Persistent Burke denies Old Alex

HOCKEY: Old Alexandra were just three minutes away from beating Leinster champions Hermes at Booterstown on Saturday but were denied all three points by Jenny Burke's equaliser.

Burke had given Hermes the lead early in the game but Jeamie Deacon levelled for Alexandra before half-time and Lisa Dowling put them 2-1 up eight minutes after the break.

Loreto took full advantage of their rivals' draw, beating UCD 3-0, with all of their goals coming in the second half - two from Cathy McKean (one of them a penalty stroke) and one from Sarah Scott.

A goal in each half from Nicci Daly and Susie Geoffroy gave Corinthian their first points of the new season, against Clontarf, while Pembroke Wanderers put six goals past Three Rock Rovers, with Elaine Bromell scoring twice.

Cork Harlequins' junior Australian international Ashleigh Roberson was among the goals in the Munster champions' 9-1 drubbing of Ashton, with Hilary Chapple, Rachael Kohler and Karen Bateman scoring two apiece.

Church of Ireland also got off to a bright start, beating the University of Limerick 4-1.

Two disallowed goals - one for each side - were the talking points of England's 1-1 draw with India at the World Cup in Madrid.

India thought they had scored on the stroke of half-time only for Asunta Lakra's effort to be ruled out for dangerous play - a decision of which they were not made aware until midway through the interval.

In the 68th minute Kerry Williams's claims for a winner were dismissed by the video umpire, who ruled she had not deflected the ball in.

Leicester forward Williams set up Chelmsford's Chloe Rogers to score the opener for England in the 47th minute but Surinder Kaur equalised 11 minutes later from the penalty spot.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Clontarf 0 Corinthians 2 (N Daly, S Geoffroy); UCD 0 Loreto 3 (C McKean 2, 1 pen, S Scott); Hermes 2 (J Burke 2) Old Alexandra 2 (L Dowling, J Deacon); Three Rock Rovers 0 Pembroke Wanderers 6 (E Bromell 2, S Hall, W Hobson, D Kelly, S Ryan). Division Two: Railway Union II 0 Glenanne 1 (T McGinley); UCD II 2 (C Prichard, M Brewster) Diocesan 2 (J Gillen, J Stewart); Old Alexandra II 0 Corinthians II 1 (B Curtis); Pembroke Wanderers II 2 (A Sweeney-Farrell, L Hill) Hermes II 2 (A Keane, S McDonald); Loreto II 1 (S Walsh) Genesis 0.

MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: University of Limerick 1 (J O'Loughlin) Church of Ireland 4 (K Barry 2, S Herbert, A Roberts); UCC 3 (M Crowley 2, E O'Donoghue) Belvedere 1 (A Murphy); Cork Harlequins 9 (R Kohler 2, H Chapple 2, K Bateman 2, A Roberson, R O'Byrne, J O'Halloran) Ashton 1 (J Casey).