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Old Alex land key win in women’s EYHL as Corinthian shine in Division Two

It was a quiet weekend in the women’s EY Hockey League with one game each in Divisions One and Two, initially postponed from before Christmas.

Women’s EY Hockey League
Old Alex 1 (A Russell) Pegasus 0
Old Alex won an enthralling, if not high scoring game, with Abbie Russell’s single goal just before the end of the third quarter lifting the Milltown side up to a share of third spot with each club now having played 12 games.

Pegasus had the better of the first half with Alex Speers getting a lot of joy on the right sided attack but she came up against Holly Micklem – following her recent call-up to the Irish senior squad for their trip to France – who was in super form.

The ball seemed magnetised to the goalkeeper’s boot as she kicked away four corner shots and brilliantly slid out to deny Speers when through one-on-one. Lena Tice was also impressive with timely tackles and interceptions as the Dubliners hung tough.

In the second, half Old Alex took the upper hand and created some good chances from open play, causing panic stations when Millie O’Donnell, Jessica McGirr and Tice all testing Megan Todd in one melee.

McGirr had a goal initially awarded when her rising slap went up off Shirley McCay’s back and over Todd; after consultation, it was ruled out for the danger created.

Alex did get their goal when Niamh Sweeney slid a backhand pass to Mikayla Power whose one-time deflection across goal was out of reach of the goalkeeper to the back post where Abbie Russell was waiting to apply a diving tip-in.

The hosts ran up a couple more corners and Emma Russell went close with a powerful shot but without the insurance goal, the game remained lively right through to the final whistle.

EY Hockey League Division 2, Group A: Corinthian 3 (L Motyer 2, C Seggie) Galway 0
Laura Motyer’s double helped Corinthian move into a share of top spot in Group A of the women’s EYHL DIvision 2 Group A, seeing off a tough challenge from Galway.

In the early phases, the Connacht side put it up to the Leinster team at Whitechurch Park, winning a couple of corners which caused plenty of danger as Alyssa Manley, Elaine Carey and Rachel Kelly caused plenty of danger.

It was scoreless after the first quarter but Corinthian began to take greater control over the game in Q2 with Camila Arbulo getting things motoring. They took the lead when Christine Seggie scored on the half hour via a corner.

The second half saw that second quarter pattern continue and the reds moved further clear with Jessica Meeke the creator and Motyer the scorer on two occasions. Their first interaction saw Meeke slide a backhand pass into the danger zone for 2-0 on 45 minutes and they reprised that link-up in the last 10 minutes for the third.

At the mid-point in this group, Corinthian join Ards on 17 points, 10 clear of third placed UCC.

“After a tough first half, we finally got a bit of momentum which are key for us to progress in this league,” said Motyer after the win.

“They were hard to break down, very strong defensively and fair play, too, to our defence who are always strong. We take it one game at a time and hopefully we will be there for the playoffs at the end of the season.

For Galway’s part, player-coach Manley – an Olympian from 2016 – said her side’s performance was a big step-up for them in their maiden season in EYHL2.

“It was good. We have struggled in matches coming out hard from the start and this was probably our best start,” she said.

“Over the course of the season, we have shown a lot of growth and that showed in this match. We have a lot of young players who are getting more and more confident to play at this level and it is really exciting to see them grow.

“I really like it over here. If I was back home in the US, now that I am not in the US team, I wouldn’t be able to play hockey. Coming over to do a masters at NUIG, getting to continue playing hockey is really great. Galway is like a little family and the support system is really great.”

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The Railway six push to the limit in Turkey

Six proved the operative number as Railway Union finished sixth out of six at the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy in Alanya, Turkey but that only told half the story.

In a bizarre run of misfortune, the Sandymount club only ended up with the bare minimum six eligible players who played every single minute of their five games – bar the odd one-minute green card suspension – picking up five points along the way.

Among other issues, Emma Buckley was ruled out with a foot injury and the past week also saw Holly Jenkinson out with a broken hand and Sarah Patton falling sick in midweek.

Michelle Carey had planned to join the side on Friday evening but a passport issue left her stranded in Hamburg. With the issues occurring after the EHF deadline to add players to their long-list, it left Railway unable to fill in the gaps at short notice.

While the situation could have proven disheartening, they rolled with the punches to be highly competitive in each game. Importantly, with two other clubs withdrawing, Ireland will keep their place in this second tier competition which otherwise would have been lost if Railway followed suit.

“Maybe there was a little sense of foreboding the day before the tournament when essentially everything that could go wrong, went wrong,” captain Orla Fox said after their final match on Sunday.

“But when the matches started, we just accepted the situation and didn’t feel under pressure for any of it because, sure, any result we got out of this was a bonus! I definitely think that helped everyone feel relaxed and free to play whatever way we wanted.

“We headed over with not the ideal setup but the team atmosphere has been incredible. We didn’t put pressure on ourselves, just play the process and trying to celebrate each small win in each game. When we got into it, we thought, hey, we can really compete here and try and play as much of our own game as possible!”

