WOMEN'S HOCKEY: For the fifth successive year Ulster champions Pegasus wrapped up their domestic season by comprehensively proving that they are the leading team in the country, beating Hermes 3-1 in the decider of the Club Championship finals at Belfield yesterday.
The victory, when a draw would have sufficed to clinch their five-in-a-row, was nothing less than Pegasus deserved. As a result of their success they will complete their season at the European Club Championships in Vienna in a fortnight,having already booked their return ticket to European competition for next year.
Lax Hermes defending allowed an unmarked Claire McMahon in to open the scoring after just eight minutes.
But Pegasus failed to convert their overwhelming first-half superiority into an extended lead, and they were punished six minutes before the break when Caitriona Carey levelled for Hermes, scooping the rebound from Daphne Sixsmith's short corner strike over Donna Hawthorne.
Hermes, largely inspired by a fiery second-half display from Deirdre McDermott on the left wing, had their best spell in the 20 minutes after the break, but Pegasus soaked up the pressure and then pounced with two goals in four minutes, the first a stroke from Pamela Magill in the 59th minute, the second a Jeanette Gordon goal from the rebound of an Arlene Boyles' corner strike.
A Karen O'Brien hat-trick helped Harlequins to a 5-2 victory over Loreto in the day's opening game, a win that gave the Munster champions a third-place finish in the tournament.
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS (at Belfield): Harlequins (M Aherne, K O'Brien 3, R Kohler), Loreto 2 (v, 9.30; Pegasus 3 (C McMahon, P Magill pen, J Gordon), Hermes 1 (C Carey).
