Long journeys a big factor in cup

Women's Hockey: The Irish Senior Cup takes centre stage this weekend with six of the 10 first-round ties pairing teams from …

Women's Hockey:The Irish Senior Cup takes centre stage this weekend with six of the 10 first-round ties pairing teams from Leinster and Ulster.

Omagh, Ashton and Bandon are already through to the second round after receiving walkovers from Belvedere, Priorians and Cookstown, with all three clubs opting out of the competition rather than make the long trips for their games.

Railway Union are one of three Leinster clubs heading north for their ties, their opponents being last year's surprise quarter-finalists Lurgan.

UCD and Corinthian also travel north for their ties against Ballymena and North Down, but Pembroke Wanderers, Genesis and Three Rock have home advantage against Portadown, Lisnagarvey and Ards.

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Reaching the final last season, where they lost to Pegasus, earned Pembroke a place in next March's European Cup Winners Trophy in Belgium, the draw for which was made this week - the club is in a pool with Slavia Praha, HC Moscow Region and Penarth of Wales.

The other first-round ties see Catholic Institute host Belfast Harlequins at Rosbrien, Trinity at home to Greenisland, a Munster affair between the students of UCC and the University of Limerick and an all-Ulster game between Civil Service and Knock.

Knock will trust that the game will prove less testing than their last outing when they lost 8-0 to Pegasus in the league. Suzanne Beaney scored five for Pegasus, bringing her tally so far this season to 18 goals in six games.

On the international front former Irish captain Mary Logue has been appointed coach of the national under-18 team, succeeding McKinnon in the post, while McKinnon's assistant at Railway, Una McCarthy, remains in charge of the under-16s. Old Alexandra coach Arul Anthoni has been appointed coach of the Irish under-18 boys.

FIXTURES: Irish Senior Cup - First round: Ballymena v UCD, Showgrounds, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Portadown, Serpentine Avenue, 2.0; Trinity v Greenisland, Santry, 2.45; UCC v Univ of Limerick, Mardyke, 1.0; Genesis v Lisnagarvey, Belfield, 2.30; Catholic Institute v Belfast Harlequins, Rosbrien, 2.30; North Down v Corinthian, Comber, 1.0; Civil Service v Knock, Stormont, 2.30; Three Rock v Ards, Grange Road, 1.0; Lurgan v Railway Union, Craigavon, 2.30.

Leinster League - Division Two - Tomorrow: Clontarf v Loreto II, Clontarf, 12.30; Bray v Old Alexandra II, Bray, 1.15; Suttonians v Glenanne, Sutton, 3.30. Sunday: Pembroke Wanderers II v Corinthian II, Ballsbridge, 2.0.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times