Day one showed they could cause problems, holding English champions Buckingham scoreless for the first 26 of 40 minutes with a “deep-house” defensive setup, designed to essentially park the bus and conserve energy.

They went on to lose that one 5-0 but the method worked a treat against eventual runners-up SK Slavia Praha, Lloyd sisters Kate and Lily using their prodigious skills to wreak havoc on the counter. Kate netted and a 28th Fox corner earned a 2-2 draw.

On Saturday, Austria’s SV Arminen edged out Railway 2-1 while the tournament hosts and winners Gaziantep were pushed closer than by any other side.

That one finished 3-2 to the Turks, outdoing Kate Lloyd and Orla Patton strikes as Railway went agonisingly close to an equaliser in the final quarter from a corner.

It proved a similar outcome against Scotland’s Clydesdale Western in a dramatic endgame on Sunday morning. It went tit-for-tat with Kate Lloyd making it 1-1, Lily Lloyd scoring for 2-2 and then Fox equalised in the final minute for 3-3.

The Scots, though, snagged a winner with 29 seconds to go to deny another famous result in the circumstances.

Nonetheless, Fox can reflect on a tournament that will live long in her and her team’s memory.

“The support has been phenomenal from those who travelled over to those back home, it has been a fantastic trip and we are really looking forward to next year and hopefully having a few more players along with us to compete even more!

“Our games were the closest ones in the tournament! I know it’s unofficial but, to be honest, I’d say we were the team of the tournament as all of our games were the most competitive! Definitely disappointed not to get the win against the Scottish team in the last game too but we’ll definitely get them next year!”

Women
EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy:
Friday: Railway Union 0 Buckingham 5; Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, O Fox) Sk Slavia Praha 2
Saturday: Railway Union 1 (O Patton) SV Arminen 2; Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, O Patton) Gaziantep 3
Sunday: Railway Union 3 (K Lloyd, L Lloyd, O Fox) Clydesdale Western 4

Standings: 1. Gaziantep (TUR) 25 pts (+10) 2. SK Slavia Praha (CZE) 17pts (+6) 3. Clydesdale Western (SCO) 16 pts (-2) 4. SV Arminen 12pts (-5) 5. Buckingham (ENG) 9pts (-1) 6. Railway Union 5pts (-8)

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Railway in Euro indoor action on lively weekend of action

A varied weekend of action sees games in European indoor action, women’s EYHL 1 and 2, the Irish Senior Cup and the Irish Hockey Trophy on what was initially set to be a relatively quiet fixture list.

For Railway’s women, they start bright and early on Friday morning in Alanya, Turkey in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy, facing Buckingham at 8am Irish time.

It has been a tough build-up for the side who recently retained their National Indoor Trophy crown with Emma Buckley and Holly Jenkinson unavailable through injury while, of their successful side from Gormanston, Kate McKenna and Hannah de Burgh Whyte also unable to travel.

As such, they look to the experience of Orla Fox and Orla Patton along with the trickery of Kate and Lily Lloyd; they can play with some freedom knowing there is no relegation this year with two sides withdrawing from the competition.

They also face Slavia Prague on Friday in their second game before meeting Austria’s SV Arminen and Turkish home club Gaziantep on Saturday. The tournament concludes with a final group game on Sunday against Scotland’s Clydesdale.

Elsewhere, on Thursday evening, Loreto won their first match of the new year with a healthy 4-1 win in the teeming rain at Belfield against UCD. The Beaufort side dominated the first half and went into a 3-0 lead with Hannah Matthews getting the ball rolling from a penalty stroke with Yasmin Pratt and Mia Jennings also weighing in.

Siofra O’Brien got their fourth despite UCD having the best of Q3, getting one back via Hannah McLoughlin’s deflected penalty corner. But they could make no further inroads and they drop out of the EY Champions Trophy playoff places with Loreto taking their place inside the top six.

On Saturday, Old Alex will face Pegasus in another rearranged fixture in the last outstanding match of the first 12 rounds of the season. Both need a win to close the gap on the automatic Champions Trophy semi-final spots.

For Pegs, three points would lift them into second place while Alex need a result to keep in touch with the three sides above them.

In EYHL2, Corinthian and Galway will play their refixed at Whitechurch Park with the former hoping to move level with Ards at the head of their group at the halfway stage while the Connacht side aiming for a first win.

The final four for the women’s Irish Senior Cup will be finalised with Banbridge and Catholic Institute both seeking their first journey that far in the competition.

Insta are the obvious favourites having made their way up to second in the EYHL while Bann sit sixth in the Ulster Premier League.

On the men’s side of the competition, there is a potential classic in store at Grange Road where Three Rock Rovers meet Lisnagarvey in the Irish Senior Cup quarter-final.

