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Hockey Ireland EuroHockey Club Competitions Representatives for 2020/21

 

1 July 2020

On the 6th of May earlier this year, the 2019/2020 EYHL season was declared null and void by the Hockey Ireland Board due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. It was also decided that the European representatives for the EuroHockey Club competitions were to remain the same for the next season, and in the same order.

This decision has since been appealed by Lisnagarvey Hockey Club under the rules of Hockey Ireland. The appeal panel met on Monday the 29th June with the relevant parties and concluded that the appeal should be upheld.

The Panel determined that Lisnagarvey Hockey Club shall be given the first place in the nominations for European Club Competitions for the 2020/2021 season, which means the club will be the representative for Ireland for the EuroHockey League. With the order changed by this decision the Irish representatives for Europe are as follows:

– Pegasus Hockey Club Women will retain their position as the representative in the Euro Hockey League Final

– Lisnagarvey Hockey Club’s Men are now the representative for the Euro Hockey League

– Loreto Hockey Club Women retain their position as the representative for the EuroHockey Club Trophy

– Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club Men are now the representative for the EuroHockey Club Trophy II

EuroHockey Teams Update.pdf

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Men’s EYHL & EYHL2 Round-up 8 March 2020

EYHL

The battle to avoid the relegation playoff place is heating up with YMCA and Pembroke both picking up useful results in their bid to stay in the top tier of the men’s EY Hockey League.

For the Y, it was their second win in three outings and while they remain in ninth place, their form guide has given them a huge chance of avoiding the playoff after they beat Corinthian 2-1.

They trailed 1-0 at Wesley to a Craig Mackay goal after just seven minutes before penalty corner goals from Grant Glutz and Ben Campbell swapped the lead in the first half. No further goals came but there was plenty of drama as YM held on for the win.

Pembroke, meanwhile, saw Alan Sothern score twice in the last three minutes to earn a 4-4 draw against Monkstown, putting a dent in Town’s outside title aspirations. Pembroke led twice in the first half via Jack Ryan and Greg Chambers before a Gareth Watkins hat trick and one from Mark Gibbons seemed to swing the tie Monkstown’s way.

Lisnagarvey’s position at the top was strengthened by the outcome as they won 4-3 at Three Rock Rovers with two first quarter goals laying the base for the win. They hold a five-point lead over Banbridge but now with two games in hand over the nearest rivals.

Bann were 2-1 winners over UCD who fronted up well but could not catch a break as their tough run now extends to five defeats. For Bann, they have 22 out of the last 24 available as Josh Moffett’s double put them on course for the result.

Glenanne made it three wins in a row to move up to fifth place as they won 6-4 – for the second week running – against Annadale with Stu Ronan and Johnny McCormack’s goals in the last 10 minutes proving vital. Dale are now 11 points adrift at the bottom.

EYHL Division 1: Glenanne 6 (R Shaw 2, J McCormack 2, S Boucher, S Ronan) Annadale 4 (R Burgess 3, D Tremlett); Pembroke 4 (A Sothern 2, G Chambers, J Ryan) Monkstown 4 (G Watkins 3, M Gibbons); Three Rock Rovers 3 (R Canning 2, E Jennings) Lisnagarvey 4 (J Lorimer 2, J Lynch, D Nelson); UCD 1 (J Guilfoyle) Banbridge 2 (J Moffett 2); YMCA 2 (G Glutz, B Campbell) Corinthian 1 (C Mackay)

Next week’s fixtures

Saturday, March 14th: Three Rock Rovers v Pembroke, Grange Road, 1.30pm; Corinthian v UCD, Belfield, 2pm; Banbridge v Glenanne, Havelock Park, 2.45pm; Lisnagarvey v YMCA, Comber Road, 3pm; Monkstown v Annadale, ALD Merrion Fleet Arena, 4pm

Men’s EYHL – day 13 extended reports

YMCA 2 (G Glutz, B Campbell) Corinthian 1 (C Mackay)

YMCA won what could be a crucial contest in the battle to avoid the relegation playoff place as they came from a goal down to beat local rivals Corinthian 2-1 at Wesley. YM started the brighter, flashing a great chance across the face of goal in the first minute.

But, after absorbing a lot of pressure, the reds took the lead in the seventh minute from their first chance when the ball fell to Craig Mackay on the baseline and he slotted home from a tight angle.

YM ramped up the tempo – in what was a tie played at an intense pace – and converted two corners in the second quarter, the first from Grant Glutz and a second from Ben Campbell to take the lead just before half-time.

The second half continued at high speed with the reds trying to push on to get an equaliser but it was the hosts who had the better of the chances. They were awarded a stroke at one stage in a manic sequence of events; Ross Henderson chipped over his namesake, Charlie, but a flying Henry Micks tipped the looping ball onto the bar.

The ball fell to Ben Campbell who had the goal at his mercy but did not get a clean connection to his volley under pressure from some flailing defensive sticks and the ball bounced wide. A stroke was initially awarded but an umpires’ consultation saw a free out given instead, deeming the shot was not impeded.

Ben Cullen was also set through one-on-one but Charlie Henderson got out well to tip the ball away before contact. YM were reduced to eight players for part of the last five minutes with Iain Patterson, Matthew Walker and Harry McCarthy in the bin.

Corinthian had a corner repelled by Jakim Bernsden while Ian Stewart claimed for a stroke in the closing minutes but it was waved away as his shot went wide from close range.

Three Rock Rovers 3 (R Canning 2, E Jennings) Lisnagarvey 4 (J Lorimer 2, J Lynch, D Nelson)

Lisnagarvey moved another big step closer to retaining the men’s EY Hockey League as a strong start put them in position for this win over fourth placed Three Rock Rovers. They were 2-0 up in the first quarter from a quick strike from Daniel Nelson and a penalty corner just inside the left post from James Lorimer.

Evan Jennings finished off after the breakdown of a short corner to get the home side back into it, making 2-1 at half-time. Johnny Lynch restored the gap with a very well taken third for Garvey, controlling an in-field pass inside the Rovers half and powering a shot past Conor Quinn from the top of the circle.

Rovers again got one back thanks to a reverse-stick shot from Ross Canning as the hosts enjoyed a spell in command but were denied an equaliser by the outstretched James Milliken from a Harry Morris effort.

The last quarter was a tense affair as Garvey scored another short corner through Lorimer for 4-2 – making two from three corners. Rovers again got one back from a Canning stroke but Garvey held on for a deserved win, keeping them five points clear of second placed Banbridge but with two games in hand.

Pembroke 4 (A Sothern 2, G Chambers, J Ryan) Monkstown 4 (G Watkins 3, M Gibbons)

Alan Sothern scored twice in the last three minutes to earn a vital point for Pembroke that keeps them out of the relegation playoff place on goal difference, putting a dent in Monkstown’s title aspirations.

Pembroke had led in the first minute but a Gareth Watkins penalty stroke tied things up at 1-1 at quarter time. Simon Thornton’s heroics kept it that way and allowed the hosts to take the lead with Greg Chambers getting on the end of a great move for 2-1 just before half-time.

Monkstown, though, turned things around in quick succession in the third quarter when Watkins netted his second stroke in the 43rd minute and then completed his hat trick from play.

Mark Gibbons looked to have got the killer fourth goal with 10 minutes to go, making it 4-2. But Sothern is in a remarkable vein of form and he ran up his 15th and 16th goals in his last six games to make it a draw, the first an excellent effort from play, the next yet another stroke.

