Thursday, April 15: Four sides played their seventeenth league games of the season under the floodlights on Tuesday and Wednesday night ahead of the EY Hockey League’s epic conclusion on Saturday, April 18.
In the Women’s EYHL, Old Alex held league champions Loreto to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night to add another potentially crucial point to their tally as the Dublin club continue their bid for topflight survival. Ella Agnew gave Alex a short-lived lead that was quickly cancelled out by Siofra O’Brien. Alex stuck it out to secure a point, with Loreto taking the bonus point in a simply unbelievable shootout where both Elizabeth Murphy and Holly Micklem starred.
On Wednesday, Portadown came out on top against Ulster rivals Queen’s University thanks in part to goals from Annie Gordon and Alyssa Sommerville. Queen’s pulled a goal back late on but Portadown maintained their lead to grab a win that lifts them out of the relegation zone and into EY Champions Trophy places.
In the Men’s EYHL, YMCA defeated Leinster rivals Monkstown to keep their slim chances of an EY Champions Trophy Play-Off place alive. Hayden Jones gave YM the lead after eleven minutes before Adam Walker grabbed his twelfth goal of the season from a penalty corner to put the game beyond Monkstown’s reach.
Banbridge summited the Men’s EYHL table on Wednesday night after beating Cookstown away from home to give themselves a two-point advantage going into Saturday’s final round of fixtures. Cookstown didn’t make it easy for their Ulster compatriots, keeping it a one-score game going into half-time thanks to a Daniel Kerr brace. But Banbridge pulled away in the second half to seal their win, Louis Rowe completing his hattrick alongside goals from Lukas Moles, and Adam McKee.
Old Alex 1 [1 – 2] 1 Loreto
Queen’s University 1 – 2 Portadown
YMCA 2 – 0 Monkstown
Cookstown 3 – 7 Banbridge
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