Archive for year: 2021

Men’s EY Hockey League – day three reports
Lisnagarvey 3 (B Nelson, A Edgar, C Chambers) Corinthian 1 (P Caruth)
Lisnagarvey recorded their second successive win to move up into the top four as they got the better of Corinthian 3-1 at Comber Road. After some early reds’ pressure, Garvey took control and took the lead despite a mistrapped corner with Ben Nelson making amends, beating Simon Thornton at the near post.

The lively Nelson was causing plenty of problems, winning corners and making a nuisance of himself, and they were soon ahead after a robust Andrew Sutton challenge led to a corner and a green card. In his absences, the corner was duly despatched into the bottom left by Andy Edgar.

Chad Futcher soon followed to the bin but, despite his absence, Corinthian went level with an excellent counter from a Garvey set-piece. The resulting chargedown was worked all the way up the pitch to Peter Caruth to finish expertly past James Milliken.

Play ebbed and flowed in the third quarter with no real chances until Troy Chambers combined with Harry Morris down the Garvey right. Morris cut through the defence, finding a great ball to Cole Chambers who just managed to force the ball over the line.

It proved the last of the scoring as Corinthian pushed Caruth further up the pitch in search of an equaliser. Troy Chambers’ fearsome run released Ben Nelson whose rising shot was still rising when it hit the fence behind the goal.

Despite Ryan Getty being shown a yellow, the youngest Nelson went agonisingly close to killing off the game but that cause was aided when Caruth took a yellow for the last four minutes and Garvey saw out the results comfortably.

Three Rock Rovers 2 (B Johnson, R Canning) Annadale 2 (T Cross, A McAllister)
Annadale ended Three Rock Rovers’ perfect start to the season but could have done even better had it not been for the heroics of Conor Quinn who produced a save of the season contender from Owen McElhinney to ensure a draw at Grange Road.

The first half led to an exchange of penalty corners with Tim Cross’s straight hit finding its way in before Ben Johnson equalised for Rovers with a more conventional drag-flick.

At the start of the second half, Three Rock were causing all manner of problems – despite the absence of Ali Haughton and Jody Hosking – with the always active Sam Hamill making numerous interventions, racing off his line to good effect.

Ross Canning did slap in for 2-1 after another couple of waves of attack but Dale were level before the end of the third quarter via Adam McAllister’s rasping strike.

From there, it was anyone’s game with chances aplenty with both times able to pick up overloads. Tom Robson saved a Johnson drag on the line while Hamill brilliantly palmed away from the same player.

Quinn then produced his magic, a crazy double-save before scrambling across goal to keep out McElhinney. A Rovers’ corner on the final whistle went incomplete and the spoils were shared.

Pembroke’s Alan Sothern takes on Shane O’Donoghue and Neil Byrne. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Pembroke Wanderers 2 (S Sullivan, J Dale) Glenanne 4 (S O’Donoghue 2, S Boucher, B Venter)
Glenanne continued their winning start to the season, going two points clear of the top following a 4-2 win at Pembroke. The greens were in clear control in the first half as Pembroke struggled to get up and running and they went in front in the 12th minute from a Shane O’Donoghue penalty corner, deflected off the first runner.

Mark Ingram denied him another soon after with a stunning stick save but it was 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Richard Couse’s cross was miscontrolled at the back post and Brad Venter reacting incredibly quickly to dive in and score.

Julian Dale was the spearhead for Pembroke and his hard running leading to their two main chances of the half. Into the second half, after Jason Rogan’s shot was repelled, Dale got Pembroke back into the game.

Alan Sothern won the ball on his own 23-metre line and played through the Cork man who was fully 45-metres out but raced through and placed the ball past the impressive David Lawless.

Dale’s touch to Scott Sullivan’s pass was brilliantly denied by Lawless soon after before Sullivan equalised in the 50th minute from a corner rebound, Dale taking the initial shot.

But parity last only a couple of minutes with O’Donoghue dragging in his second of the game and fifth of the season on the three quarter hooter. Gary Shaw was next to test Ingram and the game was put to bed when Neil Byrne’s cross from the left picked out Shannon Boucher and reversed home for 4-2.

Monkstown 3 (R Nichols 2, M Gibbons) UCD 0
Monkstown continued their productive start to the season with a strong 3-0 win over UCD at Rathdown. It took just a couple of minutes to break the deadlock, Jazze Henry’s smart reverse-stick cross guided in by Mark Gibbons after Jeremy Duncan turned over possession.

