Ulster regained the junior inter-provincial women's hockey laurels at Grange Road yesterday; but they had to cope with tenacious resistance from Southeast (runners up to Leinster last season) before clinching the title with a 2-1 victory.
Jacqui Stokes seemed set to put South East ahead but had her shot taken off the line by Cathy Greenhalgh who then sent Donna Speirs away to create an opening for Joanna Campbell to give Ulster a half-time lead.
Stella Synnott hit a post for South East before the equaliser finally came from Paula Rankin from a short corner. From there, the match see-sawed in both teams' favour until Campbell, with a solo effort, scored Ulster's winner in the dying seconds.
While Hermes had kept in touch during the week, Old Alexandra fortified their Leinster senior league lead in easing to a 4-0 win over a weakened Railway Union side at Milltown on Saturday.
Attacking relentlessly throughout, Alexandra scored all four goals from short corners, Trish Conway putting away three and Kerry Hiles the other.
Jenny Osborne was twice on the target as UCD enhanced their promotion hopes in senior B by beating Loreto II's 2-1.
Following their call up to the Irish training session in Belfast over the weekend, Pamela McGill (Pegasus) Linsey McVicar (Portadown) and Linda Caulfield (Dublin University) are retained for the next get together at Belfield at the end of March.