Rovers are top of the men’s EYHL with Garvey in second but the latter did win their meeting earlier this season, 3-2 at Comber Road. It is the first of two meetings between the teams in Dublin within seven days of each other as they play a crucial league encounter next week too.

The Irish Hockey Trophy semi-finals for men are an all-Ulster affair with North Down facing South Antrim and Queen’s up against Portadown.

On the basis of reaching the top half of the split Ulster Premier Division, South Antrim and Queen’s would be pegged as favourites in these ties.

In the women’s Irish Hockey Trophy, Leinster Division 1 side Avoca face Challenge A side YMCA in a semi-final derby with the other final four tie postponed between Raphoe and Ashton due to the various weather warnings in place in Donegal and Cork.

Thursday 17th February
Women
EY Hockey League: UCD 1 (H McLoughlin) Loreto 4 (H Matthews, Y Pratt, M Jennings, S O’Brien)

Friday 18th February 2022
Women
EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy (Alanya, Turkey – times Irish): Railway Union v Buckingham, 8am; Railway Union v Slavia Prague, 2.15pm

Saturday 19th February 2022
Men
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-final: Three Rock Rovers v Lisnagarvey, Grange Road, 3pm
Irish Hockey Trophy, semi-finals: North Down v South Antrim, Comber LC, 2.40pm; Queens University v Portadown, The Dub, 2.30pm

Women
EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy (Alanya, Turkey – times Irish): Railway Union v SV Arminen, 10.30am; Railway Union v Gaziantep, 3.30pm
EYHL Division 1: Old Alex v Pegasus, Milltown, 1.30pm
EYHL Division 2, Pool 2: Corinthian v Galway, Whitechurch Park, 1.15pm
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-final: Banbridge v Catholic Institute, Havelock Park, 2.45pm
Irish Hockey Trophy, semi-finals: Avoca v YMCA, Newpark, 2.30pm; Raphoe v Ashton, Royal and Prior, 1pm

Sunday 20th February 2022
Women
EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy (Alanya, Turkey – time Irish): Railway Union v Clydesdale, 7am

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Women’s World Cup draw sees Ireland face Netherlands, Germany and Chile

Ireland’s women will face the world number one side, the Netherlands, in this summer’s World Cup group stages alongside fifth ranked Germany and newcomers Chile following the draw which took place in Terrassa, Spain. 

The draw also means Sean Dancer’s side will be based in Amsterdam for the group stages of the competition, playing their group games between July 1st and 7th in the Wagener Stadium.  

“We’re so excited after watching the draw for the World Cup this summer,” said captain Katie Mullan in the wake of the draw.  

“It will be fantastic to play the Netherlands in their home stadium and to face Germany who we played last year in Tokyo. We know Chile are an up-and-coming team and will be very well prepared this summer so that will be another brilliant game to look forward to. We are super-excited, see you in July!” 

Tickets will go on sale for the event on March 1st via https://wkhockey2022.com/ with the match schedule to be confirmed in due course. 

The match against the all-conquering Dutch will be a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final with the world number one side going on to win the Olympic Games, European Championships and the FIH Pro League since then. 

Germany, meanwhile, are the world number five side and took silver at last summer’s Euros as well as edging out the Green Army in an Olympic thriller, 4-2 in Tokyo. 

Chile are the one newcomer to the competition for this 15th edition of the World Cup having finished second in Pan-America in January. The world number 17 may be fresh-faced on this stage but Ireland know them reasonably well, meeting four times in 2019 in a shared test series in Santiago.  

The winner from each group advances straight to the quarter-finals while second and third place in each group have a playoff game to see if they can also make the final eight. Fourth place goes into the ninth to 16th place playoff series.

FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, July 1-17 (Terrassa, Spain & Amsterdam, Netherlands) 
Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile 
Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China 
Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada 
Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa

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SPAR Indoor Hockey Series brings international indoor to Ireland

The 2022 indoor hockey season is set for a spectacular finale next week as Ireland take on South Africa in a five-match SPAR Indoor Hockey Series in Gormanston Park in Co Meath. 

The series in east Meath will showcase five high-octane fixtures with the two nations reprising their rivalry from 2019 when Ireland travelled to Durban and Cape Town for a SPAR-supported series.  

Those fixtures played a pivotal role in the ongoing regeneration of indoor hockey in Ireland and were their first on the international stage for nearly 30 years. It provided a perfect springboard for Ireland’s promotion to the second tier of EuroHockey Championship competition in 2020. 

In that context, this SPAR Indoor Series provides a yardstick to how much Ireland have improved and they will look to turn on the style in front of a healthy home crowd. 

 ** For tickets, click here ** 

Coach Rob Abbott is thrilled at this unique opportunity to face the world number 14 side who had originally been planning to contest the Indoor World Cup before Covid saw those plans cancelled. 

“A huge thank you to SPAR Ireland for sponsoring the series and allowing us to play against world class opposition,” Abbott said.  

