Hook Hockey

Leinster trio advance; Loreto made to wait

With Loreto’s trip to Pegasus called off due to the frost, Old Alex’s battle with Pembroke in Milltown took the mantle of Leinster highlight as Erika Hinkson struck twice in the first half to see them home.

It handed the hosts a 2-0 lead as she deflected home early on before adding a second 24 minutes into the game as Alex controlled the early phases with Sarah Canning controlling the tempo from sweeper while Shirley McCay’s aggression powered them forward.

But Sarah Clarke smashed home a corner strike off the top of Pamela Smithwick’s logged pads a minute before the break to set up a testing second half, a corner earned when Emma Kielthy’s right-wing strike created havoc in the Alex goalmouth.

But an equaliser was not forthcoming in the second period with Alex again set to enjoy home comforts in the quarter-finals where they will play Ballymoney.

Goals from Nikki Parke and youth international Katie Mullan ousted the visiting Catholic Institute 2-1 leaving Munster down to just one representative in the last eight.

Harlequins pulled off something of a shock at Ards, Cliodhna Sargent’s goal over-turning a 3-0 loss at the same venue earlier this term in the Irish Hockey League.

Rachel Burke’s double plundered victory from Belfast Harlequins in a tie swiftly switched from Deramore Park to Grosvenor due to an icy playing surface, again 2-1 the winning scoreline and now the Quins of the Cork varietal in the quarters.

Hermes had little trouble dispatching Corinthian 8-0, Audrey O’Flynn scoring on her return from an ankle injury to set up a tie with either the Ulster Elks or Armagh, their game postponed due to the frost.

Glenanne bowed out at the hands of Ulster leaders Lurgan 2-0.

In the Jacqui Potter Cup, Railway had too much in the tank for Trinity. Former Trin twins Isobel and Cecelia Joyce were both on the mark, as was Irish international Alex Speers with a pair. They will face Hermes next Sunday in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Four women’s Irish Hockey Trophy ties survived the weather with Leinster pair Clontarf and Muckross taking their place in round two. Tarf needed penalties to deny visiting North Down while Muckross held Diocesan at bay, a tight 3-2 result despite the two divisions separating the sides.

ESB Women’s Irish Senior Cup, round two: Ards 0 Cork Harlequins 1 (Cliodhna Sargent); Ballymoney 2 (Nikki Parke, Katie Mullan) Catholic Institute 1 (Elaine Bromell); Belfast Harlequins 1 (Julie Getty) UCD 2 (Rachel Burke 2); Corinthian 0 Hermes 8 (Aine Connery 2, Lisa Jacob 2, Audrey O Flynn, Sinead McCarthy, Katie Codyre, Anna O Flanagan); Pegasus vs Loreto off; Ulster Elks vs Armagh off; Glenanne 0 Lurgan 2 (Zoe McNally, Charlene Hull); Old Alex 2 (Erika Hinkson 2) Pembroke Wanderers 1 (Sarah Clarke)
Round Three draw (Saturday, February 19): UCD vs Cork Harlequins; Old Alexandra vs Ballymoney; Pegasus/Loreto vs Lurgan; Ulster Elks/Armagh vs Hermes

ESB Women’s Irish Hockey Trophy, round one: Portadown vs Our Lady’s Terenure off; Raphoe vs Dromore off; Greenisland vs Galway off; Ballymena 1 Bandon 2; Muckross 3 (Rebekah Murphy 2, Sandy Keegan) Dioscean 2 (Steph Jones, Julie Harkin); Waterford 1 NUIG 4; Clontarf 1 (Hilary Skuse) North Down 1 (Andrea Mockford), Clontarf won 3-2 on strokes
Round 2 draw: Suttonians/Carrickfergus vs Bandon; Clontarf vs Ashton/Wexford; Lisnagarvey/Genesis vs Omagh/Avoca; NICS vs Raphoe/Dromore; NUIG vs Portadown/Our Lady’s; Cookstown vs Greenfields/Nth Kildare; Three Rock Ladies vs Greenisland/Galway; Muckross vs Victorians / Naas

Jacqui Potter Cup, round two: Railway Union 4 (Alex Speers 2, Isobel Joyce, Cecelia Joyce) Trinity 0

** Adrian Boehm’s photos from Old Alex vs Pembroke can be seen here