Glenanne 6 (R Shaw 2, J McCormack 2, S Boucher, S Ronan) Annadale 4 (R Burgess 3, D Tremlett)

Two goals in the last eight minutes saw Glenanne remarkably win 6-4 for the second week running to rise up to fifth place in the men’s EYHL table, eventually shaking off Annadale at St Andrew’s.

David Tremlett put Dale 1-0 up at quarter-time from play but a couple of quickfire goals from Richie Shaw swapped the lead by the 20th minute. Another flurry of Glens goals put them in what should have been cruise control by the 44th minute as Shannon Boucher and Johnny McCormack put them 4-1 up.

Ryan Burgess, however, promptly nailed a three-minute hat trick to level it at 4-4 with 16 minutes still to go before Glenanne steadied themselves with Stu Ronan and McCormack capitalising. After waiting four months for a win, it was their third three-pointer in succession.

UCD 1 (J Guilfoyle) Banbridge 2 (J Moffett 2)

Banbridge moved into second place on their own courtesy of Josh Moffett’s second half double at Belfield as the students woes continued with a fifth successive league defeat.

After a scoreless first half, Bann went in front in the third quarter and Moffett doubled up with three minutes to go. John Guilfoyle got one back for the students a minute late but too late to change the outcome of the contest.

For Bann, it made it 22 points from the last 24 available and coach Gordon Cracknell said it was a tough result to dig out.

“UCD were very good today and made it very difficult for us. We stuck at it and I think we got our just rewards in the end.

“We did start poorly [this season] but the team has really pulled together and are on a great run now. We’ve got to keep working at it and, if we do, we will be where we need to be. Unbeaten in Dublin this season and that is a big achievement.”

To that end, the adapted well with Alex Tinney and Sam Farson both out injured with schoolboys like twins Louis and Charlie Rowe featuring alongside their older brother Eddie.

For UCD’s Michael Styles he was frustrated not to get more from the tie, feeling they had their chances: “We’ve played really well today, defended really well and created so many chances. Three shots just hit their goalkeeper, we had one taken off the line – as a coach, you are annoyed to have lost but really proud of the effort and standard the lads played at. That’s the way things go.”

EYHL2

Men’s EY Hockey League Division 2 round-up

Cork C of I became the first men’s side to be guaranteed a place in the final four of the men’s EYHL Division 2, giving them the chance of bouncing straight back up to the national division.

They proved too strong for Instonians at Garryduff with John Jermyn’s hat trick proving pivotal in a 6-2. Jonny Bruton put C of I one up in the 11th minute before Chris Kirk’s penalty stroke levelled matters.

But the Cork side went on to score the next five goals with Jermyn and Bruton on the mark in the second quarter before Jermyn and Stephen Parker made it 5-1 by the end of the third quarter. Jermyn traded goals with William Robinson from corners to end it at 6-2.

The result opened the door for Railway Union to leap into second place in the group thanks to a 7-1 win at Avoca with Daragh Curley scoring three of them. They were in control from early on, leading 4-0 at half-time, and they never really looked back, rising to 13 points, two ahead of Inst who they play in the final round of group games on April 4th.

In Pool B, Julian Dale netted all four goals for Cork Harlequins in their 4-2 win over Kilkeel to move back to the top of the table after a hard-fought encounter. Kilkeel opened the scoring with a lovely David Finlay touch but Dale equalised from a stroke after a goalbound shot hit a player’s body.

Quins took the lead soon after via a Dale drag, the first of three. Eddie Agnew got a scrappy equaliser for Kilkeel after some pressure, the ball trickling over the line in the end.

But another Dale drag took the lead at 3-2 with eight minutes to go and while Kilkeel had two corners to try and equalise, they could not take them while Dale did take his chance.

Cookstown, meanwhile, got right back into the frame for a semi-final berth thanks to a 3-2 win over Clontarf. All the goals came in the first half; Paul Watt put the Co Tyrone side 1-0 up; Kevin Murray levelled and Ryan Millar made it 2-1 to the hosts with 15 minutes played.

John Mullins equalised for Tarf but Scott McCabe got what proved to be the killer blow in the last minute of the half. Clontarf stay in second place, however, by virtue of their losing bonus point from this game.

For both clubs, if they can record home wins on April 4th, they can go through to the semi-finals. Clontarf host Kilkeel while Cookstown meet Harlequins.

Men’s EYHL Division 2

Pool A: Avoca 1 (J Elmes) Railway Union 7 (D Curley 3, R Devlin, H Heisterkamp, M Fulham, F Keaveney); Cork C of I 6 (J Jermyn 3, J Bruton 2, S Parker) Instonians 2 (C Kirk, W Robinson)

Pool B: Cookstown 3 (P Watt, R Millar, S McCabe) Clontarf 2 (K Murray, J Mullins); Cork Harlequins 4 (J Dale 4) Kilkeel 2 (D Finlay, E Agnew)

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EYHL Men’s Round Up. 1st Mar 2020

The men’s EY Hockey League top of the table clash between Monkstown and Lisnagarvey fell victim of Storm Jorge as the game only lasted until half-time before the weather proved too challenging to continue.

At that stage, Town were 2-1 leaders and eyeing a first defeat of the season for Garvey but it was not to be and a refixed date will have to be found.

Four matches did survive the storm, meanwhile, with Banbridge, Three Rock Rovers, Glenanne and Pembroke all recording wins.

Bann had beaten YMCA 8-0 just a few weeks ago but the return date at Havelock Park was nowhere near as comfortable as the Y took the lead in just the second minute through Grant Glutz.

They held that advantage for the guts of an hour before the Co Down hosts ran up three goals in the last nine minutes with Jonny McKee getting a brace to make it 3-1.

Three Rock held off the challenge of Corinthian in the Marlay derby at Whitechurch Park to win 2-1, Harry Morris and Ben Walker getting in their goals in the first eight minutes before the weather deteriorated.

Glenanne won a goal-fest at Belfield against UCD 6-4 to make it two wins in a week for the Tallaght club. They edged into a 2-0 lead in the first quarter before the scoring went tit-for-tat with UCD pulling it back to 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4. Crucially, goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card with 10 minutes to go and Stu Ronan scored into an empty-net to seal the points.

Pembroke moved out of the relegation playoff place thanks to a 6-2 win over Annadale with Alan Sothern scoring four times. That increases his tally to 10 this season against Dale and makes it 14 goals in his last five games in the EYHL.

YMCA drop back down to ninth place as a result, eight points clear of bottom side Annadale who have seven games left to make up that deficit.

Men’s EY Hockey League day 12 results: Annadale 2 (A McAllister, D Tremlett) Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 4, A Burns, N Burns); Banbridge 3 (J McKee 2, Ph Brown) YMCA 1 (G Glutz); Corinthian 1 (R Clarke) Three Rock Rovers 2 (H Morris, B Walker); UCD 4 (I Styles, M Romoli, C Murphy, D Nolan) Glenanne 6 (B Venter, C Kennedy, S Boucher, J McCormack, G Shaw, S Ronan); Monkstown v Lisnagarvey abandoned at half-time

Next week’s fixtures

Saturday, March 7th: UCD v Banbridge, Belfield, 1pm; Glenanne v Annadale, St Andrew’s, 2.45pm; Three Rock Rovers v Lisnagarvey, Grange Road, 3pm; Pembroke v Monkstown, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm; YMCA v Glenanne, Wesley College, 4pm

Men’s EYHL day 12 reports

UCD 4 (I Styles, M Romoli, C Murphy, D Nolan) Glenanne 6 (B Venter, C Kennedy, S Boucher, J McCormack, G Shaw, S Ronan)

Glenanne won a goal-fest at Belfield to make it two wins in seven days, lifting them up to 14 points, while UCD are now on a streak of four successive losses. Brad Venter and Clive Kennedy combined to make it 2-0 before the end of the first quarter.

