Ulster clubs go out as Old Alexandra stun Pegasus

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: For the first time in over a decade there is no Ulster representation in the semi-finals of the Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup, following the exit of Pegasus, Belfast Harlequins and Knock in Saturday's quarter-finals.

Old Alexandra's "reward" for their stunning 3-0 defeat of Pegasus, the All-Ireland champions, at Milltown is an away tie against cup holders Loreto in the last four, while Pembroke Wanderers will host the 2000 winners, Cork Harlequins, at Serpentine Avenue.

When Evanne O'Reilly put Alexandra 3-0 up against Pegasus after 54 minutes on Saturday the Dublin club's supporters were in "pinch yourself" land - even those who had fancied Alexandra to beat the Belfast side could hardly have predicted such a victory.

While Pegasus were still without Arlene Boyles and Claire McMahon, they had Karen Humphreys, making her first appearance of the club season, back in action, lining up alongside fellow internationals Pamela Magill and Katharine Maybin. Even they, though, could not lift their team's strangely flat performance against opponents who played with infinitely greater passion and vigour.

"We went into the game really pumped," as Alexandra captain Zanya Dahl put it. It showed.

In terms of possession Pegasus had the better of the first half hour but Kerry Hiles, who played with the Ulster champions last season, and Leanne Ryan were exceptional at the heart of the Alexandra defence, while midfielders Dahl and Trish Conway were the game's most effective creative forces.

It was Conway who gave Alexandra the lead, converting the first short corner of the game three minutes before the break, before goalkeeper Nikki King and her defenders denied Pegasus an equaliser from their five corners either side of half-time. Dahl made it 2-0 after 50 minutes, turning home Anya Bowers's superb cross from the right at the end of a swift counter-attack, before O'Reilly killed off any hopes of a Pegasus comeback when she fired low to Sharon Moffat's left.

Later in the afternoon Loreto swept aside the challenge of UCD at Belfield, going 3-0 up after just 56 minutes, Nikki Symmons cracking home a shot in the 20th minute before penalty strokes from Sarah Rand and Caitriona O'Kelly in the second half sealed the win - Jessica Lynch scored a late consolation goal for the students.

While Pembroke coaches Roy Horsfield and Gino Barnwell might have lost their way, literally, en route to Deramore, home of Belfast Harlequins, on Saturday, their team managed to find direction after a nervous start that saw the Ulster side in complete control. Jenny McDonough scored from the home team's sixth short corner before Orla Bell, against the run of play, levelled 10 minutes before half-time.

It was a wonderful run by Bell from the half-way line that led to Pembroke's winner 18 minutes from time, the former international skipping past five players before her shot was parried into the path of Wendy Hobson who fired home to give her team an excellent victory over the side that ousted Hermes in the last round.

Cork Harlequins, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals for the third time in four years after beating Knock 4-0 in Belfast, with Karen O'Brien scoring a hat-trick - Carrie O'Callaghan completed the scoring.

Home advantage should make Pembroke, who last won the cup in 1975, the more likely winners of the semi-final tie against Harlequins, but when the Munster champions won the competition in 2000 they beat the Dubliners in a replay, at Serpentine, in the quarter-finals.

Similarly, Loreto will be favourites to beat Alexandra in the semi-finals but the last time the teams met at Beaufort, in a league game in October, Alexandra came away with three points, winning 2-1. Both "away" teams have cause for hope.

IRISH SENIOR CUP - Quarter-finals: Knock 0 Cork Harlequins 4 (K O'Brien 3, 1 pen, C O'Callaghan); UCD 1 (J Lynch) Loreto 3 (N Symmons, S Rand pen, C O'Kelly pen); Belfast Harlequins 1 (J McDonough) Pembroke Wanderers 2 (O Bell, W Hobson); Old Alexandra 3 (T Conway, Z Dahl, E O'Reilly) Pegasus 0.

SEMI-FINAL DRAW - Loreto v Old Alexandra, Pembroke Wanderers v Cork Harlequins. Ties to be played February 22nd.