“It will be great for fans to have the chance to watch international hockey in the south of Ireland for the first time since the 2019 Olympic qualifiers. We are looking forward to playing in front of passionate crowds who will create an atmosphere to spur the team on. 

“Our team will look to play attacking Indoor hockey and thrill the crowds with speed and skill. It will be great to see how far we have come as an indoor nation in such a short space of time.” 

Commenting. SPAR Sales Director Colin Donnelly said, “SPAR has a strong tradition of supporting sport in Ireland and we are thrilled to be in a position to sponsor this series of international matches between Ireland and South Africa and I want to wish all competing the very best of luck and I’m sure the spectators will be treated to some excellent matches.” 

Ireland’s Orla Patton in action against South Africa in 2019. Picture: Shaun Roy

Abbott’s side will include six of the panel that played in 2019 with, crucially, Chloe Brown set to line out. She missed out on January’s Euros but shone at the English championships with East Grinstead and she will be a vital figure in play and with her outstanding accuracy at penalty corners.  

The panel also features six players who were due to play in the Under-21 Euros in December before that tournament also fell victim to Covid-19.  

Railway Union – crowned Irish club champions last weekend – provide several players to the mix including captain Orla Fox, Holly Jenkinson, Patton sisters Orla and Sarah and Lily Lloyd. 

Teenagers Mikayla Power (Old Alex) and Katie Kimber (Ards) offer exciting talents for the here and now as well as the future. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Amy Benson and Sophie Barnwell have been near ever-presents on the boards since Ireland’s return to the international stage. 

Sally Campbell the one uncapped player in the line-up. She was initially part of Ireland’s squad to play in the Antrim games against Scotland but had to withdraw due to Covid.  

*** 

SPAR Indoor Hockey Series (all at Gormanston Park) 

Monday, February 21st 2022: Ireland v South Africa, 7pm 

Tuesday, February 22nd 2022: Ireland v South Africa, 7pm 

Wednesday, February 23rd 2022: Ireland v South Africa, 6pm 

Thursday, February 24th 2022: Ireland v South Africa, 7pm 

Friday, February 25th 2022: Ireland v South Africa, 7pm 

 

Ireland women’s squad: 

Emma Buckley (GK, Railway Union/Pembroke) 

Millie Regan (GK, Old Georgian’s) 

Sarah Patton (Railway Union) 

Sophie Barnwell (Muckross) 

Katie Kimber (Ards) 

Holly Jenkinson (Railway Union) 

Hannah Kelly (Catholic Institute) 

Orla Macken (North Kildare/Pembroke) 

Laura Graham (CD Sadus) 

Mikayla Power (Old Alex) 

Chloe Brown (East Grinstead) 

Orla Fox (captain, Railway Union) 

Orla Patton (Railway Union) 

Rebecca McMullen (Muckross) 

Lily Lloyd (Railway Union) 

Amy Benson (Ards) 

Sally Campbell (Pembroke) 

 

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Latest Irish Under-16 girls training panel named

The following players have been invited for the next Irish Under-16 Girls National training camps. The Under-16 managers will be in touch with players regarding details of the sessions.

The squad has a number of series now confirmed for 2022 with a five nations tournament taking place in the Netherlands from April 14th to 19th, a series against Scotland in Edinburgh in early July and a further tournament in mid-July in Terrassa, Spain.

 

Aliya Davis Leinster
Amy Handcock Leinster South
Anna Campbell Munster
Annie Cunningham Ulster
Aoife O’Meara Leinster
Charlie Bowman Ulster
Chloe Patton Ulster
Emilie O’Brien Leinster
Emma Simmons Leinster South
Grainne Molloy Leinster South
Isobel Field Leinster
Katie Herron Ulster
Kia McCartney Ulster
Lucy McGoldrick Leinster
Maebh McLoughlin Connacht
Milla Fulton Leinster
Millie Jerman Leinster
Orla Young Hughes Leinster
Rachel Lennon Ulster
Rebekah Lennon Ulster
Roisin O’Brien Munster
Sarah Byrne Leinster
Scarlett Taylor Ulster
Sophie English Leinster
To be assessed
Grace McCool Ulster
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Garvey stung late on as TRR go back top in men’s EYHL

Men’s EY Hockey League – day 12 round-up

Corinthian 2 (D Howard, A Sutton) Lisnagarvey 2 (O Kidd, M McNellis)

A rare Andrew Sutton goal saw Corinthian produce an incredible late fightback to nick a point against Lisnagarvey, knocking them off top spot of the men’s EY Hockey League.

The first half ended scoreless but things appeared to be going smoothly for Garvey when Ollie Kidd and Mark McNellis put them two clear in the fourth quarter.

But Davy Howard and the experienced Sutton’s goal in the last 30 seconds earned the reds a gleefully celebrated point which lifts them from eighth place to sixth in the rankings.

Glenanne 3 (S O’Connor, J Rogan, R Couse) Pembroke 5 (A Sothern 4, J Dale)

Alan Sothern showed how invaluable he is for Pembroke as he scored four goals as he returned to full flow after injury to give his side a vital victory over Glenanne, denting the hosts’ title chances in the process.

