Loreto ready to track league leaders

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: ONCE AGAIN the weather played havoc with the weekend schedule, the chief casualty the under-16 interprovincial tournament in Kilkenny which was cancelled yesterday after the pitches proved unplayable.

Loreto, though, beat the freeze to complete their weekend double-header against Old Alexandra and Hermes, a win and a draw from the games moving them up to second in the table.

Yesterday's meeting with the Leinster champions in Booterstown finished scoreless thanks largely to disciplined defending by both sides and the efforts of goalkeepers Emma Gray (Hermes) and Louisa Healy (Loreto), currently competing for the number one spot in the Irish side.

The result will hardly displease leaders Railway Union, who weren't playing at the weekend, their three-point cushion - with a game in hand - a healthy one as they approach the halfway point in the season.

Loreto picked up maximum points on Saturday when they beat Alexandra 3-0, their goals coming from Lizzie Colvin, Nikki Keegan and Niamh Small. Small's goal was an exceptional one, her solo effort capped by a brilliant chip from the right of the circle.

After dropping five points from two games in the last week, UCD got back on track with a hardfought 1-0 win away to Glenanne. Fiona Braddish got the decisive goal early in the game, Glenanne denied an equaliser by a fine Grace O'Flanagan save in the closing stages.

Trinity, meanwhile, revived their hopes of avoiding relegation by picking up their second point of the week in a 2-2 draw with Pembroke Wanderers. The students showed plenty of resolve, too, in the game at Serpentine Avenue, coming back from 2-0 down, second half goals from Danielle Costigan and Rachel Scott keeping them in touch with the teams immediately above them, Corinthian and Bray.

Just two Munster Division One games survived the weather, champions Cork Harlequins thumping Catholic Institute 6-0 and a Laura Peters hat-trick rescuing a point for the University of Limerick in their game against Ashton, who had led 2-0 and 3-1.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One - Saturday: Glenanne 0, UCD 1 (F Braddish); Pembroke Wanderers 2 (E MacNicholas, L Moore), Trinity 2 (D Costigan, R Scott); Old Alexandra 0, Loreto 3 (L Colvin, N Keegan, N Small). Yesterday: Hermes 0, Loreto 0.

MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Cork Harlequins 6 (C Sargent 2, C O'Connor, C Bergin, J Chapple, R McSharry), Catholic Institute 0; Ashton 3 (E Harrington 2, O O'Donovan), Univ of Limerick 3 (L Peters 3).