Determined Quins stun Insta

Women’s Div 1 Cork Harlequins 2 (Yvonne O’Byrne, Cliodhna Sargent) Catholic Institute 1 (Naomi Carroll) Cork Harlequins came from nowhere to halt Catholic Institute’s Munster title march with a shock 2-1 win at Garryduff on Saturday. Institute were unbackable favourites ahead of this clash — which was moved from Harlequin Park due to fog — having hammered Quins 5-0 in the Munster Senior Cup final seven days previous. But Irish international Cliodhna Sargent returned to the Quins defence and made a huge impact.

Her early short corner strike was going too high but Yvonne O’Byrne got a brilliant touch to redirect it downwards to the backboard, before Insta equalised when Naomi Carroll made full use of an excellent advantage played by umpire Julie Beamish. But Sargent won it for Quins from the penalty spot after Orlagh Cotter’s goalbound flick struck an Institute defender. Elaine Redmond guessed right and got down to her stick side to save Sargent’s stroke, the the ball squirmed over the line. Kay Gaffney took a goalbound shot off the line in either half from Eimear Cregan while Vanessa Sargent made a vital save from Katie Campbell and Carroll blazed a rebound wide as Quins did brilliantly to hold out. Should Quins beat UCC in their final league game on March 23, they will wrest the title back from Institute for the first time since 2010. UCC 9 (Olivia Roycroft 3, Antonia McGrath 2, Sarah Browner, Aine Curran, Miriam Crowley, Rachel O’Hanlon) UL 0 A superb performance from UCC left coach Paidi Hartnett beaming as his side strung their patterns together brilliantly to blow UL out of the water. It was their biggest win of the season so far and while George Blackwell’s UL – fresh from a brilliant IHT win over C of I – came to play, College were in unforgiving mood. Olivia Roycroft claimed a hat-trick that included a penalty stroke while Antonia McGrath nabbed a brace from the short corner injector spot, with four other players getting on the scoresheet to keep UCC’s title charge going. Munster Senior Cup semi-final UCC 2 (Olivia Roycroft, Aine Curran) Cork C of I 0 College also have a cup final date with Institute to look forward to after they took their chances when it mattered against a fired-up C of I at the Mardyke. There was little to choose between the sides in a scoreless first half but Olivia Roycroft broke the deadline when she broke through, rounded Holly Moore and scored into an empty goal. And the students gave themselves some breathing room when Aine Curran’s drag-flick hit a C of I foot and went in, to finish a profitable weekend for College.

Irish Junior Cup semi-final Ashton 0 Pembroke Wanderers 6 (Sue Ryan 2, Holly Jones 2, Viv Fenton, Fiona O’Donovan) This was a tighter game than the scoreline suggests but Ashton’s Irish Junior Cup dream died at the hands of a clinical Pembroke Wanderers. Sue Ryan’s brace put the Dubliners in control and while Ashton had a handful of corners to try and reverse their fortunes, Viv Fenton’s strike made it 3-0 at the break. Holly Jones then got in on the act with a brace, one a fine rising finish to the top corner before Fiona O’Donovan finished things off. Men’s Div 1 Cork C of I 2 (Andrew Daunt, Simon Wolfe) Cork Harlequins 2 (David Egner, John Hobbs) A late revival from two goals down by Cork Harlequins wasn’t enough to stop them delaying Cork C of I’s coronation as Munster men’s champions, although a 2-2 draw did wreck David Hobbs’ side’s hopes of a ‘perfect’ season. C of I looked to be cruising when Ali Smith set up Simon Wolfe for a tap-in with 15 minutes to go, augmenting Andrew Daunt’s opener. But Quins found two late goals from David Egner and John Hobbs, both fine backhand strikes; Egner coolly reversed to the bottom corner after being fed by Mark Black while Hobbs hoovered up a rebound from his own flick. C of I have two games left, home and away to Bandon, but are a point ahead of Quins, whose league campaign is over. It’s the blues’ first title win since 2010. The other men’s Division 1 game between Bandon and C of I B ended scoreless.