Hermes avenged their defeat by Loreto in last year's Leinster Senior Cup semi-final with a 2-0 victory at Beaufort on Saturday to win through to the last four of this year's competition, where they will meet cup holders Muckross. Aisling Keane got a touch on a Caitriona Carey cross-cum-shot from the right to give Hermes the lead after 50 minutes and Jenny Burke made it 2-0 six minutes from time when she fired past Avril Copeland from the edge of the circle. Both teams, playing their first matches since Christmas, looked a little out of sorts with only Carol Devine (Hermes) and Caitriona O'Kelly (Loreto), both of whom were on Irish duty in Spain a fortnight ago, at their best in a closely fought game.
In Santry Muckross weathered intense first half pressure from Trinity to remain on course for their sixth successive Leinster Senior Cup, winning 3-0 with goals from Ciara McGrath, Teresa Hurley and Helen Hughes.
The second semi-final pairs Old Alexandra with Glenanne, who beat Senior B's Corinthian in Tallaght by a single goal, scored by Paula O'Donoghue. Two goals apiece from Marissa Ahern and Trish Conway helped Old Alexandra to a comfortable 5-2 win over Pembroke Wanderers, for whom Claire Hayes scored twice.
UCC missed an opportunity to close a three-point gap on Harlequins in the Munster Senior League when they drew 1-1 with the defending champions at the Mardyke on Saturday. Vivienne Fenton gave Harlequins the lead from a short corner in the first half but Jill Hodgins, who earlier cleared a Harlequins' effort off her own line, equalised midway through the second period, also from a short corner.
Harlequins' next opponents are Pegasus, who they play in the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup in Belfast next weekend. Jeanette Turner and Claire McMahon helped themselves to hat-tricks in the Ulster champions' 90 drubbing of Ards on Saturday. Pegasus have now scored 79 goals and conceded just two in 13 league matches, all of which they have won. With only five league fixtures remaining it is safe to say they remain on course to retain their title.
LEINSTER SENIOR CUP: Quarterfinals: Trinity 0, Muckross 3 (C McGrath, T Hurley, H Hughes); Glenanne 1 (P O'Donoghue), Corinthian 0; Loreto 0, Hermes 2 (A Keane, J Burke); Pembroke Wanderers 2 (C Hayes 2), Old Alexandra 5 (M Ahern 2, T Conway 2, one pen, H Agar). Semi-final draw: Hermes v Muckross, Old Alexandra v Glenanne. Ties to be played March 7 at Grange Road.
Leinster League: Senior B: Hermes II 4 (S McCarthy 2, D McDermott, R Walsh), Railway Union II 0. Maids v UCD postponed. MUNSTER SENIOR LEAGUE: UCC 1 (J Hodgins), Harlequins 1 (V Fenton); Lansdowne 1 (K Whelan), Bandon 1 (L Kingston); Church of Ireland v Belvedere postponed.
Ulster Senior League: Section One: Ards 0, Pegasus 9 (J Turner 3, C McMahon 3, K Mills 2, N Long); Randalstown 1 (P Orr), Ballymoney 3 (J McVicker, L McVicker, K Poloprutska); North Down 0, Collegians 2 (J Bell 2). Coleraine v Portadown and Victorians v Enniskillen postponed.
Fixtures: Leinster Schools' Senior Cup quarter-final - Today: Loreto Beaufort v Muckross, Beaufort, 3.30. Tomorrow: Leinster Senior A - Genesis v Trinity, Belfield, 8.0. Senior B: UCD v Avoca, Belfield, 7.0. Wednesday: Loreto v Clontarf, Beaufort, 8.0.
