WOMEN'S HOCKEY:A WEEK after their successful trip to Dublin for their Irish Hockey League fixture against Loreto, Pegasus return south tomorrow for the tie of the round in the Irish Senior Cup – Railway Union their opponents in an eagerly-anticipated clash at Park Avenue.
It’s an intriguing match-up fit for the final – the Ulster champions versus the Leinster and All-Ireland champions – and a repeat of last year’s semi-final which Railway won 3-1 in Belfast.
The Dublin club, though, went on to lose on penalty strokes to Loreto in the decider, the only blemish on a near-perfect season for Mick McKinnon’s side.
Fitness permitting, Alex Speers, who joined Railway during the summer after a spell in Belgium with Dragons, will face her former club.
Pegasus have been strengthened for the new season by the arrival of Vanessa Surgeoner from Randalstown and Stephanie Quinn, one of the stars of McKinnon’s Armagh team.
The game is one of four Ulster v Leinster ties in the opening round of the competition, with Bray and cup holders Loreto away to Ards and Knock, respectively, while Old Alexandra host Randalstown at Milltown.
UCD, meanwhile, will look for their third victory of the season over Trinity following their league and intervarsity triumphs, the teams meeting in Santry on this occasion.
Queen’s v Ulster Elks is the second university pairing in the round, and the only all-Ulster tie, with Ballymoney and UCC, who play at the Joey Dunlop Centre, completing the line-up of matches.
The draw for the second round will be made at Garryduff tomorrow, with Armagh, Belfast Harlequins, Catholic Institute, Corinthian, Cork Harlequins, Glenanne, Hermes, Lurgan and Pembroke Wanderers – all of whom had first round byes – entering the competition along with the teams that survive this week’s opening games.
FIXTURES
IRISH SENIOR CUP: First round: Saturday: Trinity v UCD, Santry, 1.0; Knock v Loreto, Queens, 1.0; Railway Union v Pegasus, Park Avenue, 2.45; Queen’s v Ulster Elks, Queens, 1.0; Old Alexandra v Randalstown, Milltown, 3.0; Ballymoney v UCC, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Ards v Bray, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.45.
