Hermes lose to Scots in Louvain

Hermes made a losing start to their first European campaign in Louvain, Belgium, yesterday but they put up a spirited display in their 4-2 defeat by Dundee team Bonagrass Grove, in their opening Pool A match of the Cup Winners' Cup (A Division). Linda Mackey gave the Scottish cup holders the lead after just six minutes, turning home a cross rifled across the face of goal by Sue Fraser. Two minutes before the interval, Stella Mitchell scored straight from a short corner.

Hermes rallied, largely through the efforts of Sinead McDonnell, Daphne Sixsmith and Caitriona Carey. On the stroke of half-time, Carol Devine halved the deficit when she was first to a rebound from a short corner strike and in the 43rd minute Sixsmith levelled the scores with a well worked goal from play. Parity was, however, short lived. Just three minutes after conceding the equaliser, Grove restored their lead when Irish international Karen Humphreys scored a superb goal, from the edge of the circle, and nine minutes later Fraser hit a thunderous shot from a short corner. In the day's other Pool A match favourites Amsterdam cruised to a 6-1 victory over hosts Louvain, whom Hermes play today.

Lisnagarvey restricted Uhlenhorst Mulheim to a 4-2 winning scoreline as the men's European club championship (A division) got underway in Terrassa, Spain.

German international Andreas Becker breached the Ulster side's defence after only five minutes and went on to claim a first half hat-trick after Mark Tumilty had equalised from a penalty corner.

Another of Uhlenhorst's international contingent, Dirk Brinkmann, added a fourth goal in the 45th minute, but a spirited performance from Lisnagarvey was underlined when Colin Clarke cut the deficit from the penalty spot near the end.

Pembroke Wanderers' prospects of winning promotion for Ireland in the Cup Winners Cup were given a boost in Rome when Lazio and Gordonians of Scotland, their two main rivals for a place in Monday's final of the B division competition, played a 2-2 draw. Pembroke, who meet temperamental Lazio today, didn't have a game yesterday because of the withdrawal of Avora Kiev.