WOMEN'S HOCKEY: If it's true familiarity breeds contempt, Leinster's top two teams will hardly be on speaking terms come season's end. Loreto and Hermes are already through to the Leinster Senior Cup final on St Patrick's Day, six days before their potentially decisive league fixture - now they can circle another date in their diaries, that of April 6th, when they will meet in the Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup final.
Loreto's 3-0 win in Saturday's semi-finals over Munster champions Harlequins put them through to their first final since 1993, when they lost to Portadown, while Hermes' 1-0 victory over cup-holders Ballymoney qualified them for their fourth final in six years.
Fittingly, it was Loreto sweeper Aoife Pomeroy who broke the deadlock against Harlequins at Beaufort, having been instrumental, with Clodagh Grealy, in frustrating the Cork team. After an even 35 minutes, Pomeroy cracked home a short corner strike on the stroke of half-time.
Irish captain Rachael Kohler, ably supported by Emer Dillon in midfield, led Harlequins' attempts to get back into the game but when Cathy McKean neatly deflected another Pomeroy corner effort past Yvonne Kenny in the 54th minute the tie was as good as over.
Loreto goalkeeper Louisa Healy denied Dillon and Karen O'Brien from successive short corners late in the game before Sarah Scott sealed the victory, four minutes from time, finishing off a superb move. Caitriona O'Kelly, a powerhouse for Loreto in midfield, played McKean through on the left and Scott tapped home her perfect cross.
Up north, at the Joey Dunlop Centre, New Zealander Rachel Petrie was the toast of the Hermes camp, and not just for her winning goal six minutes from time. Petrie gave a towering display at the heart of the Leinster champions' defence, her finest moment coming early in the second half when she prevented Jessica Lynch scoring into an empty net after Tara Browne had saved Ruth Forgrave's shot from a corner.
Both goalkeepers, Browne and her Irish understudy Angela Platt, were in fine form, Browne thwarting Jackie McVicker in a one-on-one in the 58th minute and Platt keeping her cool to deny Mary Logue near the death. Petrie, though, had the final say, firing home from a corner to end gutsy Ballymoney's hopes.
"As long as we get the Irish Cup we'll give Hermes the other two," said Loreto's Caitriona O'Kelly, before having a change of heart. "No, on second thoughts, we want all three. We were so delighted with how we did it and to score three really good goals against such a quality side."
IRISH SENIOR CUP - Semi-finals: Ballymoney 0, Hermes 1 (R Petrie); Loreto 3 (A Pomeroy, C McKean, S Scott), Cork Harlequins 0.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Railway Union 1 (J Bernard), Old Alexandra 1 (T Conway); UCD 3 (C O'Brien 2 pens, J McDonnell), Corinthian 3 (C McGowan 2, J Muldowney). Division Two - Saturday: Three Rock 2 (B Drohan, M Dorney), Aer Lingus 1 (L Bagnall); Old Alexandra II 1 (S Brady), Pembroke Wanderers II 2 (S Ryan, J Morris); Clontarf 0, Muckross 0; Loreto II 4 (C Fanagan 2, W Byrne, T O'Keeffe), Our Ladys 0.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Senior One: Ballymena 0, Pegasus 4 (J Campbell 2, C McMahon, K Mills); Ards 1 (L Magill), Portadown 3 (V Best, J Orbinson, G Poole); Belfast Harlequins 8 (S Beaney 2, I McCaughern 2, A Coppell, L Feeney, T Carruthers, C Parkhill), North Down 1 (A Nixon); Randalstown 3 (S Parkhill, R Winnington, S Wilkinson), Knock 0.
TODAY - Leinster Schoolgirls' Senior Cup semi-final (at Grange Road): St Andrews v Mount Anville, 4.0.
