Sister act helps Quins march on

Rachel McSharry gave a true captain’s performance as Cork Harlequins downed UCD 3-1 at Harlequins Park today to put themselves firmly in the frame to make the last four of the Irish Hockey League. Centre-back McSharry led by example at both ends of the pitch, giving Quins the lead after just three minutes and admirably shackling the students’ all-international forward duo of Róisín Flinn and Lisa Jacob. She was aided brilliantly by the equally impressive Cliodhna Sargent, who will surely have made a big impression on onlooking women’s national coach Gene Muller.

McSharry swept the ball past Grace O’Flanagan in the UCD goal after a neat switch left to give Quins the lead, and Sargent was narrowly wide with a thunderbolt on 14 minutes as Quins were in the ascendancy. But Sargent’s international colleague Jacob was looking threatening at the other end, and she was the catalyst for UCD’s equaliser on 23 minutes. Fiona Braddish fed the livewire forward, who surged through two tackles only to be foiled by onrushing Quins netminder Amy O’Neill. But Braddish flung herself at the loose ball, and guided her diving effort to the corner. The hosts re-established their advantage on the stroke of half-time, McSharry keeping the ball alive following a short corner breakdown. She fed Rachael Kohler, who arrowed across goal, with Hilary Chapple getting the vital deflection. Quins struck a hammer blow in the dying seconds of the third quarter, with Jane Chapple creating and finishing a breakaway effort. She evaded four tackles with a surging run down the left before finding Jennifer Murphy.  The Mount Mercy schoolgirl returned the ball across goal, and Chapple stretched out her stick to guide the ball home. UCD’s chances of salvaging anything died with 11 minutes to go when Rachel Burke was sin-binned for an off-the-ball push on Kohler, while Quins will now turn their attention to March’s crucial clash with Hermes. Their chances of progression have also indirectly been boosted by Ballymoney’s 5-0 win over Armagh today, which puts the latter out of contention for the semi-final spots and means they will arrive at Harlequin Park for the final pool tie with nothing but pride to play for.

‘Money have rediscovered their scoring touch in recent weeks, hitting Quins for six last week in the Irish Senior Cup before Lynsey McVicker’s virtuoso performance propelled them to an easy win today. McVicker bagged a hat-trick before half-time, and the former Irish international claimed another after the break with Sally Stewart Moore also getting on the scoresheet in a win that re-ignites their challenge. However, Cork Church of Ireland will need a miracle to progress from the other pool after they were downed 4-1 by Loreto at Garryduff. C of I played some of their best hockey of the season, with Mel Ryan, Deirdre Casey and Michaela Mihailou all to the fore, but a star-studded Loreto side scored at crucial stages in what was a flattering win. Amy Roberts gave the hosts the lead, finishing adroitly after cutting in from the left in an opening quarter that C of I dominated. But Nikki Symmons hauled Loreto level just after the break, sparking a superb second-half performance from the seasoned Irish international star. Her international colleague Niamh Small rattled home a short corner to give Loreto a lead to take into the final quarter, and that advantage was doubled when Hannah Matthews exchanged passes with Symmons at corner time before finding the backboard. Small rubbed salt into C of I’s wounds with her second and Loreto’s fourth in the final minutes, and the bonus point accrued propels them to the head of the table with three wins from three. They are now the best-placed side to make the last four, with Pegasus and Railway Union also likely to be in the shake-up. Railway defeated Belfast Harlequins 2-0 tonight, thanks to strikes from Emer Lucey and Emma Smyth in the 40th and 47th minutes.