Iain Styles’ deflection reduced the gap in the 22nd minute only for Shannon Boucher to power home a penalty corner drag-flick soon after. It was 3-2 in the 26th minute via Matteo Romoli but Glenanne stayed in the clear at half-time when Johnny McCormack scored from another corner.

Cian Murphy nicked another one back early in the second half; again Glenanne replied with player-coach Gary Shaw on the mark to make it 5-3. That came in the 52nd minute but less than 60 seconds later, UCD won a stroke which David Nolan calmly scored to make it 5-4 going into the final quarter.

But hopes of salvaging a result were ended when goalkeeper Max Maguire was shown a yellow card and with no recognised replacement on the bench, Glenanne took full advantage with Stu Ronan hitting in what proved to be the clincher.

“We certainly made it difficult for ourselves and it was end to end,” said Glenanne skipper Brad Venter following the tie. “Any team could have taken it on the day; we built a good lead and they kept pegging us back but glad to get the win in the end.”

“It is a different season to last year but playoffs is still the target,” he added, comparing it to last year when the Glens were comfortably in the top four. “We had a bit of a slump toward the end of last season but glad to see we are taking our chances now and piling up a few points.”

For UCD coach Michael Styles, he felt his side was too susceptible to sucker-punches: “On the ball, we were very good and I thought we dominated a lot of play. Glenanne were very good on the counter-attack and they hit us quite a lot before the game turned into chaos in the last couple of minutes which put the final nail in our coffin.”

Banbridge 3 (J McKee 2, Ph Brown) YMCA 1 (G Glutz)

Three goals in the last nine minutes saw Banbridge pick up the points at home against YMCA after they trailed for almost an hour at Havelock Park. The tie was markedly different from their recent meeting which saw Bann cruise to an 8-0 victory but the complexion of the contest was defined by the early phases.

Grant Glutz’s second minute penalty corner goal put YM in front, a lead which they clung onto with goalkeeper Jakim Bernsden in cracking form to keep out chances from Jonny McKee, Eugene Magee and Philip Brown in the first quarter.

They went on to run up nine corners which were repelled by the YM defence until the 61st minute when McKee won a stroke which he duly converted to make it 1-1. It broke the YM resolve and Phil Brown then laid on a second for McKee within a minute and the win was complete with six minutes remaining when Owen Magee’s silky skills won a corner which Brown finally found the next from.

Corinthian 1 (R Clarke) Three Rock Rovers 2 (H Morris, B Walker)

Three Rock Rovers made it six games unbeaten as they got ahead before the worst of the weather kicked in at Whitechurch Park to beat Corinthian 2-1.

Harry Morris’s reverse-stick shot form the top of the D opened the scoring in the third minute and they were two to the good when Ben Walker finished off from close range. After that, conditions deteriorated badly, making fluid hockey difficult to come by.

Corinthian got back into it as a result of a rebound after a short corner from Robbie Clarke to make it 2-1 at half-time. The second half belonged to the home side where they had several short corners in a row but Conor Quinn and the Rovers defence held out. The combination of the weekend’s results means the top four – with Rovers in fourth – currently have seven points to spare over the chasers.

Annadale 2 (A McAllister, D Tremlett) Pembroke 6 (A Sothern 4, A Burns, N Burns)

Alan Sothern continued his latest run of remarkable goalscoring to 14 goals in his last five games for Pembroke – including 10 in two meetings against Annadale – to help his side earn a 6-2 win which lifts them out of the relegation playoff place.

He opened the scoring in the ninth minute from play before Adam McAllister equalised early in the second quarter. A second Sothern strike and an Alex Burns corner rebound, though, gave Pembroke breathing room at half-time at 3-1.

Sothern completed his hat trick in the 40th minute and while David Tremlett pulled another one back, there was time for Sothern to net his fourth goal and Nick Burns got in on the act in the final minute. The defeat leaves Dale eight points adrift of YMCA at the bottom.

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EYHL Women’s Round Up. 1st Mar 2020

Another dramatic week in the women’s EY Hockey League saw Loreto take up the reins at the top of the table from Old Alex after a weather-beaten schedule.Three midweek matches in Dublin all saw fine comebacks with Pembroke overcoming the concession of an early Anna O’Flanagan goal to beat Muckross 3-1 on Wednesday evening with Leah McGuire, Laura Noble and Claire Foley all scoring.A day later, Old Alex looked well set to extend their lead when Hannah McDermott’s double put them 2-0 up on UCD only for Edel Nyland and twins Niamh and Michelle Carey to score three goals in the space four minutes to nick a 3-2 win for the students.It gave Loreto the chance to return to the lead that night but they found themselves 2-1 down against Railway Union going into the final quarter. Three late goals, however, from Hayley Mulcahy, Hannah Matthews and Sarah Torrans swung the game Loreto’s way, 4-2.Saturday, meanwhile, saw Storm Jorge lead to the postponement of both Old Alex and Cork Harlequins’ meeting and that of Pembroke and Pegasus. UCD against Muckross was subsequently abandoned in the second quarter when high winds forced the goals off their moorings.It gave Loreto the chance to extend their lead at the head of the table but they found themselves being held to a 1-1 draw by a Roisin Upton-inspired Catholic Institute. She opened the scoring before Mulcahy equalised in the third quarter.Belfast Harlequins won their first game of the season at Deramore Park to reignite their chances of avoiding relegation, closing the gap on the side they beat, Railway Union, to two points. It came courtesy of Alex Kelly’s final second winner after a thrilling contest in which Quins led 2-0 and 3-2 only for Railway to level the game twice.

This week’s Women’s EY Hockey League results
Wednesday, February 26th: Muckross 1 (A O’Flanagan) Pembroke 3 (L McGuire, L Noble, C Foley)Thursday, February 27th: Old Alex 2 (H McDermott 2) UCD 3 (E Nyland, N Carey, M Carey); Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, J Long) Loreto 4 (S Twomey, H Mulcahy, H Matthews, S Torrans)

Saturday, February 29th : Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, C Weir, J Watt, A Kelly) Railway Union 3 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon); Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy) Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton); UCD v Muckross abandoned in second quarter
Postponed: Old Alex v Cork Harlequins, Pembroke Wanderers v Pegasus

Next weekend’s fixturesSaturday, March 7th: Pegasus v Loreto, Queen’s, 1pm; Pembroke v Cork Harlequins, Serpentine Avenue, 2pm; Old Alex v Catholic Institute, Milltown, 2.30pm; Railway Union v Muckross, Park Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Belfast Harlequins, Belfield, 2.50pmSunday, March 8th: Cork Harlequins v Muckross, Farmers’ Cross, 1.05pm; Catholic Institute v Railway Union, Rosbrien, 1.30pm; Pegasus v UCD, Queen’s, 1.30pm; Belfast Harlequins v Pembroke, 2.30pm; Loreto v Old Alex, Beaufort, 3pm

Extended match reports
Wednesday: Muckross 1 (A O’Flanagan) Pembroke 3 (L McGuire, L Noble, C Foley)Pembroke got back on the winning trail for the first time since November. Like the other midweek games, it featured a comeback as Anna O’Flanagan put Muckross in front but Pembroke turned things around to succeed 3-1.Leah McGuire equalised with her fourth goal since the turn of the year and Laura Noble made it 2-1 before half-time and they pushed on from there, Claire Foley closing out the results.Muckross were without recent Irish call-up Ellie McLoughlin due to a concussion return to play protocol with Rachel Barnett deputising. In her first game for 18 months, she saved a stroke.

