Hockey Ireland Domestic Weekend Results Round-Up – Friday March 15 and Saturday March 16
FRIDAY MARCH 15TH 2024
EY HOCKEY LEAGUE WOMEN’S DIVISION 2 POOL A
AVOCA 2 KILKENNY 2
Avoca, who lost out on winning the Leinster Women’s Division 1 title on Tuesday last losing to eventual champions Muckross, faced into a must win match on this occasion against Kilkenny on Friday night. Finishing 2nd in the Leinster Women’s Division 1 may not be enough to secure a place in the 2024/25 EYHL 2 if Monkstown and Corinthians both get relegated from the Women’s EYHL Division 1. Both clubs before this game started, occupied places 9 and 10 in the top Division which of course are automatic relegation spots. As there are only 3 guaranteed places for Leinster Division 1 sides in next season’s competition two of these would be occupied, as things stand, by two current members of the EYHL Division 1 namely Monkstown and Corinthians. This meant that Avoca needed to win the EYHL 2 or at least reach the final to have any chance of getting promoted in the next two years, assuming Monkstown do not avoid relegation.
To be fair to the home side they did get off to a good early start and took the lead through a Sorcha McCooey goal from open play in the 9th minute. Avoca were awarded a penalty stroke and captain Anna Richardson made no mistake in the 27th minute to give Avoca a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead in the 27th minute. Just before half time Kilkenny got on the scoresheet through captain Paula Farrell who converted a penalty corner in the 33rd minute to leave the half time score 2-1 to Avoca. Niamh Spratt-O’Shea converted a penalty corner to give the Marble City side an equalising goal in the 47th minute and that turned out to be the final score Avoca 2 Kilkenny 2.
SATURDAY MARCH 16TH 2024
GREENFIELDS 2 CORK HARLEQUINS 5
Yvonne O’Byrne opened her account for Cork Harlequins in this EYHL Women’s Division 2 Pool A clash at Dangan, in the 16th minute with a goal from open play. Greenfields equalised when Zara O’Toole scored from open play in the 20th minute to make the score 1-1. Yvonne O’Byrne added a second from a converted penalty corner in the 27th minute to restore Harlequins lead 2-1. She added a third from open play in the 33rd minute and a fourth in the 52nd minute to leave the Corkwomen 4-1 ahead. Zara O’Toole got her second of the match for Greenfields in the 62nd minute to make it 4-2 to Harlequins and Harlequins captain Michelle Barry added a fifth goal to secure a 5-2 win for Quins.
EYHL MEN’S DIVISION 1
CORINTHIAN 1 GLENANNE 3
Glenanne fresh from their dramatic 5-5 draw with defending champions Banbridge last Sunday, got out of the blocks and were 1-0 up through a goal from open play by Jason Rogan in the 20th minute. Shane O’Donoghue opened his account in the 39th minute, converting a penalty corner. A 51st minute penalty stroke converted by Shane O’Donoghue marked his second of the game and put the visitors 3-0 up in the 51st minute. Corinthians got on the scoresheet a minute later when a Max Neill penalty corner left the final score Corinthians 1 Glenanne 3.
BANBRIDGE 2 THREE ROCK ROVERS 2
Three Rock Rovers took on defending champions Banbridge in the fortress that is Havelock Park. They took the lead in the 7th minute through a goal by Alistair Empey from open play. It was 1-0 to the visitors at the end of the first quarter. Banbridge got back on terms through Louis Rowe in the 28th minute also from open play and another goal by Matthew McKee had the home side leading 2-1 by half-time. Just when it looked like the League leaders had done enough to win the match Ben Johnson got a late equalising goal for the visitors when he converted a 68th minute penalty corner to leave the final score 2-2.
LISNAGARVEY 2 YMCA 3
Lisnagarvey in 2nd place at the start of play failed to capitalise on leaders Banbridge dropped points when they lost a 5 goal battle to visitors YMCA.
Ross Henderson gave the Dubliners the lead in the 24th minute. They led 1-0 at half-time. Tevin Kok increased their lead in the 36th minute with a goal from open play. Ross Henderson got his second of the game in the 45th minute from open play to leave YM leading by 3-0. Garvey eventually got on the scoresheet through Matthew Nelson’s converted penalty corner in the 52nd minute.
ANNADALE 2 MONKSTOWN 4
Annadale hosted Monkstown at UUJ in this EYHL Men’s Division 1 game. David Vincent opened the scoring for the visitors in the 3rd minute from open play. Geoff Cole increased Monkstown’s lead in the 20th minute. David Vincent got his second of the game to make it 3-0 to Monkstown in the 28th minute. Annadale responded through Adam McAllister 42nd minute from open play. Spencer Pinion added a second goal for Annadale in the 51st minute to make it 3-2 to Monkstown and Sam Hohn’s 63rd minute converted penalty corner secured the win for Monkstown on a scoreline of Annadale 2 Monkstown 4.
UCD 2 INSTONIANS 2
For both sides in this clash at the National Stadium in Belfield this amounted to a must win fixture. Going into this game UCD were in 9th place in the League table and Instonians were in 10th having collected their first League point of the season last week at the 12th attempt. UCD took the lead in the 10th minute when player/coach Alan Sothern converted a penalty corner to put the students 1-0 up. Just on the stroke of half-time Ben Palmer equalised for the Belfast side with a converted penalty corner to leave both sides level 1-1 at half-time. Alan Sothern got his second of the game from another penalty corner in the 56th minute to put UCD 2-1 up. And just when it looked as if the students had done enough to secure the win, Ben Palmer converted a second penalty corner in the 66th minute to ensure a share of the spoils for 10th placed Instonians.
