EY HOCKEY LEAGUE DIVISON 1 MEN’S CHAMPIONS TROPHY QUARTER-FINALS
YMCA 1 THREE ROCK ROVERS 0
Two evenly matched sides from the Southside of Dublin were almost inseparable in this tie at Wesley College. A scoreless first half was followed by a scoreless third quarter. As the game wound down and seemed to be heading for a penalty shoot-out with only two minutes left on the clock Grant Glutz popped up from open play to finish to the net in the 68th minute, to grab the only goal of the game. Three Rock Rovers bow out and YMCA continue an impressive run which has now taken them into the final four of the Champions Trophy next weekend in Banbridge on a scoreline of YMCA 1 Three Rock Rovers 0.
GLENANNE 1 MONKSTOWN 2
All the goals in this game came in the opening 10 minutes. Monkstown took the lead in the 4th minute who scored from open play. Kevin Venter equalised in the 7th minute for Glenanne to make it 1-1. Monkstown captain Geoff Cole restored the visitor’s lead in the 12th minute to 2-1. After much of the possession and multiple runs at goal Monkstown stood firm until Glenanne were awarded a penalty stroke in the final minutes of this game. Now the odds are stacked heavily against the goalkeeper in penalty stroke situations and so Shane O’Donoghue was red hot favourite to grab an equaliser for Glenanne. But nobody told David Fitzgerald that. He dived to his left and saved the effort. Monkstown held out to win 2-1 and they qualified for the last four of the Champions Trophy in Banbridge next weekend.
EYHL DIVISION 2 MEN’S SEMI-FINALS
AVOCA 4 CORK HARLEQUINS 2
In the first of the Men’s EYHL 2 semi-finals Avoca eventually overcame Cork Harlequins to secure promotion into Men’s Division 1 for 2024-25 and of course secure a place in tomorrow’s final. Cork Harlequins took the lead through a John Whyte field goal in the 6th minute. Guy Sarratt equalised from a converted penalty corner in the 12th minute to make it 1-1. Cork Harlequins restored their lead through a converted penalty corner from John Hobbs in the 33rd minute. 2-1 to Harlequins. Daragh Grogan equalised for Avoca in the 40th minute to make it 2-2. Guy Sarratt got his second goal of the game in the 56th minute when he converted another penalty corner to give Avoca a 3-2 lead. Avoca secured their place in next seasons EYHL Men’s Division 1 as well as tomorrow’s final when Guy Sarratt completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute to secure a 4-2 win.
COOKSTOWN 1 PEMBROKE WANDERERS 2
Pembroke Wanderers won this semi-final in the second game of the morning at Garryduff in Cork by defeating Ulster Premier League winners Cookstown. In so doing they secured a place in the EYHL2 Final tomorrow afternoon but more importantly a return to EYHL Men’s Division 1 next season. Daniel Kerr gave Cookstown the lead with a converted penalty corner in the 9th minute. It was a lead they held until half-time. Mitchell Thompson equalised for Pembroke Wanderers in the 38th minute with a goal from open play to make it 1-1. Ross Breytenbach secured the win, promotion back to the EYHL 1, and a place in tomorrow’s final with a 68th minute field goal to make the final score 2-1.
EYHL DIVISON 1 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS TROPHY QUARTER-FINALS
PEMBROKE WANDERERS 0 UCD 0 ( UCD WON 2-1 IN A SHOOT OUT)
Pembroke Wanderers who finished 4th in the League ended up playing against 5th placed UCD in this Champions Trophy quarter-final. UCD had won the Division last season and were denied the Champions Trophy by Loreto. This year following this result UCD have a chance to do unto others as they have been done to on two previous occasions. This was a very closely fought game between two very evenly matched sides meeting each other for the fourth time this season. The two league games ended in draws the only blip in the closeness of these two sides was in the Irish Senior Cup where UCD thumped Pembroke 4-0. This game was more like the two league encounters and both goalkeepers, Pembroke’s Aoife Glennon and UCD’s Erika Gallagher excelled in normal time, completing saves which kept their own sides in the game as well as denying the opposition. UCD were the dominant side in the final quarter and created numerous chances to score but overall, it was no real surprise when it ended scoreless. 0-0 and it went to a Shoot-out.