Thursday: Old Alex 2 (H McDermott 2) UCD 3 (E Nyland, N Carey, M Carey)UCD produced a remarkable set of three goals in four minutes – between the 52nd and 56th minutes – to land a big win in Milltown which strengthened their place in the top four.Old Alex had taken the lead in the table last Saturday and looked well set to maintain that advantage on Thursday when a Hannah McDermott double put them two clear of UCD.But the students transformed a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win as they found the cutting-edge Miles Warren has been willing from them all season.McDermott got the only goal of the first half with a cracking touch to Deirdre Duke’s strike and they looked well in control when the forward guided in another from a penalty corner.UCD, though, were playing their part in a very good contest and the students were on the board via an absolute rocket from Edel Nyland just before the end of the third quarter. They were level when Sarah Patton’s great run down the line was taken on by Sarah Young who drove at goal and Niamh Carey nipped in to get the final touch. Her twin Michelle then went direct down the middle and struck for 3-2 with 14 minutes left.

Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, J Long) Loreto 4 (S Twomey, H Mulcahy, H Matthews, S Torrans)Top spot in the women’s EY Hockey League continues to be a hot potato as Loreto returned back above Old Alex and Pegasus on Thursday evening with a big come-from-behind win over Railway Union.They won 4-2 in the end thanks to three final quarter goals, denying Railway a third win of the campaign. Sara Twomey’s rebound from a corner switch move had given Loreto a 20th minute lead but Jenny Long tied things up by half-time with a deflection from a corner sweep.
And the Park Avenue hosts went in front three minutes into the second half when Lisa McCarthy picked out Martha McCready who beat a player before crossing into the path of Kate Lloyd who touched in.They carried that lead into the final quarter but another corner goal saw Loreto level, Hannah Matthews reverting the ball to injector Hayley Mulcahy to finish off. Matthews went direct for 3-2 in the 61st minute and, with Railway going without a keeper for the closing minutes, Sarah Torrans added a final hooter corner.

Saturday Belfast Harlequins 4 (L Geddes, C Weir, J Watt, A Kelly) Railway Union 3 (L Lloyd 2, K Dillon)Belfast Harlequins threw themselves a relegation lifeline after Alex Kelly’s dramatic last gasp goal secured them their first victory of the season.Railway Union went into the game five points better off than Quins, who remain at the bottom of the table, but have now closed the gap to just two although the Dubliners have played a game less.
It would have been a very different scenario had Harlequins not scored with the last play of the game when Kelly deflected home a penalty corner for the winner.
Now though, Phil Mills’s team have a fighting chance of avoiding automatic relegation from the top-flight for the first time.
The Quins coach declared: “It was a crucial win for us and we’ve everything to play for going forward with six games to turn things around, including the return fixture in Dublin.”
“We didn’t play our best hockey of the season and we were on the back foot for much of the second-half but the result was the most important thing.”
Harlequins broke the deadlock with a superb goal in the seventh minute, Lucy Geddes finishing clinically as she rounded the keeper before firing home after latching on to a great through ball from Julie Dennison. The home team doubled their advantage 11 minutes later when Claire Weir netted from a penalty corner deflection.
But Quins were rocked back on their heels when Railway fought back to equalise with two goals in the space of six minutes before the break. Lily Lloyd got them both, first netting from close-range after latching on to a cross from Sarah Hawkshaw and then adding a similar effort in the 29th minute.
The Leinster side went on to dominate possession for most of the second-half but were unable to add to their tally. Quins regained the lead in the 64th minute when Jenna Watt hammered in a set-piece but Railway levelled within 90 seconds as Kate Dillon netted a fine goal with a first time shot after being set up by Lily Lloyd.
Quins won two corners in quick succession as the clock ticked down and Kelly grabbed the all-important goal from the second award from Serena Barry’s assist and there wasn’t time to restart the game.

Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy) Catholic Institute 1 (R Upton)Catholic Institute picked up another handy point on the road as leaders Loreto extended their lead at the top but not to the fullest extent. Roisin Upton was immense for the Limerick side as she cleaned up a huge amount of ball from her sweeper role and she also opened the scoring when she whizzed in a drag-flick.It came in the sixth minute from a penalty corner from Insta’s first attack of note after Loreto had made the livelier start to the contest. The Beaufort side would go on to have plenty of chances in the first half with Institute doing a lot of defending.
They held out until the third quarter when Hayley Mulcahy fired home a beautiful reverse-stick shot to make it 1-1. Loreto had the greater chances to win it in the final quarter but they could not get their corner machine up and running.
Loreto lead by three points now but with a game extra played than nearest rivals Old Alex and Pegasus, both of whom saw their Saturday fixtures postponed due to the weather. Insta edge above Muckross into seventh place.

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EYHL Women’s Round Up. 23rd Feb 2020

For a third week running, there is a different club on top of the women’s EY Hockey League which continues to throw up dramatic twists and turns.

Old Alex are the side leading the way now on goal difference following their hard-fought 2-0 win over Muckross in Milltown as penalty corner goals from Jeamie Deacon and Millie O’Donnell forged their path to victory.

It means they have 16 points from the last 18 available and sees them jump above Pegasus and Loreto who both dropped points over the weekend.

Performance of the round came in Limerick where Catholic Institute dominated their tie against Pegs to beat the Ulster side for the first time in their 110-year history, running out 4-2 victors.

They had most of the play in the first half but went in level at 1-1 but a scoring spree from Laura Foley, Roisin Upton and Naomi Carroll saw them burst into a 4-1 lead which they saw out.

Insta remain in eighth place but have put daylight between themselves and the relegation playoff place as a result.

UCD and Loreto traded first half goals between Sarah Young and Hannah Matthews to draw their meeting at Belfield 1-1. It leaves Loreto in third place, one point off the leaders, and UCD stay in fourth spot six points back.

Cork Harlequins, meanwhile, continued their excellent run since Christmas with a third win out of four to transform their fortunes from a perilous position to a playoff pursuit.

They trailed to Jenna Watt’s early goal but strikes from Michelle Barry and Emily O’Leary turned things around in the second half for a 2-1 win over Belfast Harlequins.

Railway Union’s date with Pembroke was postponed due to the former being in Portugal to contest the EuroHockey Indoor Challenge I. Pembroke will play on Wednesday night against Muckross while there are two matches on Thursday – Dublin derbies between Old Alex and UCD along with Railway Union against Loreto.

EYHL Division 1: Catholic Institute 4 (C O’Shea, L Foley, R Upton, N Carroll) Pegasus 2 (E Armstrong, T Doherty); Cork Harlequins 2 (M Barry, E O’Leary) Belfast Harlequins 1 (J Watt); Old Alex 2 (J Deacon, M O’Donnell) Muckross 0; UCD 1 (S Young) Loreto 1 (H Matthews)

This week’s fixtures:

Wednesday, February 26: Muckross v Pembroke, Muckross Park, 8pm

Thursday, February 27: Old Alex v UCD, Milltown, 7.45pm; Railway Union v Loreto, Park Avenue, 8.30pm

Saturday, February 28: Loreto v Catholic Institute, Beaufort, 1.15pm; Belfast Harlequins v Railway Union, Deramore Park, 2.30pm; Old Alex v Cork Harlequins, Milltown, 2.30pm; Pembroke v Pegasus, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Muckross, Belfield, 2.50pm

Women’s EYHL – day 11 match reports

Old Alex 2 (J Deacon, M O’Donnell) Muckross 0

Old Alex became the third different leader of the women’s EY Hockey League in 2020 as they made it 16 points out of the last 18 available, putting them ahead of Pegasus on goal difference.

