Hermes take title in style

Hermes regained the Leinster Senior A title, their third in four years, by beating defending league champions Loreto 6-1 at Belfield on Saturday with a flawless display. Joining them in Senior A next season will be Corinthians who clinched the Senior B title with a 5-0 win over Loreto II to secure their first promotion to the top flight of Leinster hockey.

By half-time at Belfield a shell-shocked Loreto had conceded as many goals as they had all season in the league, going in 4-0 down at half-time. Hilda Barron had given Hermes the lead after five minutes with Jenny Burke making it 2-0 in the 10th minute.

Tara Browne preserved Hermes' two-goal advantage when she saved Caitriona O'Kelly's penalty stroke in the 16th minute, before Burke and Caitriona Carey made it 4-0. Burke and Mary Logue combined repeatedly to threaten the Loreto goal with Carey, described by most of the Loreto contingent after the game as "the finest player in Ireland", exceptional at centre midfield.

Carol Devine made it 5-0 midway through the second half before Rachel Brophy pulled one back for Loreto. The five-goal gap was restored, though, by Rosie Walsh seven minutes from time when she finished off fine work by Burke.

Full-backs Johanna Hyland and Fiona Connery and centre-back Sinead McDonnell have been three of Hermes' unsung heroes this season but all three were impeccable yet again on Saturday, earning glowing praise from their coach Peter Darley after the game.

It proved to be a day of double celebration for Darley whose Corinthians connections saw him raise a glass or two to Roy Horsfield's newly-crowned Senior B champions. There was particular delight for Corinthians stalwart Phillipa Carr who came out of retirement for Saturday's game against Loreto II to play in goal.

Corinthians now take the place of Muckross in Senior A after a traumatic season for the one of Irish hockey's most successful clubs who have been relegated for the first time in their history.

Enniscorthy, meanwhile, won their first ever Irish Junior Cup on Saturday, beating Three Rock Ladies 1-0 at Belfield. Leah Quigley scored the decisive goal, after 53 minutes , when she was first to the rebound following Kate Cassidy's save from Paula Rankin's short-corner strike.

Cassidy and her counterpart in the Enniscorthy goal, Elizabeth Browne, were the stars of the match, making several top-class saves between them.