Cork Harlequins’ superior sharpness in the circle helped them edge out UCC 3-1 in a tightly-fought Munster Senior Cup final at Garryduff yesterday.
Karen Bateman rebounded well off Quins’ first short corner to give them a dream start after just two minutes, and they were looking comfortable when Lesley Ann Daunt turned in Yvonne O’Byrne’s cross.
College, with Amy Kate Trevor outstanding at sweeper, found their bearings and Aine Curran thrashed their only short corner to the backboard for 2-1.
With the game balanced on a knife edge it took a slice of luck for Quins to win it, O’Byrne’s crash ball taking a UCC stick and evading Sarah Wrixon for an own goal that wrapped it up with less than 10 minutes remaining.
It ensured Quins’ season ended on a high, securing a league and cup double. The win was all the more satisfying given they had the distinct disadvantage of having to play their final Irish Hockey League game 24 hours previously, seeing off Ballymoney 3-1.
Cliodhna Sargent, Leanne Mullins and the ever-excellent Bateman grabbed the goals to secure a third-place finish in their pool.
Catholic Institute also finished their campaign with a victory, Christine O’Shea, Rosie Pratt and Eimear Ryan sharing the goals in a 3-1 success against Lurgan. Having suffered three heavy defeats to Dublin sides, the win will boost the Limerick girls’ confidence as they take on NUIG or Galway in a fortnight’s time in their IHL wildcard playoff semi-final, in a bid to qualify again next season.
With all the women’s semi-finalists – UCD, Railway Union, Pegasus and Loreto – confirmed before the start of play this weekend, all the major IHL drama came on the men’s side.
Three Rock Rovers got the required two-goal win they needed in seeing off Pembroke Wanderers 3-1, Jody Hosking at the centre of a big effort from the Marlay Park side.
Pembroke, who started the day at the summit of their pool, then suffered further heartbreak when Daniel Buser’s strike completed a comeback from two goals down for Lisnagarvey against Cookstown, their 3-2 success enough to advance at Pembroke’s expense.
Monkstown had already qualified from the other pool but served notice of their intent with a 4-1 win over Banbridge – who are also already in the semis – while Cork C of I finished with two wins to their name as a John Jermyn shot and a lovely strike from Stephen Parker helped them edge out Annadale 2-1. Instonians came from a goal down to beat winless Cork Harlequins 5-1 at Farmer’s Cross.
Men’s Irish Hockey League
Pool A: Pembroke 1 (A Sothern) Three Rock Rovers 3 (P Blakeney, A White, J Hosking); Lisnagarvey 3 (D Buser 2, T Cockram) Cookstown 2 (R Miller, Stuart Smyth); Cork Harlequins 1 (D Hobbs) Instonians 5
Standings: 1. Lisnagarvey 17pts (+7) 2. Three Rock Rovers 16pts (+13) 3. Pembroke 16pts (+4) 4. Cookstown 11pts (+6) 5. Instonians 6pts (-3) 6. Cork Harlequins 0pts (-27)
Pool B: Banbridge 1 (S Dowds) Monkstown 4 (A Ward, L Cole, K Good, D Nolan); Cork C of I 2 (J Jermyn, S Parker) Annadale 1 (M Robson); UCD 6 (R Canning 3, S O’Donoghue, D Watkins, K Shimmins) Corinthian 3 (tbc)
Standings: 1. Monkstown 20pts (+22) 2. Banbridge 16pts (+14) 3. UCD 12pts (+2) 4. Cork C of I 8pts (-9) 5. Annadale 3pts (-14) 6. Corinthian 3pts (-15)
Semi final (April 5): Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers, 3pm; Lisnagarvey v Banbridge, 5pm
Cork Cup final: Cork C of I C 1 UCC B 1 (M Horgan) (aet, UCC win 4-2 on penalty strokes)
Women’s Irish Hockey League
Pool A: Catholic Institute 3 (C O’Shea, R Pratt, E Ryan) Lurgan 0; Hermes 5 (A Connery, M Holtslag, C McGlip, L Pinder, E Horan) Greenfields 1 (C Grealy); Railway Union 2 (S Hawkshaw, E Smyth) UCD 2 (K Collins-Smyth, K Mullan)
Standings: 1. Railway Union 18pts (+19) 2. UCD 18pts (+16) 3. Hermes 11pts (+6) 4. Catholic Institute 8pts (-12) 5. Lurgan 5pts (-12) 6. Greenfields 4pts (-17)
Pool B: Ards 3 (J Vaughan, C Brown, B Weir) Old Alex 2 (E Hinkson, S Scott Nielson); Cork Harlequins 3 (C Sargent, K Bateman, L Mullins) Ballymoney 1 (J Lynch); Loreto 2 (R Keegan, L O’Leary) Pegasus 1 (V Surgeoner)
Standings: 1. Loreto 18pts (+7) 2. Pegasus 17pts (+8) 3. Cork Harlequins 12pts (+1) 4. Ards 9pts (0) 5. Old Alex 8pts (-1) 6. Ballymoney 0pts (-15)
Semi finals (April 5): Loreto v UCD, 10.30am; Railway Union v Pegasus, 12.30pm
Munster Senior Cup final: UCC 1 (A Curran) Cork Harlequins 3 (K Bateman, LA Daunt, own goal).
