Six-goal thriller sets duo up for IHL tasks

It’s hard to know whether Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland will believe they’ve gained two points or dropped one, following a bizarre 3-3 draw at Garryduff yesterday. Munster’s big two had yet to be tested this term, and badly needed a hit-out ahead of next weekend’s  opening Irish Hockey League assignments, but who will be more  satisfied isn’t clear following a topsy-turvy and often niggly encounter. Alec Moffett put C of I on the board on 18 minutes when he was first to a rebound, before Brian Hayes Curtin equalised for Quins shortly before the break with a strike that could be viewed either as a goal of the season contender, or a goalkeeper error. He skilfully dinked past two C of I defenders on the left of the circle, before unleashing a reverse from an impossible angle that squeezed past Billy Lynch at the near post before zinging in off the far upright. Lynch and Quins netminder Reinout Mensink will both be unhappy to have let quick-fire drag-flicks, from Dan Hobbs and John Jermyn respectively, past them to tie it up at 2-2 just after the break. Hobbs thought he’d won it on 65 minutes, rifling in another drag after Lynch had brilliantly stopped his first two efforts, but Jermyn did the  business again at the other end three minutes from time to level it up once more. The sides will meet again at Harlequin Park on the final day of the season, March 20, in a clash that is likely to decide the destination of the title.

The clubs had endured mixed fortunes 24 hours earlier in the opening round of the Irish Junior Cup. Quins dominated at Belfast Harlequins and led through Phil O’Driscoll, but they couldn’t make nine corners count and finished on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. Holders C of I scored the biggest win of the day, a 2-1 success at Banbridge, inspired by teenage star Nick Burns, who roofed a drag-flick for their winner, after Stephen Parker had seen his earlier effort cancelled out almost immediately by Bann. However, they must again travel to Co Down in round two, to take on Newry. Bandon’s reward for their 4-2 defeat of NICS is a home tie with Bangor. The west Cork side went in front through Darren Beamish inside two minutes, only for the visitors to equalise on the half hour mark. Two goals inside three minutes, from Dave Barrett and Aaron Beamish, restored Bandon’s lead, and the latter dragged home a fourth seven minutes later before NICS claimed a late consolation. Catholic Institute must replay their tie with Fingal, which was abandoned due to fog at the ALSAA, though that won’t have pleased the Dubliners, who were five goals to the good when play was stopped. Elsewhere, a mammoth defensive effort from UCD ensured their hopes of retaining the women’s ESB Irish Senior Cup are still alive, after they  secured a 1-0 quarter-final win over Cork Harlequins at Belfield. Rosie Carrigan’s 14th-minute rebound – coming after Laura Wilson’s corner strike had come off Amy O’Neill’s post –  proved the only goal of a game Quins dominated, only to find a light blue wall protecting the UCD circle.

Karen Bateman did have one effort ruled out as the whistle had already gone for a corner, but that was largely the extent of the goalmouth action. The students will now host Loreto in the last four, after late strike from Ali Meeke and Nicci Daly helped them pull away from a resolute Pembroke Wanderers side in a 4-1 win. Railway Union have set up an enticing semi-final draw against Pegasus after both emerged from extremely tight fixtures in Ulster, beating Ards and Ballymoney respectively. Patricia O’Dwyer bagged a first-half strike to see Railway through, while Suzanne Beaney’s hat-trick — which included a golden goal — helped the Belfast giants to a 3-2 win at Ballymoney. Domestically, Catholic Institute made it six wins from six with a 6-2 home win over Waterford, the highlight of which was Rosie Pratt’s treble. But while one Limerick club continues to set the pace, another is struggling badly; UL are still without either a point or a goal to their name, after shipping a 9-0 defeat to second-placed UCC, Fiona O’Connell on target four times for the winners. Meanwhile, Ashton’s Kate Harvey cancelled out a Louise O’Flynn strike to give the city side a 1-1 draw at Bandon, which leaves the west Cork side still looking for their first win of the campaign. To view the full set of Adrian Boehm’s photos from Quins vs UCD click here; for Rachel McSharry’s pics from Quins vs C of I click here; for Andrew Kingston’s photos from Bandon vs Ashton click here, and Bandon vs NICS click here. Thanks as always to all photographers for their help!