Hermes and Pegasus renew old rivalry in Cup quarter-finals

WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Irish Seniors cup: After coming through their third round Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup ties on Saturday with 2-0 victories over doughty opponents, Hermes and Pegasus received precisely the news they didn't want to hear yesterday - they've been drawn against each other in the quarter-finals.

Old Alexandra's reward for producing the result of the third round - a penalty strokes win away to Portadown - is a home tie against Cork Harlequins, who they beat home and away in last season's All-Ireland quarter-finals, while UCD and Loreto must travel to Ballymoney and Ballymena, respectively.

Alexandra goalkeeper Nikki King, who only got the go-ahead to play against Portadown on Thursday after a blow to her head left her suffering from concussion the previous weekend, saved four strokes in the shoot-out that followed the 0-0 draw between the teams. Ruth Gibson and Sarah O'Connor converted for Alexandra to give them a 2-0 win.

The game of the day took place at Belfield where UCD twice came from behind against Coleraine before Ciara O'Brien scored an extra-time winner to put the students through.

Goals in each half from South African Teri Chelin were cancelled out by Barbara Fitzgerald and Rachel Keegan, her equaliser coming two minutes from time, before O'Brien fired home from a short corner to seal an excellent win.

Loreto also had to come from behind at Beaufort, with goals from Caitriona O'Kelly and Cathy McKean, where Victorians took the lead through Ali Swindlehurst while at Belfield two short corner strikes from Daphne Sixsmith, one in each half, gave Hermes victory over Randalstown and Leinster 'four out of four' in their third round against Ulster clubs.

A hat-trick from Marissa Ahern, who will renew acquaintances with her former Alexandra team-mates in the quarter-finals, was the highlight of Cork Harlequins' 8-0 drubbing of Knock but Munster's two other representative bowed out of the competition.

A superb performance by University of Limerick goalkeeper Ciara Ronan made cup holders Ballymoney winning margin (3-0) a lot tighter than it could have been while former Olympian Jackie McWilliams sent Ballymena on their way to a 2-0 at Bandon.

Belfast Harlequins kept Pegasus scoreless for 21 minutes before two goals in two minutes, from Pamela Magill and Claire McMahon, broke the deadlock at Deramore - that, though, was the end of the scoring.

After being knocked out of the Irish Senior Cup by Hermes two seasons ago, Pegasus had the upper hand on their great rivals last season, beating them 3-0 in the semi-finals in Belfast and 1-0 in the All-Ireland league finals at Belfield.

IRISH SENIOR CUP: Quarter-final draw: Hermes v Pegasus, Old Alexandra v Cork Harlequins, Ballymoney v UCD, Ballymena v Loreto.

Ties to be played February 16th.