Ellie Noone was the toast of Trinity College at Grange Road on Sunday after her two goals against Old Alexandra in the final match of the play-offs earned the students a place in next season’s Hockey League, edging out Lurgan by a point.
Lurgan had topped the table after Saturday’s games when they beat Greenfields and Trinity, but draws with UCC and Alexandra on Sunday proved costly, leaving both Trinity and Alexandra in with a chance of claiming the sole automatic qualifying spot going in to their meeting.
Noone opened the scoring on 17 minutes when she was first to the rebound from a penalty corner and almost doubled the advantage five minutes after the break only to be denied by a diving save from Pamela Smithwick. She got her second of the game, though, after 40 minutes when again she was the quickest to react after Jenny Long’s effort was blocked.
Lurgan now go into a play-off with Belfast Harlequins, who finished second from bottom of this season’s Hockey League, for a place in next season’s line-up.
Hockey League – Provincial finals (at Grange Road) – Saturday: Trinity 1, UCC 0; Lurgan 3, Greenfields 0; Old Alexandra 0, UCC 0; Lurgan 3, Trinity 2; Old Alexandra 2, Greenfields 0.
Sunday: UCC 1, Lurgan 1; Trinity 3, Greenfields 0; Old Alexandra 1, Lurgan 1; UCC 3, Greenfields 1; Trinity 2, Old Alexandra 0.