Munster Div 1: Ashton 1 (A Cummins) Bandon 0
It ensured Quins’ season ended on a high, securing a league and cup double. The win was all the more satisfying given they had the distinct disadvantage of having to play their final Irish Hockey League game 24 hours previously, seeing off Ballymoney 3-1.
Cliodhna Sargent, Leanne Mullins and the ever-excellent Bateman grabbed the goals to secure a third-place finish in their pool.
Catholic Institute also finished their campaign with a victory, Christine O’Shea, Rosie Pratt and Eimear Ryan sharing the goals in a 3-1 success against Lurgan. Having suffered three heavy defeats to Dublin sides, the win will boost the Limerick girls’ confidence as they take on NUIG or Galway in a fortnight’s time in their IHL wildcard playoff semi-final, in a bid to qualify again next season.
With all the women’s semi-finalists – UCD, Railway Union, Pegasus and Loreto – confirmed before the start of play this weekend, all the major IHL drama came on the men’s side.
Three Rock Rovers got the required two-goal win they needed in seeing off Pembroke Wanderers 3-1, Jody Hosking at the centre of a big effort from the Marlay Park side.
Pembroke, who started the day at the summit of their pool, then suffered further heartbreak when Daniel Buser’s strike completed a comeback from two goals down for Lisnagarvey against Cookstown, their 3-2 success enough to advance at Pembroke’s expense.
Monkstown had already qualified from the other pool but served notice of their intent with a 4-1 win over Banbridge – who are also already in the semis – while Cork C of I finished with two wins to their name as a John Jermyn shot and a lovely strike from Stephen Parker helped them edge out Annadale 2-1. Instonians came from a goal down to beat winless Cork Harlequins 5-1 at Farmer’s Cross.
Men’s Irish Hockey League
Pool A: Pembroke 1 (A Sothern) Three Rock Rovers 3 (P Blakeney, A White, J Hosking); Lisnagarvey 3 (D Buser 2, T Cockram) Cookstown 2 (R Miller, Stuart Smyth); Cork Harlequins 1 (D Hobbs) Instonians 5
Standings: 1. Lisnagarvey 17pts (+7) 2. Three Rock Rovers 16pts (+13) 3. Pembroke 16pts (+4) 4. Cookstown 11pts (+6) 5. Instonians 6pts (-3) 6. Cork Harlequins 0pts (-27)
Pool B: Banbridge 1 (S Dowds) Monkstown 4 (A Ward, L Cole, K Good, D Nolan); Cork C of I 2 (J Jermyn, S Parker) Annadale 1 (M Robson); UCD 6 (R Canning 3, S O’Donoghue, D Watkins, K Shimmins) Corinthian 3 (tbc)
Standings: 1. Monkstown 20pts (+22) 2. Banbridge 16pts (+14) 3. UCD 12pts (+2) 4. Cork C of I 8pts (-9) 5. Annadale 3pts (-14) 6. Corinthian 3pts (-15)
Semi final (April 5): Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers, 3pm; Lisnagarvey v Banbridge, 5pm
Cork Cup final: Cork C of I C 1 UCC B 1 (M Horgan) (aet, UCC win 4-2 on penalty strokes)
Women’s Irish Hockey League
Pool A: Catholic Institute 3 (C O’Shea, R Pratt, E Ryan) Lurgan 0; Hermes 5 (A Connery, M Holtslag, C McGlip, L Pinder, E Horan) Greenfields 1 (C Grealy); Railway Union 2 (S Hawkshaw, E Smyth) UCD 2 (K Collins-Smyth, K Mullan)
Standings: 1. Railway Union 18pts (+19) 2. UCD 18pts (+16) 3. Hermes 11pts (+6) 4. Catholic Institute 8pts (-12) 5. Lurgan 5pts (-12) 6. Greenfields 4pts (-17)
Pool B: Ards 3 (J Vaughan, C Brown, B Weir) Old Alex 2 (E Hinkson, S Scott Nielson); Cork Harlequins 3 (C Sargent, K Bateman, L Mullins) Ballymoney 1 (J Lynch); Loreto 2 (R Keegan, L O’Leary) Pegasus 1 (V Surgeoner)
Standings: 1. Loreto 18pts (+7) 2. Pegasus 17pts (+8) 3. Cork Harlequins 12pts (+1) 4. Ards 9pts (0) 5. Old Alex 8pts (-1) 6. Ballymoney 0pts (-15)
Semi finals (April 5): Loreto v UCD, 10.30am; Railway Union v Pegasus, 12.30pm
Munster Senior Cup final: UCC 1 (A Curran) Cork Harlequins 3 (K Bateman, LA Daunt, own goal).
Munster Div 1: Ashton 1 (A Cummins) Bandon 0