Bateman triple puts Quins in last four

Railway Union did Cork Harlequins a significant favour by recording a thrilling 5-4 win over Pembroke Wanderers which sent both sides into the last four of the women’s ESB Irish Hockey League. Railway had already secured top spot in Pool A and had nothing to play for, but they did their south Dublin neighbours Pembroke — who needed to match Quins’ result — few favours.

A Nikki Evans brace and efforts from Jean McDonnell and Isobel Joyce had Railway cruising at 4-1, only for an Anli Kotze-inspired comeback, aided by further goals from Shona Doyle and Rachel McKeon, to square it up going into the final quarter. But McDonnell crashed home a corner awarded just as the final hooter sounded, and as news of Quins’ 3-1 win over Ards filtered through to Park Avenue, Pembroke were left shattered. Karen Bateman’s hat-trick had done the damage in Cork, the veteran roofing an unstoppable opener before adding two short corner strikes in the second half after Naomi Elliott had equalised for Ards. Cork C of I and Ballymoney played out a drab scoreless draw in the pool’s dead rubber. Railway now face a Dublin derby against Hermes, who ended Loreto’s reign as champions as strikes from Elaine O’Neill and Chloe Watkins handed them a 2-0 win at Beaufort. Pegasus topped the pool with five wins from five, routing Randalstown 5-0, and Quins will be next in their path on finals weekend. With nothing at stake in the other Pool B game, Old Alex beat UCC 2-1, Hazel Agar and Aoife Budd ensuring the hosts won the battle of the IHL newbies, after Julia O’Halloran had given a College side – shorn of captain Audrey O’Flynn due to illness – the lead. It means College finish fifth in the pool, left to reflect on having lost three of their ties by the odd goal in three. Domestically, Ashton all but condemned UL to bottom spot in Munster’s top tier, the light blues producing their best performance of the season to rout the visiting Limerick girls 7-0 on home turf.

Caroline McCarthy and Ciara O’Herlihy both claimed doubles, with Mary-Claire Cummins, Emma Harrington and Barbara Casey also getting in on the act for George Treacy’s side. Barring an unlikely deluge of 20-odd goals in their final two games, UL won’t catch Waterford – who are six points better off – and Albert Valls’ troops must now wait to see if Belvedere challange them to a promotion/relegation playoff. At the other end, the lead changed hands again as UCC made light work of their trip to Waterford, winning 5-0 with doubles from Julia O’Halloran and Fiona O’Connell sandwiching a Vicky O’Sullivan effort. The students have a one-point lead over C of I with a game in hand, but with Quins (twice) and Institute still to come in three of their final five encounters, College know tougher challenges lie in wait.