash’s side, who had the game all but wrapped up by half-time despite a sluggish start.

Some smooth link play from former Irish international Jenny McCauley (née McDonough) and Avril Gordon threatened the hosts’ rearguard early on, but the physicality of Yvonne O’Byrne, Cliodhna Sargent and Sinead McCarthy quelled the threats with relative ease. And once the Cork side hit the front on 15 minutes – an unmarked Bateman rifling a first-time shot to the bottom corner after Rachel McSharry had skinned two Belfast defenders on the right – it was plain sailing from there on, bar a few surges from the irrepressible McCauley. Sargent doubled their advantage a minute later from the penalty spot, before McCarthy surged forward to play a neat one-two with the impressive Hilary Chapple and play in Bateman, who swept home for 3-0 on 29 minutes. Bateman could have had her third just before the break, slaloming into the circle to go one-on-one with keeper Jenny Foster. But she opted to pass to Emily O’Leary on the post when a shot seemed the better option, and the youngster couldn’t quite connect. But it mattered little as Bateman’s hat-trick arrived shortly after the resumption, as she was again given far too much space to find the bottom corner with a pinpoint reverse. The game predictably petered out thereafter, with the visitors’ heads already on the bus home while Quins’ attentions were probably turning to the next round, where they will once again be at home but will expect a sterner test from Old Alex. UCC, who had a bye into round two, must make the long trek to face Ards. Elsewhere, a severely-depleted Cork C of I side were no match for defending champions UCD at Belfield. Both outfits have lost a number of key players over the summer, but C of I travelled without the services of experienced quartet Sinead Connery, Sue O’Connor, Julie O’Sullivan and Sandra Hackett, meaning they were up against it from the outset. Fiona Bradish put the students in front on 15 minutes, a lead doubled by Rosie Carrigan. C of I got little change from a solid defence led by Megan Tennant-Humphreys and Laura Wilson, who claimed her side’s fourth after Lisa Jacob had made it three. Bradish finished the job, the Waterford native claiming her fourth goal of the week in the process.

UCD were joined in the next round by Leinster neighbours Hermes – 2-0 victors over Trinity thanks to Gillian Pinder’s brace – and Railway Union, for whom Jean McDonnell hit a hat-trick and Cork camogie star Emer Dillon scored in an 8-0 stroll at Victorians. Corinthian went down 3-1 to last year’s finalists Pegasus. For the full round two draw, please see below. Back in Munster, it may still be early days in the season, but two eyebrow-raising results – which may yet have a lasting impression on the battle to avoid the drop – characterised an eventful day in the women’s top flight. Waterford claimed their first victory in Division One by shocking Bandon 1-0 at Newtown. The Déise side had been relative cannon fodder on their travels to Quins and C of I during the early weeks, but were always likely to be a more serious proposition on their home patch. And so it proved, with the west Cork side proving to be the fall girls. Siobhan Murphy’s strike came late – with 12 seconds to go – but proved enough to get the top tier’s newbies off the mark. For their part, Bandon – now pointless from their two games – will hope the result is a freak one-off rather than a taste of things to come, as they adjust to life without the trio of players that defected to UCC. In Limerick, another side who had endured a miserable opening couple of rounds also tasted victory and leapfrogged one of their closest rivals in the process. A very young Ashton side had shipped 16 goals in their first two games, but survived an early onsalught to go on to win 2-0 at UL. Ciara O’Herlihy’s corner strike and a Cliodhna Murphy effort from play did the damage for the Blackrock Road outfit, though Jane Mackey should have given them a further cushion but spurned a one-on-one chance. Things are already looking bleak for a UL side still without a coach. Having lost star performers Laura Peters, Nikki Sterritt and Claire Mulcahy over the summer, they have now failed to score in three games and will be keen to reverse that trend sooner rather than later. Women’s ESB Irish Senior Cup Round 2 draw (ties to take place November 7): Hermes v Railway Union; Pembroke Wanderers or Lurgan v Glenanne; Loreto v Armagh; Ards v UCC; Cork Harlequins v Old Alex; Pegasus v Randalstown; Bray v UCD; Lisnagarvey v Ballymoney. To see the full set of photos from today’s Cork Harlequins vs Belfast Harlequins game, kindly taken by Simon McAllister and Rob Hobbs, click here