Alex were on top in the early stages, winning a couple of corners as Nikki Evans, Orna Bools and Deirdre Duke offered a threat while Emile Ryan Doyle and Audrey O’Flynn impressed at the back.

Jeamie Deacon put them in front from a third corner, Millie O’Donnell’s disguised pass finding the touch for 1-0. Muckross came more into in the third quarter with a rocket shot from Anna O’Flanagan blocked at Pam Smithwick at point blank range.

She also dealt with Sarah McAuley’s disguised shot before O’Donnell got the crucial second goal with less than four minutes to go with a cool finish. It came from a mistrapped corner which she took on, spinning around the first runner and slapped in.

Smithwick kept her clean sheet with a fine stop from Jessica McGirr to maintain the 2-0 lead.

Catholic Institute 4 (C O’Shea, L Foley, R Upton, N Carroll) Pegasus 2 (E Armstrong, T Doherty)

Catholic Institute continued their super run of form to beat the league leaders Pegasus for the first time in the club’s 110-year history, adding to their excellent run of seven points from the last nine available.

Both sides were down personnel with Shirley McCay sustaining a couple of broken toes last week – though she is due to return soon – while youth internationals Niamh McIvor, Charlotte Beggs (both Pegasus) and Sarah Fitzgerald (Insta) rested after their weeks’ exertions.

Christine O’Shea put the Limerick side 1-0 up in the 12th minute but Ella Armstrong replied soon after for the Ulster side; it remained 1-1 through to half time despite non-stop pressure from the hosts.

But they went back in front a minute into the second half when Laura Foley forced home from a barrage of shots, Megan Todd saving twice before the ball the forward’s way. Roisin Upton made it 3-1 five minutes later for an imposing advantage and the win was made safe from the moment of the day.

Naomi Carroll got on the end of some quick passing to lift the ball out of a few tackles with some neat 3D skills and then clipped home with an upright reverse-stick shot. Taite Doherty pulled one back with five minutes left but Insta had their win.

Cork Harlequins 2 (M Barry, E O’Leary) Belfast Harlequins 1 (J Watt)

Cork won the battle of the Harlequins to make it four wins from their last five games, moving them level with fifth placed Pembroke having been in the relegation playoff spot before this recent run.

They trailed early on to a Jenna Watt goal and it might have been worse in the second quarter but they survived rhe concession of a penalty stroke which Watt was unable to convert.

Belfast were the side in the ascendancy, playing some strong hockey while Cork looked dangerous on the counter and they got level from that route. Belfast had a couple of corners only for the hosts to race out of defence to set up Michelle Barry to whip home the equaliser in the 40th minute.

And in a dramatic last six minutes, Barry was shown a yellow card but her side managed to get the winner from a penalty corner courtesy of Emily O’Leary.

UCD 1 (S Young) Loreto 1 (H Matthews)

UCD and Loreto shared the spoils to leave them in fourth and third place, respectively, after their high octane draw at Belfield. Sarah Young put the students in front in the 22nd minute of a fairly tight first half with few chances.

But Loreto were back on terms on the half hour when Hannah Matthews slotted a penalty stroke and while the students had the best of the second half openings, a Niamh Carey shot flashed wide while the Beaufort side’s corner defence held firm to keep the game level.

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EYHL Men’s Round Up. 23rd Feb 2020

YMCA produced a cracking second half performance to move out of the relegation playoff spot as they beat fifth place UCD 4-0 on Saturday, boosting their chances of staying up.

After a scoreless first half, Ross Henderson netted either side of a Grant Glutz reverse-stick goal before Eric Prehn completed the rout.

The result lifted them above Pembroke who fell 3-2 to Glenanne on a tough day for the Serpentine Avenue club. The game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Ken Treacy who passed away on Thursday in Beaumont Hospital at the age of 37 – he was a member of Pembroke’s all-conquering teams of the 2000s.

On the field, the Glens built a 3-0 lead through Stephen Brownlow, Brad Venter and Stu Ronan before two late Alan Sothern goals cut the deficit.

Three Rock Rovers recorded four points from their two games over the weekend. On Saturday, they drew 2-2 with Banbridge in a game of contrasting halves – Rovers led 2-0 at the break through James Kyriakides and Mitch Darling but Bann stormed back through brothers Philip and Peter Brown for the draw.

On Sunday, Darling struck again with five minutes to go to win a nail-biter at Belfield 2-1 after Guy Sarratt and Ross Canning traded first half goals. The result has Rovers four points clear of UCD in fourth place in the chase for EY Champions Trophy spots.

Monkstown, meanwhile, fought back from a first minute concession to beat Corinthian 5-1 and cut the gap to Lisnagarvey to five points at the top. The reds went 1-0 up via Calum Adair but Rory Nichols and Davy Carson swapped the lead before the end of the first quarter and second half goals from Geoff Cole, Carson and Andrew Fogarty made the game safe.

Garvey and Annadale’s top versus bottom match was postponed until March 28.

Men’s EYHL Division 1 – day 11 results

Saturday: Glenanne 3 (S Brownlow, B Venter, S Ronan) Pembroke Wanderers 2 (A Sothern 2); Monkstown 5 (D Carson 2, R Nichols, G Cole, A Fogarty) Corinthian 1 (C Adair); Three Rock Rovers 2 (J Kyriakides, M Darling) Banbridge 2 (Philip Brown, Peter Brown); YMCA 4 (R Henderson 2, G Glutz, E Prehn) UCD 0

Sunday: UCD 1 (G Sarratt) Three Rock Rovers 2 (R Canning, M Darling)

Next week’s fixtures – Saturday, February 29: UCD v Glenanne, Belfield, 1pm; Corinthian v Three Rock Rovers, Whitechurch Park, 2pm; Banbridge v YMCA, Havelock Park, 2.45pm; Annadale v Pembroke, Strathearn, 4pm; Monkstown v Lisnagarvey, ALD Merrion Fleet Arena, 4.15pm

Men’s EYHL – Day 11 extended reports

Saturday

Glenanne 3 (S Brownlow, B Venter, S Ronan) Pembroke Wanderers 2 (A Sothern 2)

Glenanne picked up their first win since early October with a 3-2 success at St Andrew’s in a match preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of Ken Treacy, a stalwart of Pembroke’s golden generation of the 2000s.

Stephen Brownlow opened the scoring with a low drag-flick and it was 2-0 at half-time following a lovely interchange between Jonny McCormack and Brad Venter ended with the latter blasting a rising shot into the top right corner.

Another classy move down the right wing between McCormack and Brownlow ended with Stu Ronan flicking home amid the scattered Pembroke defence for 3-0 early in the second half.

Alan Sothern got one back with a brilliant first time backhand volley, keeping his eye on the ball after a few flailing sticks missed out on a bouncing ball. Sothern then added a drag-flick to cut the gap to 3-2 but they drop to ninth place in the table while the Glens move up to seventh overall.

YMCA 4 (R Henderson 2, G Glutz, E Prehn) UCD 0

YMCA’s stunning second half show saw them leap out of ninth place above Pembroke as Ross Henderson grabbed a double for the Ballinteer outfit. The first half was scoreless with the teams exchanging penalty corners but the goals started to flow in the second half with Henderson providing an immaculate finish for 1-0.

