Carey’s brace hands Limerick students shock opening day win

AS shocks in Munster women’s hockey go, this was more full-blown earthquake than minor tremor.

University of Limerick captain Steph Peters had promised her side would be more competitive this term, but she couldn’t possibly have imagined they’d start the campaign with a 2-1 away win over Cork Harlequins.

Quins may not be the same force that won 15 consecutive Munster titles and went unbeaten in league action for eight years between 2000 and 2008, but for them to fall on home turf against a side they thumped 12-0 in the corresponding fixture last season was nothing short of remarkable.

UL perhaps had three legitimate opportunities in the game and converted two of them, both finished off adroitly by Sorcha Carey. Quins, on the other hand, were incredibly wasteful after taking the lead through Leanne Mullins, culminating in late drama as UL keeper Elaine O’Flynn brilliantly kept out Orlagh Cotter’s injury-time penalty stroke.

Champions Catholic Institute took full advantage of that drama, cruising to a 6-0 win away to Bandon with Irish record cap holder Eimear Cregan notching four of those.

Elsewhere, Julie O’Sullivan notched a deserved late equaliser for Cork Church of Ireland, who rallied well to claim a 1-1 draw with Ashton, after Caroline McCarthy had rebounded to notch the opener.

The opening three men’s league fixtures were all one-sided, as expected. Andrew Scannell and recent returnee Melvin Beamish both notched a brace as Bandon routed Catholic Institute 6-1, while Alec Moffett bagged a hat-trick in Cork C of I’s 4-0 win over Cork Harlequins B. A young C of I seconds side succumbed 9-0 to champions Cork Harlequins.

In Leinster, Corinthian produced the result of the day in the men’s league, overcoming a three-goal half-time deficit to draw 3-3 with Pembroke, while in the women’s league Jean McDonnell denied UCD’s new batch of teenage superstars-in-waiting an opening game victory with a late leveller for Railway Union in a 2-2 draw.