Women's Hockey Round-up: Yesterday's concluding matches to the three-day round-robin Club Championship at Belfield has thrown up the "old firm" of Pegasus and Hermes to take their places once again and contest next Sunday's grand finale at Belfield (3pm) with the prize of representing Ireland in next season's European Club Championship at stake.
Last year in Cork, Pegasus ousted Hermes from the top spot so it's their turn again to sample European fare when they compete in next month's championship in Berlin.
Hermes' facile 8-0 win yesterday against an under-strength Ballymoney side missing international caps Angela Platt (goal) and Bridget McKeever as well as the highly-talented Nikki McCaughern had only one downside to it as a doubt hangs over the availability of their Irish cap Kristin Farrell who retired with knee ligament trouble.
However, all interest yesterday focused on the outcome of the last match of the day featuring the two Pool B leaders Pegasus and Loreto who had never before progressed this far in the competition and in fact had never won a match in the previous three times they took part in this event.
It was level at 1-1 at half-time, Cathy McKean (Loreto) and Claire McMahon (Pegasus) the scorers in the opening half which saw some exciting end-to-end play and the promise of a grandstand finish to come in the second period.
But experience was to tell in the end on the side of Pegasus, well renowned for producing their best in cup fare and when their central striker Sarah Wilkinson struck the vital lead goal seven minutes after half-time they held out for pool win number three, all of them by one-goal margins.
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