Big three are pushed but not beaten

WOMENS HOCKEY: It's déjà vu. After five games played Loreto, Hermes and Old Alexandra are inseparable, points-wise, at the top of the Leinster first division table.

Hard as they're trying, the other seven teams in the division are finding it difficult to alter the status quo.

All three clubs, though, didn't come by their points on Saturday too easily, which, once again, is an encouraging indication of the competitiveness of this season's league.

Railway Union held Hermes scoreless until the second half at Booterstown, before Aoife Mitchell and Anna McGloughlin - the former UCD player from Limerick - finally sealed the points with goals in the second half.

Meanwhile, at Grange Road, a former Hermes player, Dawn Kelly, put Three Rock, now at full strength and, consequently, revived after their early-season struggles, a goal up in the second half against Loreto.

But, just as they did against Railway in their second game of the season, the champions fought back to take the points.

Caitríona O'Kelly and Wendy Byrne were their scorers, with Kate Cassidy denying them a more comfortable margin of victory by saving a penalty stroke.

Old Alexandra, too, were made to toil for their victory at Milltown by Pembroke Wanderers, with Trish Conway finding a way through their defence with just 10 minutes to go.

Alexandra went on to make it six points out of six over the weekend when they beat UCD 3-2 at Belfield yesterday, Ciara Murphy getting their all-important third goal before Eimear Horan made it 2-3 for the students late into the second half.

It was, though, a heartening weekend for UCD.

They felt unlucky not to take a point from the Alexandra game, after doing much of the attacking, but were easy victors over Genesis on Saturday.

Barbara Fitzgerald, Clare Sullivan, Jean McDonnell, Katy Fraser and Horan got their goals, despite the absence of Christine Quinlan and Jilly Cotter, who, sadly, has sustained another cruciate injury.

After failing to convert any of their string of short corners on Saturday, Corinthians were left exasperated by a 0-0 draw with Clontarf, who picked up their second point of the season at Whitechurch.

Up north, Ballymoney and Belfast Harlequins made it five wins in a row, Ballymoney beating Victorians 6-2 and Harlequins, for whom Suzanne Beaney scored four, cruising to a 5-1 win over Omagh.

Champions Pegasus kept in touch with the leaders by beating Ards 4-0.

The Irish Hockey Association is to advertise for an assistant coach to Riet Kuper, the senior women's coach.

The successful candidate is likely to be in place before a warm-weather trip abroad in February, part of the preparations for next summer's European Nations Cup in Dublin.