Relegation trouble looms for two of Munster’s EY Hockey League sides after a pivotal weekend in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Two of Cork Harlequins’ newbies proved the difference as they lowered the colours of EY Hockey League holders Pegasus with a 4-2 success on Saturday.

 

Ireland coach Darren Smith admits there is plenty of scope for improvement as his side continue their Olympic qualification campaign with a clash with Turkey at UCD today.

Hockey

Cork Church of Ireland remain on course to defend their Peard Cup crown, but only after another stern examination from traditional rivals Cork Harlequins.

Hockey: Munster’s U-16s produced a memorable performance to get their schoolgirls interprovincial championship off to a flying start as they beat Ulster for the first time in a decade.

Ireland senior women’s coach Darren Smith praised his side’s improvement over a short space of time despite going down 3-0 to New Zealand in the Electric Ireland Four Nations final in Dublin this week.

HOCKEY: Ireland’s U21 sides are both safely through to the promotion pool of the EuroHockey Junior Championships II, but not without a couple of scares.

Munster’s women’s leagues will get a major overhaul next season after radical structural changes to the top tier were approved.

Cork Church of Ireland’s men and Cork Harlequins’ women both got their Irish Hockey League campaigns back on track with vital wins on Saturday.

A whirlwind 2014 for Nick Burns continues after he was yesterday named as Ireland U21 captain for this week’s Four Nations tournament at Mossley.

Cork Church of Ireland and Cork Harlequins were the biggest winners on a productive Irish Junior Cup weekend for Munster teams.

A first home draw in a decade has UCC’s men hoping they can finally make waves in the Irish Junior Cup.

Conor O’Kelly, outgoing president Munster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association (MBIHA), has warned the province cannot afford to neglect the running of the game after it took two meetings to elect new management.

Cork Church of Ireland showed they could be a dark horse for this year’s Irish Hockey League by routing Glenanne 4-1 at Garryduff on Saturday.

Villiers gave Ashton a good test before succumbing 5-1 in an entertaining Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup final at Garryduff yesterday.

Cork Harlequins came from nowhere to halt Catholic Institute’s Munster title march with a shock 2-1 win at Garryduff on Saturday.

Cork Harlequins’ hopes of retaining their Munster men’s title will likely rest on their crunch clash with Cork Church of Ireland at Farmer’s Cross tomorrow (12.30pm).

Ireland coach Andrew Meredith was relieved to see his side escape from New Delhi with qualification for round three of the World League yesterday.

Lucy McKee led Ulster’s goal rush as the northern province got the eight-goal margin needed against South East to win the U21 interpros on goal difference at Lisnagarvey yesterday.

They say you don’t win trophies at Christmas but you do in Munster hockey — and Cork C of I will be hoping a third straight Peard Cup success is the start of bigger and better things to come for them.

Ireland’s Champions Challenge I campaign is up and running but not without some controversy as Belfield witnessed plenty of drama yesterday.

Ashton’s stunning display of first-half firepower meant they were never in danger of losing an entertaining Munster Senior Schoolboys Cup final at Garryduff yesterday.

Three Rock Rovers came to Cork with six Irish Hockey League debutants, a clutch of teenagers and little in the way of form — but still left Garryduff with a 2-0 victory that all but ends Church of Ireland’s qualification hopes.

Family ties are hardly unusual in hockey but rarely is it a generational thing — unless you’re Joan and Emma Dobson.

CORK’S finest are running out of time to catch Catholic Institute, after the Limerick side showed off their clinical short corner conversion ability with a 5-1 win over UCC at The Mardyke on Saturday.

LIMERICK schoolgirl Eimear Ryan notched her first hat-trick in senior club hockey as her Catholic Institute side stunned Cork Church of Ireland in a 12-0 Munster league rout at Rosbrien on Saturday.