Grant Glutz’s reverse made it two and they were flying high when Henderson got on the end of some great build-up play from Sam Hyland. Eric Prehn then defied gravity to score his first of the season from close to the baseline for the fourth in the closing minutes.

Monkstown 5 (D Carson 2, R Nichols, G Cole, A Fogarty) Corinthian 1 (C Adair)

Monkstown came back from a goal down to beat Corinthian 5-1 at the ALD Merrion Fleet Arena, cutting Lisnagarvey’s lead at the top back to five points, albeit with a game extra played.

Calum Adair netted for the reds in the first minute when Peter Caruth took a quick free which the teenager controlled before hitting home into the backboard. Town were level in the ninth minute thanks to a Rory Nichols drag-flick.

And it was 2-1 before the end of the first quarter with some pretty impressive skills and touches from Davy Carson put him in position to lob the ball over Charlie Henderson. The second quarter remained scoreless before Town ran riot in the second half. Ross Quirke was fed by Karl Lynch whose quick pass was lifted over a stick by Geoff Cole and then hit into the backboard.

Andrew Fogarty made it 4-1 in the 51st minute with a lovely spin and turn in front of goal and the scoring was complete with five minutes left when Keith Kenning took the ball down impressively and passed to Gareth Watkins. A lovely run down the right ended with a pass to a diving Quirke who crossed for Carson to finish with a clever touch.

Three Rock Rovers 2 (J Kyriakides, M Darling) Banbridge 2 (Philip Brown, Peter Brown)

Two wildly contrasting halves of hockey ended up with a probably deserved share of the spoils with both sides leaving Grange Road with a few regrets.

Just days after announcing his international retirement, Bann’s Eugene Magee said his side need to find the happy medium between structure and throwing caution to the wind after a timid first half saw them on the back foot.

“It is about that balance; we perhaps lacked the latter in the first half but gained a bit in the second half and had our chances to win the game but it wasn’t to be.”

Three Rock coach Elun Hack agreed to an extant: “Each team won one half and a draw is a fair reflection. Frustrating because the first half we were good at executing our game plan; we have identified areas we need to improve and the first half we were very good and difficult to break down.

“The second half we deviated from the game plan and paid the price. Banbridge are obviously a quality outfit so to go 2-0 up was a big positive but the draw is disappointing.”

Three Rock bossed the first half with Bann keeping out a couple of corners before James Kyriakides put the hosts on the board from a heavily deflected shot after Mitch Darling’s driving run spread the defence.

Darling then made it 2-0 with a solo second, taking a free quickly, going parallel to the circle before unleashing a backhand to the bottom corner.

Bann created next to nothing in that half but, with a much more aggressive press in the second half, they came to the party in a big way in the second half. Philip Brown slammed in a corner in the 39th minute from their first shot in earnest.

His chance to repeat the trick three minutes later was charged down brilliantly by Ben Walker, something which became a feature as the half went on with David Kane and Harry Morris also shutting out corners with the full face of their sticks.

The equaliser was not long in coming, though, as an overload down the right saw the ball worked into the centre to Peter Brown – who is enjoying life this term in the forward line – and he wriggled this way and that to evade Jody Hosking’s tackle and squeezed in a shot.

Bann were rampant and the third quarter time break was a relief for Rovers who steadied and they almost nicked in front when Walker deflected, first time, a long overhead just wide. Banbridge had a couple of corners but the defence was rigid and it stayed at 2-2.

Sunday: UCD 1 (G Sarratt) Three Rock Rovers 2 (R Canning, M Darling)

Three Rock Rovers came from a goal down to beat UCD and develop a four point gap between the sides in the chase for EY Champions Trophy places. The students went in front thanks to a Guy Sarratt drag-flick in the 25th minute but the lead only lasted a short while as Ross Canning got a running deflection from an excellent cross by David Kane.

That left it at 1-1 at half-time while the third quarter was largely spent swapping cards. Mitch Darling then cracked home his second of the weekend from the top of the circle to make it 2-1 with five minutes to go.

UCD had a couple of corners to make a difference but Ben Walker’s running number one and Conor Quinn in goal combined to keep them out. Conor Empey impressed for the students in an effective attacking role but Jody Hosking and James Kyriakides were solid in defensive roles for Rovers. It was UCD’s third successive defeat as they struggle to regain the momentum from the first half of the season.

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Men’s EYHL Weekend Round-Up 16 February 2020

Lisnagarvey’s lead at the top of the men’s EY Hockey League stretched out to eight points after their comfortable 5-2 win over Pembroke and Banbridge’s 4-3 success over Monkstown.

For Garvey, Andy Williamson’s hat trick of penalty corner goals made the difference as he put them on the board early in the game. Johnny Lynch added to that before Alan Sothern – who ended the game with 10 goals in four games – got one back but two more from Williamson and one from Daniel Nelson put them out of sight.

That put their lead at eight points on Saturday evening and Monkstown were unable to make any inroads on Sunday as Banbridge’s great start proved just about enough for victory.

They built a 3-1 lead in the first quarter with Philip Brown flicking in two corners to add to Josh Moffett’s goal inside the first 30 seconds.

Owen Magee banged in another for a 4-1 lead with 10 minutes to go before Geoff Cole and Rory Nichols set the nerves jangling but Bann held on for a fifth win in a row.

Corinthian were the other side to register a win as Ian Stewart, Glennn Holmes and Andrew Sutton scored in a 3-1 win at bottom side Annadale.

That success puts them within two points of the top four thanks to seven points from the nine available thus far in 2020.

Glenanne’s date with YMCA was abandoned in the third quarter due to a waterlogged pitch with the score locked at 0-0.

In EYHL2, Cork C of I were moments away from earning a guaranteed semi-final spot with two games to go but had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Railway Union. They remain top of the group with Inst moving into second place courtesy of an 8-1 win over Avoca.

In Pool B, Clontarf jumped up into top spot with a 5-0 win over previous leaders Cork Harlequins. Quins remain in second, though, due to Cookstown’s 5-3 loss to Kilkeel.

Weekend results
EYHL Division 1: Annadale 1 (W Aston) Corinthian 3 (I Stewart, G Holmes, A Sutton); Pembroke 2 (A Sothern 2) Lisnagarvey 5 (A Williamson 3, D Nelson, J Lynch); Banbridge 4 (B McCandless 2, J Moffett, O Magee) Monkstown 3 (G Watkins, G Cole, R Nichols); Glenanne v YMCA – match abandoned at 0-0 in third quarter

EYHL Division 2 – Pool A: Instonians 8 (S Kelso 2, S Hamill, M Watt, Brown, C Kirk, W Robinson, B Palmer) Avoca 1 (H Fowler-Hudson); Railway Union 2 (M McKenzie, M Fulham) Cork C of I 2 (J Jermyn 2)

Pool B: Clontarf 5 (D Keuter 2, J Edmonds, K Mullins, K Murray) Cork Harlequins 0; Kilkeel 5 (D Finlay, E Agnew, J Finlay, M Henning, D Rae) Cookstown 3 (S Smith, S McCabe, R Miller)

Next week’s men’s EYHL fixtures

Saturday, February 22nd: Glenanne v Pembroke, St Andrew’s, 2.45pm; Monkstown v Corinthian, ALD Merrion Fleet Arena, 2.30pm; Three Rock Rovers v Banbridge, Grange Road, 1.30pm; YMCA v UCD, Wesley College, 2.15pm

Sunday, February 23: UCD v Three Rock Rovers, Belfield, 1.30pm

Men’s EY Hockey League – day 10 extended reports

Saturday: Pembroke 2 (A Sothern 2) Lisnagarvey 5 (A Williamson 3, D Nelson, J Lynch)

Lisnagarvey ended the weekend eight points clear as Andy Williamson’s hat trick helped them to a 5-2 win over Pembroke at Serpentine Avenue. They raced into an early 2-0 lead with Williamson’s drag-flick soon followed up by Johnny Lynch’s great solo run from halfway, riding a few tackles before finishing off.