It was a measure of efficiency as Glenanne had a larger amount of possession and chances but Pembroke picked off corners and strokes from their fewer attacks to make the difference.

The Glens peppered Ilko Dartsch’s goal in the first few minutes with a couple of corners and a Richie Shaw volley flashing across goal. Sam O’Connor put them in front in the 24th minute but Sothern equalised within two minutes to have it level at the big break.

The second half started with the Glens on the attack for the most part but Pembroke’s first attack of the half led to a stroke which Sothern did not catch too cleanly but got enough on it to make it through David Lawless.

Jason Rogan equalised when he flicked in when the ball fell to him after a left-wing attack and Richard Couse applied a very smart take through his legs and finish for 3-2 from Shane O’Donoghue’s pin-point pass.

But Pembroke finished strong with Sothern scoring a second stroke for 3-3 after a corner shot hit a body on the line with 13 minutes to go. Julian Dale added a direct drag-flick to retake the lead soon after and Sothern completed the victory with his fourth of the day. They finished up round 12 one point away from safety while Glenanne are in third, three points off first.

Annadale 1 (J Clark) Three Rock Rovers 3 (B Johnson 2, R Canning)

Three Rock Rovers returned to the top of the men’s EY Hockey League as their set-piece functioned well to record a 3-1 win over Annadale at Lagan College.

Annandale got off to a flying start with Owen McElhinney’s left-wing cross on his reverse turned in by James Clark. Rovers, though, were level in the sixth minute when Ben Johnson nailed a drag-flick.

Rovers were initially awarded a stroke in Q2 when Johnson got in behind the last defender and went tumbling under a challenge from goalkeeper Sam Hamill but an umpire’s consultation overturned the decision.

Lisnagarvey’s Daniel Nelson shoots under pressure from Craig MacKay. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Conor Quinn made a big save from David Tremlett’s deflection before Rovers made it 2-1 with the last play of the half as Johnson’s shot was blocked by a body on the line and Ross Canning stepped up to convert from the penalty spot.

The Dubliners moved into a 3-1 lead from their third penalty corner of the second half with Johnson again the man on target, going down the glove side into the bottom corner.

After that, Rovers held on reasonably comfortably with Quinn not called into action in the closing 20 minutes while Hamill made some robust stops in the Dale goal.

UCD 1 (H Lynch) Monkstown 4 (D Carson, T Kohlmann, M Gibbons, G Sarratt)

Monkstown recorded a 4-1 win for the second week running as they proved too strong for UCD at Belfield. The students started well with Ewan Ramsay drawing a couple of good saves from Dave Fitzgerald but Monkstown were on their way in the second quarter.

David Nolan danced one way then the other from a free, getting to the baseline and crossing to Davy Carson to finish off. It was 2-0 by half-time via a sweet team move through the middle which Theo Kohlmann finished off.

Mark Gibbons was credited with the third goal with a deflection from a right-wing cross though the students argued it took a foot rather than a stick. Matthew O’Brien Holohan made a number of top class saves but the fourth goal fell to Guy Sarratt with a piece of individual brilliance, beating a couple of players on the baseline and then reversing into the net.

Harry Lynch pulled one back from a corner in the dying minutes for UCD.

YMCA 2 (G Glutz 2) Banbridge 3 (D Finlay, J McKee, E Magee)

Banbridge, meanwhile, won a rollercoaster against YMCA 3-2 to continue their push for a good playoff draw.

Grant Glutz had the Y 1-0 up from a penalty stroke but David Finlay had Bann level before half-time and a world class effort from Johnny McKee gave the Co Down side the lead for the first time. Eugene Magee’s corner goal put the visitors 3-1 up; Glutz’s second of the day closed out the game but proved immaterial.

Bann remain level with Monkstown in fourth place but have reeled in the gap to the top three.

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Pembroke winning streak ends as chasers cut the gap

Women’s EYHL – day 12 round-up

Cork Harlequins 0 Belfast Harlequins 1 (E Uprichard)

Emma Uprichard’s 19th minute goal gave Belfast Harlequins a huge three points over their Cork namesakes, pushing them five points clear of the relegation zone. For the Farmers’ Cross side, it leaves them with eight points to make up in the closing six matches.

The Cork side had the pick of the first quarter chances with Beth Anne O’Farrell going close but the Belfast side came into their own and began to threaten before Uprichard got the only goal.

She came in from the right, beating a couple of defenders before sliding a reverse sweep past the Cork Harlequins keeper. It remained that way through to the break despite Michelle Barry winning a corner but produced no reward.

The third quarter was end to end with the hosts having some big chances they should have put away while the Belfast side were fast on the break but held at bay by a strong defensive showing. The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern with both teams creating chances but not capitalising as the visitors held on for a significant victory.