Duncan slipped another effort inches wide after a nice peel down the left channel and it was 2-0 before the end of the first quarter when Rory Nichols ripped in the first corner of the game.

UCD had the best of the second quarter, earning four penalty corners while Tim Cope also had a strong chance but Dave Fitzgerald stood up calmly to save whatever came his way.

But Town pulled further clear early in the second half with Nichols firing in another corner shot with a powerful flick. From there, UCD had their moments with Harry Lynch excelling once again at the back while stinging the palm of Fitzgerald. Town, meanwhile, had chances to extend the lead but found no further goals.

Banbridge 4 (J McKee 3, J Moffett) YMCA 2 (G Glutz, H McCarthy)
Banbridge eased to a first win of the season as Jonny McKee’s hat-trick underpinned their 4-2 success against YMCA at Havelock Park. The Irish striker started the scoring in the first quarter and got the next, too, before Josh Moffett stretched the lead to 3-0 at half-time. He completed his treble just before the end of the third quarter.

YM got two back in the last 10 minutes via Grant Glutz and Harry McCarthy bit it proved immaterial to the desination of the points.

A measure of the competitiveness in the women’s EY Hockey League is, after just two rounds, there are no perfect records left intact following a couple of high quality midweek fixtures.

Railway Union’s was the last to fall despite an outstanding comeback against Loreto at Beaufort on Wednesday, netting twice in the last quarter to draw 2-2.

Spurred by a healthy crowd, Loreto’s young guns showed plenty of composure and accuracy to build that two-goal lead with Aoife Taaffe on the mark both times.

The first was a cool finish following a long ball up through the middle, controlling and finishing, while the second owed much more to power than subtlety, a blast from the left side of the D.

** to view the women’s EYHL table, click here

And that looked set to bring a big boon for Paul Fitzpatrick’s side who were without Olympians Nicci Daly and Hannah Matthews, Ali Meeke, Mia Jennings and Hayley Mulcahy.

But Railway were always well in the contest and eventually made their penalty corner count tell. Orla Fox’s direct strike got one back and, with just a few minutes left, Kate Lloyd levelled from a corner rebound.

“I thought it was a really good game,” was Loreto coach Paul Fitzpatrick’s reflections afterwards. “Disappointed to have given it away in the end but, given the number of players missing and the experience of the team, absolutely delighted.

“We were down seven players for tonight but showed real character and it is a great opportunity for players to step up to do well in games like this.”

Her Railway counterpart Una McCarthy, meanwhile, added: “Full team effort, full resilience. We are disappointed not to have the win but relieved to have the point with that comeback.”

She said the experience around the squad of Kate Dillon and Emma Smyth – missing this one with a broken toe – has been a key factor in giving their young guns an extra belief to fightback. Both have been in and out of the panel for the past few years.

“Having both of them back after starting young families, to have them on the pitch and guiding our youngsters is great. It’s a great family club and team, going from 17-year-olds up to 35-year-olds. It’s a pleasure to work with them.

“They come off and suggest things to me and my assistant Gareth [Myburgh]. It all makes sense and that’s what they can bring to the game. They have both calmed down from the mad young ones that they were; they used to be much more volatile but they have become rocks of sense… most of the time!

“With Sarah Hawkshaw in there, between them, we have that brainpower on the pitch which keeps things under control. I am not sure whether the young ones would have had that resilience before but there was that know-how to do it.”

Up next for Railway is a home date against Pegasus who were 2-1 winners against Belfast Harlequins in midweek. Quins had taken the lead via Kathryn Smiley’s well-placed shot but rising star Ella Armstrong levelled before the end of the first quarter.

And the winner came in the 42^nd minute with Taite Doherty finishing off some strong work down the left by Niamh McIvor to nab the lead.

It means both sides are on four points for the Saturday meeting at Park Avenue with the hosts set to miss Lisa McCarthy with an Achilles injury.

Elsewhere on Saturday, there are plenty of other mouth-watering ties. Old Alex – another on four points – host Loreto who are set to have a couple of players back in their line-up.

Catholic Institute and Muckross will be aiming to land a first point of the season at Rosbrien as will Belfast Harlequins against their Cork counterparts at Deramore Park.

Another couple of unbeaten records will also be put to the test at Belfield with UCD hosting Pembroke at 2.50pm.