UCD took the first penalty and Ali Griffin had her effort saved by Aoife Glennon. Emily Beatty took the first penalty for Pembroke Wanderers and UCD goalkeeper Erika Gallagher forced her to put the ball wide. Mikayla Power took the second penalty for UCD and put the Students ahead 1-0. Pembroke Wanderers captain Ellen Curran put her effort wide again under pressure from UCD goalkeeper Erika Gallagher. Katie-Jane Marshall was next up for UCD and despite the best efforts of Aoife Glennon in the Pembroke Wanderers goal Marshall forced the ball over the line within the time allotted to put UCD 2-0 ahead. Up next for Pembroke Wanderers was Martha McCready and she scored her effort to make it 2-1 in the shoot-out to UCD. Leah O’Shea was up fourth for UCD and was forced to put her effort wide by Aoife Glennon, so it remained 2-1. Orla Macken was up fourth for Pembroke Wanderers and her effort was saved by UCD goalkeeper Erika Gallagher. The final penalty was taken by Sarah McAuley but in the 1 v 1 format the goalkeeper can have a bigger effect on the outcome during the 8 seconds time limit and Aoife Glennon forced her to shoot wide. The final effort from Pembroke Wanderers from Sinéad Loughran whose effort was saved by UCD goalkeeper Erika Gallagher. UCD advance to the Champions Trophy semi-final weekend in Banbridge.
PEMBROKE WANDERERS:- Aoife Glennon (GK); Martha McCready; Roisín Sexton; Eanna Horan; Emily Beatty; Orla Macken; Katie Murphy; Ellen Curran (C); Mila Fulton; Emma Young ; Sarah Young; Rachel O’Brien; Sally Campbell; Sinead Loughran; Isobel Field
UCD: Erika Gallagher; Leah O’Shea; Florence Maughan; Katie-Jane Marshall; Caoimhe Byrne; Ali Griffin; Sarah McAuley Lauren Moore; Mikayla Power; Anna Costello; Emma Paul (C); Anna McCarthy; Lauren Johnston; Aine Naughton; Katharine Egan; Sydney Weir McErlean
CATHOLIC INSTITUTE 3 OLD ALEXANDRA 1
Catholic Institute set themselves up for a potential double by reaching the Semi-finals weekend in the Champions Trophy which will take place next week in Havelock Park, Banbridge by defeating Old Alexandra in the quarter-final at Rosbrien. Ciara Moloney opened the scoring for Institute with a field goal in the 5th minute. Tory Byrne increased the lead for Catholic Institute in the 12th minute to make the score 2-0. Old Alexandra, who narrowly qualified for this quarter final on the basis of more League games won, got on the scoresheet through Abi Russell in the 66th minute from open play. It was 2-1 with four minutes remaining but Leah Clery removed any doubt by sealing the win for Catholic Institute with a 70th minute goal from open play to seal a 3-1 win. Catholic Institute will join the last four and take on Railway Union next Saturday in Banbridge.
EYHL DIVISION 2 WOMEN’S SEMI-FINAL
CORK HARLEQUINS 1 ARDS 2
In Garryduff the afternoon began with the first women’s EYHL 2 semi-final between Cork Harlequins and Ards. In the men’s semi-final earlier in the day Cork Harlequins men had failed to advance to tomorrow’s final. Unfortunately, their women’s team made it a double heart break by finishing on the wrong side of a 2-1 result. Ards took the lead through Rachel Houston from open play in the 19th minute. Cork Harlequins captain Michelle Barry equalised in the 22nd minute to make it 1-1. Rachel Houston scored her second goal from open play in the 34th minute to secure the victory by 2-1.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK 3 BELFAST HARLEQUINS 1
UCC will be in the EYHL Women’s Division 1 next season after this 3-1 over Belfast Harlequins who face another season in the Ulster Premier League in 2024-25. Julia McCarthy opened the scoring when she converted a penalty corner in the 36th minute to make it 1-0 to UCC. Abi O’Mahony added a second goal in the 44th minute to put the students 2-0 ahead. Emma O’Sullivan made it 3-0 in the 54th minute. Emma Fraser got Belfast Harlequins on the scoresheet in the 69th minute with a converted penalty corner, but it proved to be only a consolation goal as UCC ran out 3-1 winners. Three Cork teams in the EYHL 2 semi-finals between men and women’s teams but only UCC got promoted.
IRISH MEN’S JUNIOR CUP SEMI FINAL
CORINTHIANS 6 RATHGAR 0
On Tuesday last Corinthians 2nds secured the Irish Men’s Junior Cup Final comfortably beating Rathgar by 6-0. Greg Williams got a hat-trick for the Reds and further goals from Andrew McCourt, Eli Breen and Callum McCourt ensured there would be silverware in the trophy cabinet for Corinthians again this season.