Pembroke were in the ascendancy after that but could not make any inroads when Garvey were reduced to 10 men for 10 minutes before the game settled into a midfield battle leading up to half-time.

Alan Sothern halved the deficit early in the second half but Daniel Nelson’s rocket to the roof of the goal put Garvey back in the clear and a second Williamson corner made it 4-1. He completed his treble in the final quarter where Sothern also netted what was his 10th goal in four games but it proved to no avail.

Annadale 1 (W Aston) Corinthian 3 (I Stewart, G Holmes, A Sutton)

Corinthian closed the gap to the top four playoff places with a comfortable win at Strathearn over bottom side Annadale as their good run of form continues, making it seven points out of nine in 2020.

Ian Stewart put them in front after just three minutes before Glenn Holmes rolled back the years for 2-0 at the end of the first half. Andrew Sutton fired in a cracking third and while Will Aston nicked one back on three-quarter time, the Whitechurch reds were well on course to their fourth win of the season.

Glenanne v YMCA – match abandoned at 0-0 in third quarter

Glenanne and YMCA’s tie at St Andrew’s was abandoned with the score at 0-0 in the third quarter due a water-logged pitch. A new date for the refixed game which will be played in its entirety will now be sought.

Sunday: Banbridge 4 (B McCandless 2, J Moffett, O Magee) Monkstown 3 (G Watkins, G Cole, R Nichols)

Banbridge made it fives on the bounce – scoring 31 goals in the process – with a 4-3 win over second-plaved Monkstown, surviving a late fright after they had built an imposing lead.

Josh Moffett made it 1-0 after just 30 seconds before Philip Brown pushed in a penalty corner for 2-0. Town had already threatened with Luke Roleston making a series of key saves before the Dubliners got one back from a mistake in defence, Gareth Watkins the recipient for 2-1 in the 14th minute.

But another Brown corner goal extended the lead again to 3-1 which they held through to half-time and throughout the third quarter. Owen Magee seemingly made the game safe when he drilled into the bottom corner with 10 minutes left but corner goals from Geoff Cole and Rory Nichols trimmed the gap to 4-3 with time running out. Bann held on and their winning streak remains in tact as they sit in third place on their own now.

EYHL Division 2 round-up

Cork C of I were within moments of copper-fastening a semi-final date only for Michael Fulham’s late goal to earn Railway Union a 2-2 draw in Pool A of the men’s EYHL Division 2.

John Jermyn’s pair of penalty corners had C of I on course for a fourth successive win in the group but Fulham popped up with a corner goal in the last two minutes to level the game. It leaves C of I needing a draw from either of their final two games but they could still qualify without that should other results pan out in their favour.

Elsewhere, Instonians eased by the challenge of Avoca with seven different scorers on the list against Avoca 8-1 at Shaw’s Bridge. Inst move into second place on their own, three points back from C of I but two clear of Railway. Avoca are eliminated as a result.

In Pool B, Clontarf are now in pole position after they jumped from third to first place in the group with a 5-0 win over Cork Harlequins. Jordan Edmonds set them on their way when he turned over the ball, dribbled to the edge of the D and unleashed a powerful shot for 1-0.

A Davyn Keuter drag-flick and a Kevin Mullins reverse made it 3-0 before half-time in the midst of some torrential rain which necessitated an extended half-time break with excess water cleared by volunteers at Mount Temple.

Keuter got the fourth goal before Kevin Murray finished off a lovely attacking move along the baseline. The bulls go up to 11 points, one ahead of Harlequins who remain in the playoff spots after Kilkeel got a surprise win against Cookstown 5-3.

The two Ulster sides are now on seven points with a gap to try and close.

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Women’s EYHL & EYHL2 Round-Up 16 February 2020

All five of the women’s EY Hockey League Division 1 ties defied the weather to serve up a series of close-run battles with Pegasus moving back out on their own at the top of the table.

They backed up their midweek 2-1 win over Belfast Harlequins to beat Railway Union on the same scoreline at Queen’s with Lucy McKee scoring on the double.

She gave her side the lead before Kate Lloyd equalised in cracking style but McKee provided the defining moment in the second half.

Loreto, meanwhile, were held to a 1-1 draw by Pembroke at Beaufort despite Nicci Daly making a scoring-return to the side. She cancelled out fellow international Gillian Pinder’s goal as they end the week two points off Pegasus but with a game in hand.

Old Alex’s winning streak continued as they showed a clinical edge to beat Belfast Harlequins 2-1. They were two goals up via Millie O’Donnell and Jeamie Deacon before Linzi Hamilton scored on the final hooter to reduce the gap but not change the outcome. They are three points off the lead but also have a game in hand.

Munster sides Catholic Institute and Cork Harlequins both recorded big wins in Dublin as they raided Muckross and UCD, respectively.

After a scoreless first half, Insta went 1-0 up via Laura Foley only for Sarah McAuley to level matters but Naomi Carroll just got enough on her shot to make it 2-1, lifting them up to eighth place.

Yvonne O’Byrne got the only goal at Belfield for Cork Harlequins with a penalty corner deflection in the second quarter for a 1-0 win over UCD who enjoyed plenty of the play but did not have the killer touch.

In EYHL Division 2, Corinthian became the first side to qualify for the semi-finals with their sixth successive win – a 5-1 defeat of NUIG – putting them in the clear. Chasers Lurgan and Trinity drew 1-1, leaving them both 10 points back; the latter have the advantage of an extra game still to play. Both games in Pool B were cancelled due to the weather.

EYHL Division 1: Belfast Harlequins 1 (L Hamilton) Old Alexandra 2 (M O’Donnell, J Deacon); Loreto 1 (N Daly) Pembroke 1 (G Pinder); Muckross 1 (S McAuley) Catholic Institute 2 (L Foley, N Carroll); Pegasus 2 (L McKee 2) Railway Union 1 (K Lloyd); UCD 0 Cork Harlequins 1 (Y O’Byrne)

EYHL Division 2 – Pool A: Corinthian 5 (A Kinlan, N Torrans, J Douglas, J McGrane, N Walsh) NUIG 1 (S Minihan); Lurgan 1 (J Morrow) Trinity 1 (A Long)

Pool B: UCC v Ards; Greenfields v Monkstown – both postponed due to Storm Dennis

Next week’s fixtures – Saturday, February 22: Catholic Institute v Pegasus, Rosbrien, 1pm; Cork Harlequins v Belfast Harlequins, Farmers’ Cross, 1.05pm; Old Alex v Muckross, Milltown, 1.30pm; Pembroke v Railway Union, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Loreto, Belfield, 2.50pm

Women’s EYHL Division 1 – extended reports

Belfast Harlequins 1 (L Hamilton) Old Alexandra 2 (M O’Donnell, J Deacon)

At Deramore, Harlequins had the bulk of the possession and scoring chances but Old Alex showed the more clinical touch in front of goal.

Almost immediately after Serena Barr had a ‘goal’ disallowed from a penalty corner, Alex went ahead in the 17th minute when Millie O’Donnell fired home another set-piece with a direct shot.

