Old masters Quins back in driving seat

Jane Chapple’s superb second half equaliser placed Cork Harlequins’ Munster title hopes firmly in their own hands, remaining unscathed from back-to-back ties against title rivals UCC. Their 2-2 draw with UCC at the Mardyke on Sunday, in addition to Saturday’s 1-0 win, moved the perennial champions into the favourite’s seat.

They are likely to go top of the rankings when they face bottom-placed UL next weekend, knowing the students’ minds may already be on their crucial promotion/relegation playoff with Belvedere seven days later. Quins and Institute are now the only sides whose title hopes are left in their own hands; six points for either in their remaining two encounters will do the trick. College must win at Rosbrien next weekend, and then hope for a favour from Institute against Quins, to end the Farmers Cross side’s 14-year stranglehold. Crucially, they must do so without the services of Audrey O’Flynn and Julia O’Halloran, while Quins and Institute must also do without their talismanic internationls, Cliodhna Sargent and Eimear Cregan respectively, from here on in. Sargent’s controversial 46th minute corner strike was the decisive factor on Saturday in a game of few chances that nonetheless produced a thoroughly deserved victory for Quins, as the students failed to click into gear. Her straight hit took a deflection off Rosie Shanahan’s stick en route to the net but UCC appealed long and hard, arguing the initial shot was going above backboard height and thus dangerous. Those appeals fell on deaf ears, upping the ante for Sunday’s return fixture and, playing on the newly laid Mardyke surface, UCC carried much greater fight second time around.

Ali O’Connor’s early corner goal gave the students early impetus, only for Karen Bateman to equalise via a fine deflection. Fiona O’Connell’s goal from play to turn the game on its head, 2-1 at half-time. Quins’ big game experience came to bear in the second period as Bateman produced a moment of inspiration drive down the left wing and firing an excellent reverse-stick cross which Jane Chapple tucked home at the front post to earn the score-draw. Catholic Institute, though, now carry a dark horses tag in the title race and will have a serious influence in the title run-in following their 4-0 win over Cork C of I. Rosie Pratt got them off to a dream start, deflecting home inside three minutes before an Eimear Cregan double and a Naomi Carroll strike made for a comfortable win in Limerick. That result puts a major dent in C of I’s hopes of even making it to the wildcard playoffs, though their final two encounters are home and away to an Ashton side with little to play for but pride, meaning they could still sneak through. They still have an outside bet at the title but need to cause upsets against UCC and Harlequins in the next fortnight to do so. On the men’s side, Cork C of I retained their title with a routine win over Bandon in west Cork with Irish international John Jermyn joined on the scoresheet by Ben Dobson and Peter Catchpole in a 3-1 win, with Ireland U16 midfielder Scott Sullivan replying for the hosts. It completed an unbeaten league programme for the Rochestown outfit and rendered Cork Harlequins’ incredible 16-0 rout of a depleted Catholic Institute – in which David Egner scored five times –  academic in terms of the title. It does, however, ensure Quins a third season in the Irish Hockey League. With games against the B teams in Division One not counted towards IHL qualification, it is Bandon who will once again contest the wildcard playoffs.

Meanwhile, the sun shone on Limerick HC in more ways than one on a stunning Sunday in Rosbrien, which saw them collect both the Barber Cup and women’s Division Four Cup. Stuart Greene’s fine strike from the top of the circle gave them the early impetus against UCC C, who hit back with a stunning individual strike from Colin Manning. The Kilkenny native, whose brother Tom plays with Fingal in Leinster’s top tier, cut in from the right on a solo run and blasted a reverse-stick strike into the bottom corner of William Langford’s goal. But that was as good as it got for College, as Limerick B turned the screw with short corner goals from Greene and French flyer Matthieu Pienart, amid some naive College defending, for a commanding 3-1 lead. The students went for broke thereafter in chasing the game, and saw a Mark Horgan effort chalked off for a questionable raised ball in the build-up. Limerick took full advantage as Philip Coleman and skipper Roland Doherty exploited the gaps at the back for breakaway goals in the final quarter to seal a deserved, if slightly flattering, 5-1 victory. In the women’s final, Limerick never looked in danger against a game Tipperary outfit, with a brace from Ciara Hayes and a strike from Munster U21 Jenni Lyttle doing the damage in a comfortable 3-0 victory. Thanks to Stephen Findlater for providing words and details this weekend. For Ondine Roche’s superb photos from UCC vs Quins (Sunday) – 160 in total! – click here and click on the relevant sets.