Lynch seals victory for Loreto

Women's Hockey: There was a goal feast in the Leinster first division on Saturday with four matches producing 28 scores - the fifth game, though, champions Loreto's fixture at Grange Road against Three Rock, was settled by a single goal, Jessica Lynch finishing off a fine sweeping move to give her team the points.

Corinthian managed to put four goals past Old Alexandra but still failed to take a point, despite staging a plucky comeback, conceding five, two of them scored by Alexandra's Jeamie Deacon. Deacon's former Waterford team-mate Kristin Farrell made it three goals in her first two games for Hermes when she scored twice in Saturday's 6-0 drubbing of Clontarf.

Cathy Kenefick, too, is another Leinster League newcomer who's finding the goals easy to come by, scoring twice for Railway Union in their 5-0 win against Trinity, the students' opening game of the season. Trinity will trust there will be easier games ahead, much as UCD will hope they finally get some reward for their efforts.

UCD were unlucky not to take something from their game against Railway last week and despite scoring three goals against Pembroke Wanderers on Saturday went down to a defeat again, losing 5-3.

In Ulster, meanwhile, Belfast Harlequins' hopes of putting up a challenge to Pegasus this season were dealt a substantial blow when their Irish international Suzanne Beaney informed them she is joining the Belfast club.

To compound Harlequins' woes goalkeeper Jenny Gibson announced her retirement, playing her final game for the club in Saturday's 2-0 Ulster Shield defeat by Ballymoney. Pegasus beat Portadown 9-2 at Edenvilla Park - business as usual, then.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Three Rock 0 Loreto 1 (J Lynch); Corinthian 4 (S Geoffroy, S Walker, C McGowan, S Murphy), Old Alexandra 5 (J Deacon 2, J Perrin, Z Dahl, L McCoy); Clontarf 0 Hermes 6 (K Farrell 2, A McCarthy 2, M Powers, D McDermott); Pembroke Wanderers 5 (S Clarke 2, L Hill, W Hobson, N Fulton) UCD 3 (R Flinn 2, S Gleeson); Trinity 0 Railway Union 5 (C Kenefick 2, S Dooley, J McDonnell, B Maguire).

Division Two: Pembroke Wanderers II 2 (H Williams, V Fenton) Glenanne 2 (S Coulton 2); Loreto II 3 (N Small, F Sweeney, S Hayes), Hermes II 0; Bray 1 (C Cox) Diocesan 2 (M Greally, S Jones); Old Alexandra II 3 (H Long, H Agar, J Flinn) Loreto III 1 (N Keogh); Genesis 5 (C Maguire 2, L Barry, G Cotter, S O'Connell) Corinthian II 0.