Despite their best efforts Muckross and Coleraine failed to produce any surprises in Saturday's semi-finals of the Sharwood's sponsored Irish Senior Cup and next month's final at Belfield will be contested between Leinster and Ulster's finest, Hermes and Pegasus.
Indeed the only surprise Coleraine managed to spring on their opponents was the absence of prolific goal-scorer Caryn Bentley whose unavailability for the tie was kept a well guarded secret from Hermes in the run-up to the game. Despite being the Ulster club's professional player-coach, Bentley opted to return to South Africa last week to take part in a pre-Olympic training camp with the national squad, depriving Coleraine of perhaps their single biggest chance of upsetting the 1997 cup winners.
For 33 minutes they kept Hermes scoreless but in a 14-minute spell either side of the break they conceded seven goals, the first coming two minutes from halftime when Caitriona Carey, put through by a delightful reversestick pass from Mary Logue, broke the deadlock.
Daphne Sixsmith doubled the lead from close range in first-half stoppage time and Jenny Burke (two), Carey again, Carol Devine and substitute Susan McCarthy added five more in the opening 12 minutes of the second half to complete the scoring.
"There was so much hype leading up to the game we were quite nervous but as soon as we got the first goal we relaxed and played some good hockey," said Burke after the match. "We hadn't played Coleraine before so we didn't know what to expect but we did well and now we're just looking forward to taking on Pegasus." In Belfast, Muckross gave Pegasus their toughest game of the season but the cup holders still ran out 3-0 winners, scoring two of their goals, from Hilda Beamish and Joanne Campbell, in the last 10 minutes to add to Claire McMahon's first-half opener. Muckross failed to create any clear scoring opportunities themselves but defended courageously against a team whose own season has been one long goal-scoring spree. "I was delighted with the performance, although we played a little bit cagey midway through the game," said the Ulster side's coach, David Scott. "But to restrict Muckross to only one half chance throughout the course of the 70 minutes says a lot for Pegasus."
The final, which could feature as many as 12 senior Irish internationals, is a mouth-watering prospect and should attract a capacity crowd at Belfield. Hermes and Pegasus last met in March when they drew 0-0 in the deciding game of the All-Ireland League play-offs, which the Ulster champions won on goal difference. Elsewhere Old Alexandra restored their four-point Leinster League advantage over Hermes, who have a game in hand, with an 8-0 win, featuring a Trish Conway hat-trick, over Clontarf on Saturday. Loreto kept in touch with the top two by beating Glenanne 3-1 at Beaufort. Meanwhile UCC, Belvedere, Church of Ireland and Harlequins advanced to the semi-finals of the Munster Senior Cup.