Pembroke 2 (E Curran, S Campbell) UCD 2 (K Egan, E Paul)

Pembroke’s seven-game winning streak was brought to an end as UCD stormed back to grab a share of the points at Serpentine Avenue, coming back from 2-0 down.

In a first half of few chances, Pembroke opened the scoring from a lovely flowing move, started and finished by Ellen Curran. The midfielder laid off to Sinead Loughran who fed it on to Aisling Naughton on the right baseline. Her ball to the baseline ended up blocked at the near post by goalkeeper Laura Gunning but Curran had followed up the attack to pop in off the pads.

For UCD, their best chance came off the back of Michelle Carey’s driving run with the ball hitting the outside of the goal. Pembroke, though, doubled their lead when a corner was slipped to Sally Campbell who pushed in from the left of the D.

The students were back in the game in the 47th minute when Aine Naughton raced into space down the right right wing and squared for Katherine Egan who controlled well and slotted by Ruth Cowman in the Pembroke goal.

Early in Q4, Hannah McLoughlin hit the post after a surge from the top of the circle as UCD put on the pressure while a corner chance was well blocked by Cowman, scrambling to her right from a deflected shot.

And the equaliser arrived with five minutes to go with Emma Paul slamming in a sweep-shot from a corner into the bottom right corner. Pembroke did land a corner in the closing seconds but it was skewed wide and the laurels shared.

Muckross 0 Catholic Institute 4 (R Upton 2, N Carroll, H Kelly)

Catholic Institute continued their excellent start to 2022 with a third successive victory since the turn of the year, keeping them in second place. 

Hannah Kelly lines up a shot. Picture: Adrian Boehm

The first quarter was scoreless with Insta testing the Muckross defensive mettle before taking the lead in the second quarter through Naomi Carroll, a cracking reverse-stick shot from the Olympian.

That was how it remained through to half-time but the Limerick side cut loose in the second half with Hannah Kelly grabbing a second goal. And Róisín Upton added two identical penalty corner drag-flicks in the closing period to expand the lead to 4-0.

Pegasus 2 (K McKee, T Doherty) Railway Union 1 (N Shaw)

Pegasus fought back from a half-time deficit to land an important win of their title chances as Katie McKee and Taite Doherty turned the tide against Railway Union at Malone Road.

Niamh Shaw got the only goal of the first half with a cracking hit from a double-switch move from a penalty corner to give Railway the half-time advantage.

Pegasus, though, were level two minutes into the second half when Katie McKee twisted and turned to get the space to shoot on her backhand where she powered home.

And the Ulster side had the winner when Ruth Maguire picked out a brilliant pass to Taite Doherty and she struck a crisp effort for 2-1.

Loreto 1 (H Matthews) Old Alex 3 (N Evans 2, M Power)

Nikki Evans’ classy double earned Old Alex a key win over fellow playoff chasers Loreto to put them in fourth spot in the women’s EY Hockey League.

Nikki Evans’ sparkling top-corner effort lit up the first half as she picked up Millie O’Donnell’s ball into the D, steadying before unleashing a sublime shot on her backhand.

Prior to that, Loreto had seen a corner shot confidently booted away by Holly Micklem while Emma Russell went inches wide from an Evans pull-back. Liz Murphy, meanwhile, was alert to clean up a one-on-one chance.

Loreto had most of the play after the goal with a number of half-chances slipping by with Cailtin Sherin stepping forward and going close.

Alex had the best of the third quarter and they were rewarded when Lena Tice lifted an overhead into the D to Mikayla Power who controlled and slipped in her shot for 2-0.

The Beaufort side got one back from the third of a series of three corners when Hannah Matthews’ hit took a heavy deflection off the number one runner. 

But Evans quickly restored the Alex lead when she reacted brilliantly to a rebound from Tice’s corner shot, batting home on the dive.

Micklem did brilliantly to keep out an Aoife Taaffe first-time shot in Q4 and Matthews went close with another corner effort in a late series of attacks from Loreto but Alex held on for their first win in the EYHL since early November.

 

EYHL Division 2 round-up
Ards, Corinthian, Monkstown and Queen’s moved into the prime positions in EYHL2 with high-scoring wins in their Saturday match-ups.
Ards head up Pool 1 thanks to a 6-1 win over Galway. It was tight in the first half with the oranges missing a number of chances but they still managed a 1-0 lead at half-time thanks to a near post shot from Ali Carson.
An impressive second half saw Amy Benson and Zara Malseed on the scoreboard twice for Ards before youngster Katie Kimber scored Ards’ final goal from a well rehersed penalty corner routine in the 6-1 win.
Alyssa Manley smartly converted a penalty corner with a well placed strike for Galway to score their first goal in their EYHL2 campaign.
Corinthian withstood a Trinity comeback to win 4-2 in the other game and move into second spot in the group. Two goals from Lauren McGrane and one from Christina Seggie had the reds 3-0 up before Faye Neill and Kate Sullivan made things interesting. Seggie’s second, though, killed off the tie.
In Pool 2, Monkstown moved closer to a confirmed playoff spot with a 5-0 win over Lurgan with Susie Kelly, Claire O’Reilly, Chloe Watkins, Natasha Twomey and Rebecca Carthy all scoring.
It puts them 10 points clear of Queen’s who were 4-1 winners at home against Cork C of I.
EYHL Division 2

