Alexandra earn chance of revenge

Women's Hockey Irish Senior Cup:After trouncing Omagh 8-0 in the second round of the ESB Irish Senior Cup on Saturday Old Alexandra might have hoped for a kinder "reward" than a third-round tie against Hermes, the team that beat them in last year's final. Hermes, mind, will be no more enthusiastic about the draw, completing what was already a disappointing weekend after their 2-0 defeat by Loreto in the league.

Loreto also landed themselves a formidable tie, an away trip to Munster champions Cork Harlequins. But if they maintain the form that helped them beat Hermes, with second-half goals from Wendy Byrne and Cathy McKean, they should travel to Cork next month in high spirits.

Munster's only other representatives in the third round, Church of Ireland, have been drawn away to Ards, for whom Jenny Magill scored the golden-goal winner against UCC on Saturday.

Both Belvedere (7-0 losers to Belfast Harlequins) and Bandon (who lost 4-0 to Lurgan) bowed out of the competition, but Leinster clubs fared better, UCD and Pembroke Wanderers recording 2-1 away wins over Lisnagarvey and Victorians respectively.

Corinthian got the better of Three Rock in the round's all-Leinster affair, winning 4-1, but Armagh, for whom Australian debutante Katrina Paterson scored a hat-trick, were comfortable 6-1 winners over Trinity in Santry.

Armagh will be back in Dublin for the third round having been drawn against Pembroke, while Corinthian must travel north to play Lurgan. UCD host Randalstown, Railway Union are away to Ballymoney and Pegasus meet Ulster rivals Belfast Harlequins.

While Pegasus, naturally enough, will be one of the favourites to win the Irish Cup this season, they're nigh on certs to retain their league title after handing out a 7-1 drubbing to Ballymoney on Saturday. Suzanne Beaney helped herself to a hat-trick.

ESB IRISH SENIOR CUP - Second round:Lurgan 4 (C Hull 2, J Harvey, Z McNally), Bandon 0; Belfast Harlequins 7 (K Thornton 2, R Smith 2, A Gordon, J Getty, T Caruthers), Belvedere 0; UCC 2 (E O'Donoghue, M Crowley), Ards 3 (J Magill 2, C Woods), after extra-time; Trinity 1 (L Johnson), Armagh 6 (C Patterson 3, A Stewart, E Stewart, C Russell); Lisnagarvey 1 (N Hussey), UCD 2 (S Gleeson, R Flinn); Omagh 0, Old Alexandra 8 (L McCoy, Z Dahl, L Cotter, B Fitzgerald 3); Victorians 1 (H McMillan), Pembroke Wanderers 2 (D Kelly, E Bromell); Corinthian 4 (S Murphy, C Johnson, V Sexton, S Geoffroy), Three Rock 1 (B Charmont).

Third round draw:UCD v Randalstown, Pegasus v Belfast Harlequins, Pembroke Wanderers v Armagh, Cork Harlequins v Loreto, Lurgan v Corinthian, Old Alexandra v Hermes, Ards v Church of Ireland, Ballymoney v Railway Union. (Ties to be played January 27th).