IHA waits for legal direction

Following a meeting on Saturday, to discuss the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) ruling that Ireland must attempt to 're-qualify' for the 2002 World Cup at a tournament in South Africa in February, the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) is consulting with its legal advisors before deciding what action to take. It does, however, seem increasingly likely that the FIH will find itself having to defend its disciplinary committee's decision, described as "perverse" and "extremely flawed" by one Irish legal opinion, in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

If events at the World Cup Qualifier in September were farcical, the ruling appears to have made a bad situation worse. Ireland, India, Lithuania and the US are now being asked to compete for the final two qualifying spots within an eight-team tournament that involves four other nations - England, Germany, Korea and South Africa - who have already qualified for the World Cup and who have nothing to do with the dispute.

The FIH has offered to pay 100 per cent of Ireland's and 75 per cent of Lithuania's "reasonable travel and accommodation costs" to South Africa - India and the United States were already scheduled to play in the tournament. However, at least six Irish p layers are unlikely to be able to travel, should Ireland agree to play in the tournament, due to work and exam commitments.

Lithuania, too, have similar problems. "When we told our players the news the students said 'South Africa in February - fantastic', but the mothers said 'oh no'," said Leonardas Caikauskas, president of the Lithuanian Hockey Federation, who will wait for his lawyer to study the five-page judgement before giving a full response.

India, meanwhile, will not give an official reaction to the verdict until they examine it in detail but they are, it would seem, entitled to strongly object to the fact that, having been told a seventh place finish at the Qualifier would earn them home advantage in a three-way play-off against the U S, they are now being told they must qualify in Johannesburg.

It proved to be a fruitful weekend for Ulster clubs in the second round of the Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup with six of the province's seven competing teams winning through to the last 16. Section two leaders Coleraine produced the most impressive result of the round, beating Leinster first division leaders Pembroke Wanderers, who have yet to concede a goal in five league outings this season, 5-2.

Emily MacNicholas's gave Pembroke the lead but former Railway Union player Teri Chelin, one of three South Africans in the side, levelled for Coleraine within two minutes. Kathryn Henderson restored Pembroke's lead just before the break but four second half goals from the home side helped create the upset of the round.

Belfast Harlequins, Knock and Ballymena all had 1-0 away wins, over Corinthian, UCC and Church of Ireland respectively, while Victorians beat NUI Galway by the more comfortable margin of 4-1 in Dangan. Leinster's only second round success came at Belfield, where goals from Emer Horan and Linda O'Neill gave UCD a 2-0 win over North Down, but in Cork Trinity were knocked out of the competition by Bandon, losing 2-1 after extra time. Randalstown were granted a walkover when Yeats County, for whom only nine players could travel, had to withdraw from their tie at the Antrim Forum.