HOCKEY:UCD and Railway Union finished last season level on points at the top of the Leinster first division, the students taking the title on games won, and at the halfway stage of the current campaign the two are tied at the top again.
They are now two points clear of Loreto and Old Alexandra, who drew on Saturday, with Hermes, another point behind back in fifth, also losing ground after being held to a draw by bottom club Glenanne.
The order of the top five in the table is, in fact, identical to how last season finished up, the gap between the top and bottom halves threatening to be just as wide.
It was 14 points last season; Hermes are already nine clear of sixth-placed North Kildare in this campaign. UCD made it six wins in a row with a 9-0 drubbing of Kildare, Chloe Watkins, Katie Mullen and Anna O'Flanagan scoring two apiece.
Railway had a similarly comfortable win with a 6-0 defeat of Corinthian. On the cup front, holders Loreto advanced to the second round of the Irish Junior Cup with a 3-0 win over Corinthian, with the team they beat in last season's final, Pembroke Wanders, progressing with a 5-1 win over Pegasus.
