Leinster top three excel

Women's Hockey Club Championships: Their coaches will insist their teams' jobs are far from done, but Leinster's top three this season, Loreto, Old Alexandra and Hermes, will, at least, go into the second legs of their club championship quarter-finals next weekend with first-leg wins under their belts.

Of the three Hermes will be the most satisfied with their weekend's work - impressive it was too, Aidan Kidney's team beating Munster champions Cork Harlequins 3-0 at Booterstown.

Harlequins enjoyed plenty of possession in what was an even-enough game, the difference between the teams being that when chances presented themselves Hermes took them. They were 1-0 up at half-time, courtesy of an Aoife Mitchell goal midway through the first period. Mitchell, again, and Jenny Burke, playing in the midfield role she has filled for Ireland in the last year, added two more in the second half.

Harlequins, then, have a mountainous task when they host Hermes at Farmers' Cross next weekend, as have Randalstown when they play their return leg against Old Alexandra at the Antrim Forum on Saturday.

Alexandra, runners-up to Hermes last year, will have been content with their 3-1 victory over the runners-up to Pegasus in this year's Ulster league, although they will hope they won't have cause to rue a late missed penalty stroke when they travel north for the second leg.

Anya Bowers and Zanya Dahl had put Alexandra 2-0 up, in the opening 12 minutes, before Randalstown had time to settle, but Randalstown fought back tigerishly, pulling a goal back before the break through Pamela Orr.

Jan Perrin restored the Dublin side's two-goal advantage midway through the second half, before Trish Conway's stroke was saved by Alison Lappin.

The elements, meanwhile, contrived to give Loreto an extra day's recovery from their European Cup Winners' Cup exertions, heavy rain making Coleraine's pitch unplayable on Saturday. The game went ahead, though, yesterday morning, and Cathy McKean gave the Leinster champions a first-half lead.

McKean, again, and Jessica Lynch appeared to have all but sealed the tie for Loreto with two more second-half goals but, after tiredness evidently caught up with Loreto, Coleraine kept their hopes alive with two goals from short corners in the final 10 minutes, Alison McCloskey and player-coach Caryn Bentley converting.

A week's rest, along with home advantage and the likely availability of Irish international Nikki Symmons (who missed yesterday's game), should, though, be enough to see Loreto make up for last year's quarter-final exit at the hands of Cork Harlequins.

With Pegasus and Bandon due to meet at Belfield next Saturday and Sunday all four finalists will be decided next weekend.