UCD had numerous chances to put this game out of sight and must rue their missed chances. Instonians to their credit kept plugging away and took the opportunities they got. Newly reappointed coach Stephen Redpath has returned to take up the reins in an effort to pull Instonians out of the mire. And even with 5 games remaining this task might be a bridge too far. But two points from two outings does represent something of an improvement and is definitely a positive turnaround despite the seemingly impossible nature of the task at hand.
UCD: Ross Clarke, Samuel Ryder, Kevin O’Dea (C), Josh Filgas, Adam Luke Galbraith, Callum Hewat, Bryan Lyndon, Harry Lynch, Conor Walsh, Mark Collins SUBS USED: Mark Smyth. (6 mins), Sam Walker (6 Mins), Alan Sothern (7 mins), Benjamin Stewart (10 mins)
INSTONIANS: Finlay Marney, Matthew Steele, Philip Hamill, Ben Palmer, Ross Kelly, Stephen Kelso, Gavin Lecky, Andrew Corry, Gabriel Tenner, John Colville, David Arneill SUBS USED: Matthew McCord (9 mins), Matthew Martin (10 mins), James Palmer (10 mins), Joshua Kidd (15 mins), Ethan Young (27 mins)
EYHL WOMEN’S DIVISION 1
LORETO 4 ULSTER ELKS 1
Loreto are the EYHL Champions for 2023/24 having beaten Ulster Elks by 4-1 and reaching 43 points. Even if Loreto lost all their remaining fixtures and second placed Railway Union won all their remaining fixtures including their game in hand the maximum they could get is 41. Síofra O’Brien converted a penalty corner to give Loreto the lead in the 6th minute 1-0. Caoimhe Perdue made it 2-0 when she converted a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. Rachel Kelly made it 3-0 from open play in the 38th minute. Ulster Elks responded straightaway when Chloe Stewart scored from open play to make it 3-1. Hannah McLoughlin converted a 54th minute penalty corner to make the final score Loreto 4 Ulster Elks 1.
MONKSTOWN 0 CATHOLIC INSTITUTE 2
Monkstown’s battle against Catholic Institute took an unpromising turn at Rathdown where they lost 0-2 at home to 2022 Irish Senior Cup winners Catholic Institute. The current cup holders found themselves behind in the 15th minute when Ireland international Naomi Carroll scored from open play. It was still 1-0 at half-time. Despite Monkstown’s best efforts the score remained 0-1 in favour of the Shannonsiders going into the closing stages and Laura Foley added a second goal in the 67th minute to secure the win for Catholic Institute, by 2-0.
CORINTHIAN 1 PEMBROKE WANDERERS 2
Bottom of the table Corinthians took on Pembroke Wanderers at St. Columba’s College and found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. Hannah Irwin scored for Pembroke Wanderers in the 5th minute from open play to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Isobel Field increased the visitor’s lead in the 8th minute to leave Pembroke 2-0 ahead and they led by this margin at half-time. There was no scoring in the third quarter and just when it appeared Pembroke might have kept a clean sheet, Lynne Pomeroy scored for the hosts in the 67th minute from open play to leave the final score Corinthians 1 Pembroke Wanderers.
OLD ALEXANDRA 2 PEGASUS 1
Pegasus came down from Belfast in search of League points to put daylight between themselves and ninth placed Monkstown. The first two quarters were scoreless and it remained 0-0 at half time. Alex Speers gave Pegasus the lead in the 36th minute from open play. The lead only lasted six minutes as a 42nd minute goal from Bethany Russ from open play equalised matters at 1-1. Old Alex completed the turnaround and secured all the points when Elva Kerr scored from open play in the 68th minute to make the final score Old Alexandra 2 Pegasus 1.
UCD 1 RAILWAY UNION 2
Second placed Railway Union took on UCD at the National Stadium in Belfield in this EYHL Division 1 clash. Former student Niamh Carey opened the scoring for Railway Union in the 6th minute. Railway had the lion’s share of possession and chances in the first half . The vistors still led by a soiltary goal at half time. UCD couldn’t convert a number of penalty corners in the third quarter and Railway Union increased their lead in the 64th minute when Emma Smyth scored from open play. What the Railway captain was capable of doing was replicated by Ireland international Sarah McAuley who scored from open play for the students to leave the final score UCD 1 Railway Union 2. Railway Union will most likely secure second place in this Division but Loreto are the Champions and have secured the first automatic semi-final place in the Champions Trophy. The second placed team in the Division also get an automatic semi-final spot so it’s anything but a consolation price as the post season race for an EYHL place hots up.
UCD: Erika Gallagher, Aine Naughton, Katie-Jane Marshall, Caoimhe Byrne, Ali Griffin, Sarah McAuley, Sophia Cole, Lauren Moore, Mikayla Power, Emma Paul (C), Anna McCarthy SUBS USED: Sydney Weir McErlean (5 mins), Leah O’Shea (6 mins), Florence Maughan (6 mins), Lauren Jonston (6 mins)
RAILWAY UNION: Emma Buckley, Sarah Patton, Niamh Carey, Michelle Carey, Lisa McCarthy, Aebhfinn Burke, Kate Mullan, Emma Smyth (C), Sarah Hawkshaw, Orla Fox, Lily Lloyd, Jenny Long, Kate Dillon, Niamh Shaw, Clodagh Ferry, Saoirse Griffin
