WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Once again the elements played havoc with Saturday's fixture list, wiping out the entire Ulster programme and part of the Leinster and Munster schedule, as well as two second-round Odlum's Irish Junior Cup games. Cork's Church of Ireland, though, were spared the longest journey of the weekend, when they received advance warning that Raphoe's pitch was frozen.
Loreto II, though, had a wasted trip to Belfast where their Junior Cup game against Pegasus II was abandoned (at 0-0) four minutes into the second half. In the ties that survived the conditions Old Alexandra II were the only Leinster club to fail to reach the quarter-finals, losing 1-0 at home to Wexford for whom Sinead Codd got the winner, from a short corner, 20 minutes from time.
Clontarf, Our Ladys, Three Rock and holders Hermes II all made it through to the last eight. Hermes needed a penalty stroke from Maureen Flavin to end Ashton's resistance in Cork while two goals from Nikki Squires, the second in extra time, gave Three Rock victory over Belfast Harlequins II. A first-half strike from Stella Sinnnott proved enough for Enniscorthy against Bandon II and Our Ladys, Terenure, had a successful trip to Galway, where they beat Kinvara 5-2.
Two goals apiece from Linda Watters and Rachel Ormrod helped Clontarf to a 6-3 win over Lurgan on Saturday but two games in as many days took their toll on the Division Two leaders who suffered a 7-1 trouncing by Corinthian in yesterday's Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final - Judy Muldowney and Suzanne Murphy shared four of the first division side's goals. Corinthian will play Pembroke Wanderers in the semi-finals, while Loreto (2-1 winners over Pembroke's seconds yesterday, with Wendy Byrne getting their goals) will play the winners of Hermes and Trinity.
Hermes, 4-0 winners in the league over Glenanne on Saturday, regained top spot in the first division from Loreto who drew 1-1 with third-placed Pembroke - Louise O'Hagan gave Pembroke the lead in the second half but Nikki Symmons replied for Loreto. Railway Union made it two league wins in a week over Trinity to move up to sixth in the table - Sinead Dooley and Emma Smyth got Railway's goals.