Pool 1: Ards 6 (Z Malseed 2, A Benson 2, A Carson, K Kimber) Galway 1 (A Manley); Trinity 2 (F Neill, K Sullivan) Corinthian 4 (L McGrane 2, C Seggie)

Pool 2: Lurgan 0 Monkstown 5 (S Kelly, C O’Reilly, C Watkins, N Twomey, R Carthy); Queens University 4 (J McMaster 3, E Getty) Cork C of I 1 (C O’Sullivan)

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Hockey Ireland welcome over €2m from Sports Capital Programme

Hockey Ireland has welcomed the allocation of over €2 million for 23 projects in 12 different counties from the Sports Capital Programme.

They were among 1,900 successful applications announced today by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers, as part of an overall package of €150 million.

“The announcements today on the capital grants by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers T.D. are fantastic news for hockey, said Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels, welcoming the news. 

“The development of our playing infrastructure is key to the success of the Hockey Ireland strategy to grow the game and the number of players.  This support comes at a time of significant growth in hockey and will have a real positive impact on the quality of our hockey facilities and programmes.”

Among the projects, the allocation features provision for a first ever astroturf pitch in both Carlow at Leo’s College and Laois at Dunamase College. Both are set to receive €300,000 while the long-awaited new pitch in Galway at Miller’s Lane got the go-ahead with support of close to €180,000.

In total, hockey projects in Donegal, Galway, Laois, Carlow, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Meath, Tipperary, Offaly and Waterford will benefit.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said: “Sport is crucial for all communities in Ireland. There was a record number of applications for these grants and the government responded with the most significant level of individual awards ever.

“So this is a great day for sports clubs and community groups right around the country and I want to congratulate all of the successful applicants.

“It has been a tough two years for many sports clubs but the pandemic really demonstrated the importance of sport for our collective wellbeing. The grants we are announcing today will significantly improve sports facilities in every county. There is a huge variety of different sports covered and I was particularly pleased that the scoring system placed an even greater emphasis on female participation.”

County Organisation Project Title Provisional

Grant Allocation €
Carlow St Leo’s College Phased Upgrading of Hockey Pitch 300,000
Clare Ennis Hockey Club Ennis Hockey Club Equipment Grant Project 4,624
Cork Clonakilty Community Sports Association CCSA all weather hockey/multi-sport pitch . 150,000
Cork Cork Harlequins Club Upgrading Floodlights to LED 80,391
Donegal The Royal and Prior Comprehensive School Replacement of Astroturf & LED Lights 186,169
Dublin Glenanne Trust Corp Ltd 2020 – Upgrade pitch floodlight system to LED lights 40,000
Dublin Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Loreto Order 2020 – Essential pitch maintenance equipment 13,090
Dublin Old Alex Ladies Hockey Club 2020 – Equipment Grant OSCAR 15,111
Dublin Pembroke Wanderers Hockey Club 2020 – Pembroke Wanderers HC – Centre of Excellence 150,000
Dublin Portrane Hockey Club 2020 – Equipment project 2021 7,850
Dublin Railway Union Sports Club 2020 – Multi Sport All Weather Hockey Pitch 150,000
Dublin SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL 2020 – Weston Hockey Pitch Re-Surfacing 150,000
Dublin Suttonians Hockey Club 2020 – Sports Equipment for Suttonians Hockey Club 8,000
Galway Connacht Hockey Promote Women in Sports through Hockey in Connacht 38,781
Galway GALWAY CITY COUNCIL 2020 – Synthetic Hockey Pitch at Millers Lane 178,654
Laois Laois and Offaly ETB Regional Hockey Pitch at Dunamase College 300,000
Meath Boyne Hockey Club Boyne hockey- Growing Hockey in the North East 39,180
Offaly Tullamore Harriers Athletic Club Phase 2 Tullamore Harriers Upgrade – Astro Pitch 140,099
Tipperary Nenagh Hockey Club Basic equipment for hockey training and promotion 10,966
Tipperary Presentation Secondary School (Thurles) Upgrade Outdoor Basketball Courts 50,533
Waterford Waterford Hockey Club Sports Equipment 40,527
Wicklow Loreto Bray Community Sports Project Replacement of Security Fencing 18,215

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Harlequins duo face key tussle in women’s EYHL as men’s top five meet bottom five

The battle for playoff places continues to heat up in the women’s and men’s EY Hockey Leagues with the newly introduced quarter-final phase making life very interesting.

This season, the top two will go straight to the EY Champions Trophy semi-finals while the next four sides in each competition getting a shot in the quarter-final playoffs for a place at the finals weekend at Havelock Park on April 23rd and 24th.

