Top three pull further away

Irish skipper Eimear Cregan’s hat-trick helped Catholic Institute’s women make it eight wins from eight this term with a 6-0 win at Ashton. Despite the comprehensive scoreline, the Cork side made the league’s pace-setters work hard for their goals, with the remainder coming from Naomi Carroll’s double and Claire Sullivan. UCC had to scrap far harder to keep pace – five points behind with a game in hand – with Eibhlín O’Donoghue and Ali O’Regan getting the vital strikes in their disjointed 2-1 win over Cork C of I.

College, who were without keynote players Miriam Crowley and Ali O’Connor, started brighter and scored from their first short corner. C of I netminder Elsbeth Wolfe saved Olivia Roycroft’s drag-flick effort, but injector Eibhlín O’Donoghue mopped up the rebound. A threadbare C of I side, hit by a myriad of injury problems of their own, settled down thereafter but went two behind when Nicola Kerr was caught in possession and Ali O’Regan eventually applied a scrappy finish after another Wolfe save. And David Egner’s side put themselves right back in it on the stroke of half-time, Grace Young sweeping home Julie Crowley’s pinpoint ball from the left. That was as good as it got for C of I in a grim, injury-interrupted second half, where chances were at a premium bar a handful of College penalty corners which went unrewarded. Cork Harlequins stay third after Cliodhna Sargent’s double proved the catalyst for their 5-0 win at winless Belvedere. The hosts, who were without four key players including Anne Marie Dooley and Aly Moore, kept Quins scoreless until just before the break, feeling aggrieved by an apparent foot in the build-up to that goal. Having missed a chance to draw level, Quins eventually pulled away in the last quarter, with Yvonne O’Byrne, Jennifer Murphy and Emily O’Leary all finding the backboard for the visitors. Elsewhere, Bandon have moved up to fourth after their second 4-0 dismissal of UL this term. Hilary Chapple claimed her first league goals since her switch from Quins, with Amy Hosford netting the other two. There wasn’t such good news for Bandon’s seconds, who came close to causing the shock of the round in the women’s ESB Irish Junior Cup before eventually losing 3-2 to Loreto.

Niamh Smith lashed in a short corner for the Dubliners on the 10 minute mark, and she added a second from the flick spot after the ball was deemed to have struck a Bandon foot on the line at a short corner. It seemed all over when Laura Pomphrett finished off a breakaway for 3-0 15 minutes into the second half, before Bandon – who had not been without chances of their own – began an epic resurgence. Laura Buttimer, Amy Hosford and Ciara McCarthy all played key roles in the build-up to the first which was planted past recently-retired Irish international goalkeeper Louisa Healy by Barbara Casey. And when Philippa Wilkinson blasted in a reverse five minutes later, Loreto were rocking on their heels. Casey had a glorious chance to level it inside the final 60 seconds, intercepting a back pass to bear down on goal, but Healy did enough to thwart her and send the relieved visitors into round two. Elsewhere, Pembroke Wanderers pulled off the result of the round as they ended Randalstown’s reign as women’s ESB Irish Junior Cup champions on golden goal, Susan Ryan the match-winner in a 2-1 success. Hermes’ hex over Cork Harlequins in this competition continued with a 3-0 victory, while 2010 finalists Old Alex cruised past Cork C of I 4-0. Elaine Carey nabbed the winner for Galway as they raided Ashton with a 1-0 win, while Catholic Institute returned empty-handed form Belfield, where they went down 2-0 to UCD. For the second year running, therefore, Munster’s hopes in this competition therefore susprisingly rest on UCC, quarter-finalists last time around. Division Two’s basement side saw off Genesis 1-0 at a sodden Mardyke, with the influential Vicky O’Sullivan getting the all-important strike during a short corner goalmouth scramble, to set up an intriguing intervarsity trip to Institute’s conquerors UCD. Women’s Div 1 Ashton 0 Catholic Institute 6 (E Cregan, N Carroll 2, C Sullivan) UCC 2 (E O’Donoghue, A O’Regan) Cork C of I 1 (G Young) Belvedere 0 Cork Harlequins 5 (C Sargent 2, Y O’Byrne, J Murphy, E O’Leary) UL 0 Bandon 4 (H Chapple 2, A Hosford 2). ESB Irish Junior Cup Rd 1 (Munster teams’ results only, full results available here) UCD 2 (E Collins, H Reddy) Catholic Institute 0 Old Alexandra 4 (S O’Mahony 2, A Bowers, H Irvine) Cork C of I 0 Bandon 2 (B Casey, P Wilkinson) Loreto 3 (N Smith 2, L Pomphrett) Hermes 3 (E Russell 2, L Pinder) Cork Harlequins 0 Ashton 0 Galway 1 (E Carey) UCC 1 (V O’Sullivan) Genesis 0 Round 2 (January 29 & February 5): Pegasus vs Lurgan; Queens vs Lisnagarvey; Railway Union vs Hermes; Dublin Uni vs Galway; UCD vs UCC; Belfast Harlequins vs Old Alex; Pembroke vs Loreto; Bray vs Dromore. ESB Irish Hockey Challenge Rd 1 NUIG 1 (J Oakland) Kilkenny 8 (A McGarry, L Darling, C Phelan 3, E Ryan 3).