WOMEN'S HOCKEY: The new season's fixture list wasn't exactly kind to Pembroke Wanderers, giving them successive away games against Loreto, Old Alexandra and Hermes in their first three weeks. But, under their new coaching team of Roy Horsfield and Gino Barnwell, Pembroke have got off to a fine start, winning their first two games to put them in good shape for their meeting with the Leinster champions next weekend.

On Saturday they finally found a way past the in-form Nikki King at Milltown, Orla Bell scoring from a short corner rebound early in the second half to give her team a 1-0 win over Alexandra.

"The way the fixtures fell it could have been a disastrous start to the season," said Horsfield, who coached Hermes to their first Irish Senior Cup success in 1997, "but the girls are playing well, training hard and putting the hours in. There are four or five particularly tough opponents in the league and we have two of our away games against them out of the way now, so we'll settle for that start."

Loreto, meanwhile, had to overcome a gutsy display by Railway Union at Park Avenue to collect their first points of the season, with Wendy Byrne getting the only goal of the game in the second half.

Railway, for whom Mary Doorley and Sinead Dooley shone, almost snatched a late equaliser but were denied by Sarah Cooney's goal-line clearance. Genesis followed up their opening day draw with Corinthian with a 6-0 win over Glenanne.

In Ulster Pegasus were held to a draw again, this time by Ballymoney (0-0), while newly-promoted Coleraine, who drew with the All-Ireland champions in their opening game, picked up another point, drawing 2-2 with Belfast Harlequins. Knock had a surprise 1-0 win over Ards, third in Ulster last season, with Gillian Thompson getting the winner.