Four minutes from half-time, the Dublin side made it 2-0, Jamie Deacon deflecting a cross from Pia Diepman high into the net for a brilliant goal. The second-half belonged to Harlequins and Jenna Watt, Barr and Claire Weir all had efforts saved by Alex keeper Carolyn Crampton in the early stages.

Quins then missed a glorious opportunity to reduce the arrears as they failed to convert a two-on-one breakaway, Watt’s shot being stopped by Crampton in the 55th minute and Weir’s follow-up suffering a similar fate.

Two minutes later, Watt’s frustration was clear to see when the Alex keeper raced off her line to deny her again from a penalty corner switch back to the injector. Irish international Nikki Evans fired wide on her backhand three minutes later following a lovely counter attack after being set up by Deirdre Duke and Isabella Dunlop.

Quins finally got on the scoresheet with the last play of the game when Lizzie Colvin’s shot took a Linzi Hamilton deflection at a set-piece but it was too little, too late.

UCD 0 Cork Harlequins 1 (Y O’Byrne)

Yvonne O’Byrne’s single goal from a penalty corner deflection saw Cork Harlequins grab their second win of 2020 as they defended superbly to keep UCD scoreless at Belfield.

They managed to stay level in the first quarter as Niamh Carey, Abbie Russell and Lena Tice all went close but it was the visitors who took the initiative in the second quarter. And when the students’ corner team was reduced in numbers for breaking the line early, Harlequins played a clever corner move which O’Byrne guided in for the game’s only goal.

UCD returned to the ascendancy in the third quarter as they camped in Harlequins’ half for long portions but could not find a way through the defences of Kate Murphy and her defensive team.

Loreto 1 (N Daly) Pembroke1 (G Pinder)

Loreto and Pembroke shared the spoils to see the former drop off top spot – albeit with a game in hand – following their tie at a rain-soaked Beaufort. Pembroke started strong, winning a trio of penalty corners as they edged the first quarter but all were well defended.

The Ballsbridge side, though, did go in front a couple of minutes into the second quarter with Gillian Pinder on the mark from play. The advantage did not last long, however, as Nicci Daly – back after a lengthy break – made an instant impact when she finished off from a lovely lay-off from Siofra O’Brien.

Liz Murphy’s defence remained busy in the second half, clearing a chance off the line as both teams had their moments. Ali Meeke and Sarah Torrans went close in the closing quarter but Pembroke had their point, making it four out of six against the Beaufort side this term.

Muckross 1 (S McAuley) Catholic Institute 2 (L Foley, N Carroll)

Catholic Institute moved out of the relegation playoff place with what could prove a vitally important away win at Muckross in a howling gale on Marlborough Road as tough conditions made free-flowing hockey difficult at times.

After a scoreless first half, the game burst into life in the third quarter after an excellent finish by Laura Foley who hopped in front of her marker to get a stick to a Rosie Pratt pass. The quality of the move and finish saw the ball fly into the top corner, something which was required to beat Ellie McLoughlin who was in exceptional form.

Muckross levelled quickly from a Sarah McAuley effort from a penalty corner but the Limerick side got back in front when Roisin Begley – one of the game’s star performers – crossed from the left to Leah Clery whose backhand pass found Naomi Carroll. She rounded McLoughlin and her shot was credited as the final touch – it was hard to establish whether it had crossed the line but Foley followed up from close range to make sure.

Pegasus 2 (L McKee 2) Railway Union 1 (K Lloyd)

Pegasus returned to the top of the women’s EYHL table as they found the best part of an otherwise miserable day weather-wise to grind out a 2-1 win over Railway Union.

Pegasus were quicker to settle into their rhythm, dominating the first quarter. They won two penalty corners in the first five minutes, converting the second one via a Lucy McKee deflection. Railway replied almost immediately, intercepting a loose pass and countering to great affect with a well taken reverse by Kate Lloyd.

Railway played well in the second quarter and had chances to take the lead, but some squandered chances and some excellent work by the Pegasus goalkeeper Megan Todd, meant that the scores were level at half time.

During the third quarter, McKee rocketed the ball into the roof of the net giving Pegasus a 2-1 lead and allowing the home team to control the final quarter despite Railway going to 11 outfield players for the final seven minutes.

During that time, there was one worrying moment for Pegs when Railway’s final short corner struck the backboard; however, after consultation, the umpires agreed the initial shot was too high and the score remained 2-1 to Pegasus.

EYHL Division 2 round-up

Corinthian became the first team to confirm their place in the semi-finals of EYHL Division 2 as they ran up their sixth successive win in Pool A, beating NUIG 5-1.

Amber Kinlan put them in pole position from the outset with a second minute goal and she then helped created another for Nicola Torrans at the back post for a 2-0 lead.

NUIG pulled one back via Sinead Minihan before the end of the first quarter but the buffer was back in place when Cilia Holderman assisted Jodie Douglas for 3-1 at half-time. Jessica McGrane finished between her legs for goal four and Niamh Walsh completed the win from a tight angle in the final quarter.

Chasers Lurgan and Trinity, meanwhile, shared a 1-1 draw which leaves them both 10 points back. After initial Lurgan pressure, it was Trinity who went in front in the second quarter via Ailish Long before Julie Morrow equalised soon after half-time.

And the Ulster side hung on to parity in the closing minutes when they survived four penalty corners for Trinity. Lurgan have the edge on goal difference in the battle for the second place in the group but have played an extra game which could be vital.

Both games in Pool B were postponed due to Storm Dennis with UCC against Ards and Greenfields’ tie with Monkstown succumbing to the weather.

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EY Continues Support for Hockey Ireland League

Monday 16 September 2019

EY Ireland announced it will continue its sponsorship of Hockey Ireland’s highest level of domestic competition – the EY Hockey League – for a further three years.

Speaking at the launch, Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner for EY Ireland, said: “We are proud to continue our support all of the amazing men and women of this sport, and we look forward to celebrating their continued success this year in both the EY Hockey League and the EY Hockey League Division 2. The all-island sport provides men and women the opportunity to build high performance teams, and develop and enhance their skills, as they compete at such a high level throughout the year. When it comes to leadership, dedication and developing winning strategies, there is a great deal to learn from such high calibre athletes.” 

 

Covering all four provinces, the all-island EY Hockey League (EYHL) will see Ireland’s top ten male and top ten female clubs battle it out to become league champions over 18 weeks of exciting, fast-paced hockey.

The sponsorship will also support the EY Hockey League Division 2 (EYHL2), which currently boasts eight men’s teams and ten women’s teams, the winners of which will progress to the EYHL for the following season.

The EYHL and EYHL2 showcase some of Ireland’s top players, with a notable number of Ireland’s international female players returning from European Clubs this year, taking up player/coach roles within EYHL clubs.

Jerome Pels, CEO of Hockey Ireland, said “We are delighted to have the continued support of EY as the sponsor of the League. Their support is invaluable to us in assisting with the organisation and promotion of the EY Hockey League, its high quality of matches, and ensuring clubs across the island are able to compete at the highest levels.”

The first round of the Men’s EYHL gets underway this weekend on the 21st of September, while the Women’s EYHL returns to action in November after the Olympic qualifiers for Toyko 2020. Seen as an integral part of Hockey Ireland’s athlete development, the EYHL provides an opportunity to further develop high performance players for the challenge of international hockey.

The EYHL2 matches take to the pitch in mid-October with the eight men’s and ten women’s teams all vying for promotion to the EYHL for the following season.

The EYHL launch took place at the UCD National Hockey Stadium, home to both UCD’s men’s and women’s squad. The women’s team finished in a competitive third position in last year’s league, while the men succeed in gaining promotion from EYHL2.

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