Railway denied by late goal

WOMEN'S HOCKEY:CAITRIONA McGILP was the toast of her former club UCD on Saturday afternoon when her goal five minutes from time against Railway Union at Park Avenue gave Hermes a draw and ensured that the Leinster League division one title went to the students.

It was an agonising finish to the league campaign for unbeaten Railway who finished level on points with UCD, but lost the title on “games won”, the new champions having 15 victories to their name compared to Railway’s 14.

Earlier in the day a goal from Nicola Gray, 10 minutes in to the second half, gave UCD the points against Old Alexandra, keeping the pressure on Railway as they faced the dethroned champions.

Zara Delany helped settle the nerves early on when she gave the home side the lead after eight minutes, Julia O’Halloran restoring that advantage just before the break after Sarah Patton had levelled for Hermes.

Railway needed the win to take the title and were just five minutes away from doing just that when McGilp, to the delight of the watching UCD contingent, converted from a rebound to make it 2-2.

It was the club’s second trophy in three weeks, adding to the Leinster Jacqui Potter Cup they won when they beat, of all people, Hermes.

Johnny Harte’s side is also through to the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup, where they play Pegasus, and is on course to qualify for the semi-finals of the Irish Hockey League.

When they lost to Railway in January, and again to Loreto the following week, their challenge was beginning to have a doomed look about it. But they responded with seven successive wins, enough in the end to clinch the title. It is turning into quite a season for UCD.