Ballymoney look to get off mark but face daunting trip to UCC

Unbeaten Hermes and Pegasus meet in Belfast in pick of the pool A ties

It's round two of the Irish Hockey League tomorrow with Lurgan, Hermes and Pegasus in pool A and defending champions UCD, Loreto and Cork Harlequins in pool B all looking to build on their first-round wins.

Among the four clubs seeking to get off the mark are a depleted Ballymoney, who face a marathon round-trip to Cork to play UCC. According to their manager Liz Greer, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, they will do so with just 12 players, five first-team regulars unavailable due to schools' hockey commitments.

Also in their pool are Railway Union, three times winners of the competition, and Pegasus, the 2011 champions. Railway, though, opened with a 3-0 defeat to Hermes, who beat them again in the league last week, so need to up their game against Lurgan, 6-2 winners over UCC in their first game. Pegasus and Hermes, meanwhile, meet in Belfast in the pick of the pool A ties.

In pool B, UCD host Munster champions Cork Harlequins, the students keen on putting their midweek 8-3 Chilean Cup final drubbing by the University of Ulster behind them. Ulster, aka the Elks, face Loreto, while Ards, who have also won their opening four Ulster league games, are at home to Connacht champions Greenfields.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times