RBAI and Ashton made the most fluent starts in the Irish Schools' Hockey Championship in Dublin yesterday, beating Newpark and Raphoe, 6-1 and 5-0, respectively. But they will be strongly challenged for semi-final places today by Wesley and Sandford Park who also won their opening pool matches, 2-0 and 3-1 against Banbridge and Regent House.

Wallace HS and Bandon defeated St Andrew's and MCB with late goals while the Cookstown-Kilkenny and Bangor-King's Hospital matches finished scoreless.

(Details in Sports Round-up)