With two sides automatically relegated from both the elite men and women’s leagues, too, it means there is a wealth of intrigue in each area of the tables.

Indeed, at the bottom of the women’s EY Hockey League, it is a vital day for the two sets of Harlequins as Cork host Belfast at Farmers’ Cross. The Cork side have one point to their name and need to make up five points if they are to get out of the danger zone.

Eighth placed Belfast, on the flip side, will be acutely aware of that and know that if they can land the three points, it could be a knock-out blow to the Munster side’s chances of staying in the top tier.

At the top, leaders Pembroke will meet a UCD side who had a wealth of players involved in the Irish women’s squad who impressed in midweek in an uncapped series against France.

Katherine Egan scored twice in Tuesday’s 4-0 success in Antibes while Eva Lavelle and KJ Marshall also lined out in the series for the senior panel for the first time.

They joined club mates Hannah McLoughlin and Sarah McAuley – another scorer this week in Wednesday’s 3-0 win against the French – and shows the quality they have in their camp.

They will be aiming to end Pembroke’s seven-game winning streak and make a strong push for the playoff places. The Serpentine Avenue hosts, though, have shown all facets to suggest they are in rude health for their title push, fighting back last week to beat Loreto 2-1 having trailed early on.

There is plenty of scope for jostling of positions throughout the division. Loreto currently sit outside the playoff places but a win over Old Alex could see them jump a number of places.

Belfast Harlequins Emma Uprichard in action against Pembroke. Picture: Billy Pollock

Both have players in their panels who got their first tastes of senior Irish hockey with Loreto’s Christina Hamill scoring in game two in France while Alex goalkeeper Holly Micklem recorded a clean sheet for her week’s efforts.

Pegasus have a tester in their pursuit of the top two spots when they host Railway Union who bring a slightly erratic form book to the table in 2022, winning well over Cork Harlequins but falling 6-1 to Catholic Institute.

Insta, meanwhile, are looking for a fourth win in succession when they go to ninth place Muckross.

In EYHL2, Monkstown can potentially propel themselves even further clear in Pool 2 when they go to second placed Lurgan. Simon Lowry’s squad are the only side with a perfect record and hold an eight point lead over the Ulster side with Anna O’Flanagan and Chloe Watkins doing lots of damage.

Lurgan, though, defied the odds last time out to defeat Queen’s in spite of several Covid absentees and will look to cause plenty of problems. Cork C of I go to Queen’s with the winners hoping victory will put them in the top two shake-up.

In Pool 1, Ards will be favourites to maintain their place at the head of the group when they host Galway who have yet to score in the competition. Trinity and Corinthian will be looking to boost their respective playoff chances with the reds winning a recent Leinster league meeting between the sides 4-1.

In the men’s EYHL, the top five face the bottom five. YMCA host Banbridge in what has proven a lively match-up in the past few seasons; the Y were without Harry McCarthy, Ross Henderson and Peabo Lembethe – currently with South Africa in Pro League action – last week for their date with Glenanne.

Lisnagarvey – reinstalled as leaders this week – go to Corinthian looking to maintain their place at the head of the pack after a confident finish to their win over Annadale with Ollie Kidd’s goal the pick of some tidy goals.

Glenanne were understrength last week with Mark Keppel and Paul Byrne getting rare appearances for the first team but they did well to score a good win.

They are up against Pembroke who welcomed back Ronan Flannery to the side a week ago while Ilko Dartsch lined out in goal in their tie against Monkstown.

Three Rock Rovers are on the M1 for a second successive week, this time to face Annadale whom they drew with 2-2 at home.

UCD, meanwhile, are in a last chance saloon as they need to win at least four of their last seven games to have a chance of staying up this term. The first of those is against Monkstown at home on Saturday; for Town, Robert Mason made a comeback to the first team while Geoff Cole and David Nolan did not play.

Saturday 12th February 2022
Men
EYHL Division 1: Annadale v Three Rock Rovers, Lagan College, 2.30pm; Corinthian v Lisnagarvey, Whitechurch Park, 3.15pm; Glenanne v Pembroke, St Andrews, 3.15pm; UCD v Monkstown, Belfield, 2.50pm; YMCA v Banbridge, Wesley College, 3.50pm

Women
EYHL Division 1: Cork Harlequins v Belfast Harlequins, Farmers’ Cross, 2.45pm; Loreto v Old Alexandra, Beaufort, 1.30pm; Muckross v Catholic Institute, Grange Road, 1pm, Pegasus v Railway Union, Queen;s, 2.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v UCD, Serpentine Avenue, 2.45pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Ards v Galway, Londonderry Park, 2.30pm; Trinity v Corinthian, Santry Avenue, 2pm
Pool 2: Lurgan v Monkstown, Lurgan JHS, 2pm; Queens University v Cork C of I, Malone, 12.45pm

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