UCD’s Deirdre Duke pops up to deny former club Hermes

Railway Union, UCD, Loreto and Pembroke Wanderers all made it two wins out of two in the Leinster first division on Saturday, while Hermes are still waiting to get off the mark after losing by a single goal for the second week running.

And that goal was scored 10 minutes from time by one of their former players, Deirdre Duke, who returned to UCD this season after studies and a successful hockey spell at North Eastern University in Massachusetts.

Railway take over top spot on goal difference from the students after a 6-0 win away to Corinthian, Alex Speers scoring twice, while Pembroke added to last week’s win over Trinity by beating North Kildare 3-1.

Loreto’s bright start to the campaign continued with an impressive 3-0 defeat of Old Alexandra, who had opened their season by beating Hermes. Hannah Matthews, Nikki Keegan and Sarah Clarke got the goals. Kate O’Connor, meanwhile, helped herself to a hat-trick in Glenanne’s 4-0 victory over Trinity.

Dropping points
In Ulster, no side has a perfect record after three games played, Pegasus dropping points again when Ards held them to their second draw this season. Ards top the table for now with Ballymoney who left Armagh rooted to the bottom of the table with an 8-1 win.

Cork Harlequins topped that tally by five in their 13-1 mauling of Fermoy in the Munster first division, Yvonne O’Byrne, who earned a senior international call-up during the summer, scoring four. UCC won the division’s only top five contest, beating Catholic Institute 2-1, the Limerick club’s goal scored by Naomi Carroll who was nominated for a camogie All-Star last week for her performances for Clare through the year.

Leinster League: Division One - Glenanne 4 (K O'Connor 3, Marie Goulding), Trinity 0; Corinthians 0, Railway Union 6 (A Speers 2, E Smyth, K Lloyd, K Dillon, S Hawkshaw); Old Alexandra 0, Loreto 3 (H Matthews, N Keegan, S Clarke); North Kildare 1 (S Carty), Pembroke Wanderers 3 (E Horan, K O'Byrne, H O'Donnell).

Irish Senior Cup: First round draw - North Kildare v Railway Union; Randalstown v Ballymoney; Belfast Harlequins v Cork Harlequins; Ards v Catholic Institute; UCD v Corinthian; Pegasus v Glenanne; Queens v UCC; Armagh v Trinity. Ties to be played November 2nd. Byes: Greenfields, Hermes, Loreto, Lurgan, Old Alexandra, Pembroke Wanderers, Ulster Elks, Lisnagarvey.