Loreto find students hard on their nerves

After leaving it to the final minute of last week's game against Trinity to get their winning goal, Fred McDarby will hope his Loreto side's efforts this weekend to maintain their Leinster League chase will be a little easier on the nerves.

The trouble is, however, their opponents tomorrow are UCD who, since their promotion two seasons ago, have proved to be Loreto's bogey team.

The students, who have been drawn against Loreto in the Leinster Senior Cup semi-finals, are one of only two teams to have taken points off the defending league champions in the current campaign (Pembroke Wanderers are the other) after October's scoreless draw.

Last season they took four out of a possible six, although three of them came after Loreto were deemed to have fielded an ineligible player in their 4-0 win over UCD. On Tuesday night Ger Butler's team suffered just their third defeat of the season when they lost 2-0 to Old Alexandra (during which UCD goalkeeper Emma Wood was yellow-carded for a tackle outside the circle, a decision not well received by her coach).

That loss put a sizeable dent in UCD's hopes of challenging Alexandra for third place in the table, making tomorrow's game all the more crucial for the students.

Hermes' 8-0 win over Genesis on Tuesday simply underlined what Loreto already knew - they cannot afford a slip-up of any kind before the teams meet in the final game of the season on March 24th.

It's looking increasingly unlikely that Hermes - who appear to have moved up a gear or two since Christmas - are going to drop any points before then.

Pegasus are in similar form in Ulster, beating UUJ 3-0 in midweek to make the retention of their league title seem a formality.

They will expect to add three more points to their tally tomorrow, when they play Randalstown, the team previously coached by Graham Quincey, now in charge of the Ulster champions. Meanwhile the Junior Interprovincial tournament gets under way in Cork tomorrow. South-East will attempt to retain their title after last year's success when they beat holders Ulster in a penalty strokes competition after the two provinces finished level on points and goal difference.

JUNIOR INTERPROVINCIALS (at Garryduff) - Tomorrow: Ulster v Munster, 9.30; South East v Leinster, 11.15; Ulster v Connacht, 1.0; Munster v Leinster, 2.45; Connacht v South East, 4.20. Sunday: Connacht v Leinster, 9.0; South East v Ulster, 10.45; Munster v Connacht,12.20; Ulster v Leinster, 2.0; Munster v South East, 3.30.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Senior A: Old Alexandra v Muckross, Milltown, 12.45; Genesis v Pembroke Wanderers, Grange Road, 1.0; Railway Union v Trinity, Park Avenue, 2.0; Hermes v Glenanne, Belfield, 2.30; Loreto v UCD, Beaufort, 3.15. Senior B: Pembroke Wanderers II v Clontarf, Serpentine Avenue, 11.30; Aer Lingus v Loreto II, ALSAA, 12.0; Corinthians v Our Lady's, Whitechurch, 3.0; Railway Union II v Avoca, Park Avenue, 3.30; Hermes II v Old Alexandra, Belfield, 5.0.

ULSTER SHIELD - Quarter-final replay: UUJ v Ballymoney, UUJ, 2.30. Ulster League - Section One: Randalstown v Pegasus, Antrim Forum, 2.30; Ards v Portadown, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Belfast Harlequins v North Down, Deramore, 2.30; Coleraine v Knock, University of Ulster, 2.30.