Women’s EYHL Division 1 (all Saturday): Belfast Harlequins v Cork Harlequins, Deramore Park, 2.30pm; Catholic Institute v Muckross, Rosbrien, 1pm; Old Alexandra v Loreto, Alexandra College, 1.30pm; Railway Union v Pegasus, Park Avenue, 3pm; UCD v Pembroke Wanderers, Belfield, 2.50pm

Women’s EY Hockey League – day two round-up
Old Alex 0 Catholic Institute 0
Old Alex and Catholic Institute shared the spoils as defences were on top in Milltown as goalkeepers Holly Micklem and Pam Smithwick put in fine performances. The former was the first to get down low to deny a first minute chance from the visitors from Limerick.

Alex, though, had the better of the first half with Lena Tice on her return controlling things from the back and Niamh Sweeney, Jessica McGirr and Gisela Estrenjer getting the better of midfield.

Both sides won a trio of penalty corners in the first quarter but to no avail and strong running lines was to be a major feature of this contest. Insta ended up with nine penalty corners across the match but the usually ferocious flicking of Róisín Upton was snuffed out at each turn.

From play, meanwhile, Naomi Carroll had the pick of their chances when a long second quarter overhead made it through to her in behind the last defender but Micklem was off her line like a light to keep out the chance.

For Alex, their attacks were more sporadic in the second half but they did find joy through Aine Connery and they almost nicked the victory in the closing couple of minutes. Mikayla Power drew an excellent stop from Smithwick and the rebound was scrambled clear to leave it scoreless.

Alex welcomed Lena Tice back into the line-up for the first time this season while Institute had welcomed Rebecca Barry for the first time since 2012 after spells in the US and at Cork Harlequins.

Muckross 0 UCD 4 (H McLoughlin 3, S Cole)
Hannah McLoughlin’s hat trick of backhand goals saw UCD pick up their first win of the season, lifting them to four points out of six to date. In the early phases, it was a corner battle with Ellie McLoughlin and Aoife Glennon trading saves until Sophia Cole broke the deadlock in the 20th minute with a low flick down the left channel.

Hannah McLoughlin then turned up the tempo when she stormed forward from midfield, dribbled left and then whipped home her first of the day just before half-time.

It became part of a recurring theme and she had a second when she pinched possession on the 23-metre line, forged a way forward and picked her spot on the backboard.

Her third – and UCD’s fourth – was the pick of the bunch, an excellent team move from the back finding the Olympian high up the pitch. She still had plenty to do but weaved her way through a number of tackles and pinged a shot in off the inside of the post.

Cork Harlequins 0 Railway Union 6 (S Hawkshaw, F Maughan, K Dillon, K Lloyd, L Lloyd, E Smyth)
Railway Union opened their EYHL campaign with a well earned win against a developing Harlequins side. The Railway side included Olympian Sarah Hawkshaw as captain, while Harlequins welcomed back Irish underage international Lauren Cripps.

An even first quarter saw both teams play enterprising hockey in an unusually warm Farmers Cross. Railway’s breakthrough came early in the second quarter when Florence Maughan came off the bench to finish sharply from close range. Harlequins keeper Lorna Bateman kept Railway at bay until half-time with an outstanding performance.

Railway’s strength and experience showed as a tiring Harlequins conceded four goals in a five minute spell in the third quarter to decisively decide the tie, including a wonderful individual effort from captain Hawkshaw. Emma Smyth’s goal in the 65th minute rounded off a convincing performance against the hardworking Harlequins side.

Pembroke 3 (S Loughran, L McGuire, T Wensley) Loreto 0
Pembroke produced an outstanding second half performance to beat Loreto 3-0 to build on their opening day away draw with Pegasus. The first half was a very even affair with Pembroke picking up a couple of incomplete chances toward the end of the first quarter while Loreto were unable to make the most from their corner openings.

The second half, though, saw things open up with Pembroke seizing the initiative in Q3. Sinead Loughran grabbed the first from a penalty corner scramble and it was a 2-0 scoreline inspired by Leah McGuire. She won possession to spark a rapid counter-attack which ended in a penalty corner which the former UCD and Armagh player stepped up to crack home.

Loreto attempted a kickstart their comeback in the final quarter, applying a lot of pressure, but Sarah Torrans missed out on a great chance.

And the result was sealed when an excellent passing moved was worked into the D to Tory Wensley to find the net with seven minutes to go.

Pembroke’s Tori Wensley gets away from Caitlin Sherin. Picture: Adrian Boehm