Sargent set for 100th cap milestone

CLIODHNA SARGENT could be set to get an early Christmas present this weekend — her 100th Irish senior cap.

The 23-year-old Cork Harlequins defender could become one of the youngest players to reach the milestone — team-mate Shirley McCay, six months Sargent’s junior, hit the ton mark in April — if she plays in the remainder of Ireland’s games on their tour of Argentina.

The girls in green took on India last night — Sargent scoring her third goal in four games, and winning her 98th cap — and meet the hosts in Parana tomorrow, with the landmark set to arrive in Sunday’s classification game.

There was also a personal highlight in midweek for Loreto playmaker Niamh Small, who won her 50th cap against South Africa on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a raft of player absences threatens to derail Cork Church of Ireland’s chances of silverware on two fronts. The Garryduff outfit face bitter rivals Cork Harlequins twice during the festive season, beginning with tomorrow’s Munster league clash before they lock horns in the Peard Cup final nine days later.

C of I have had to do without talisman John Jermyn (ankle) since October, while defender Phil Smith is honeymooning and Alec Moffett (broken hand) and Shane O’Donnell (family commitments) are also out.

It means Quins, with Paul Lombard and Jason Black back in harness, will be plotting a repeat of their successful raid of Garryduff in April, a 3-2 success which saw them deny C of I a fifth successive league title.

Elsewhere, champions Catholic Institute face their first major test on the road this term as they head to Cork Harlequins.

The Limerick outfit have drawn their last two encounters here, including a scoreless stalemate last term which denied them a 100% seasonal record at the last hurdle, but have been in ominous form recently, hitting a combined 19 goals past Ashton and UL. Quins, however, have been buoyed by the return of Karen Bateman, not to mention last weekend’s come-from-behind 3-2 Munster Senior Cup win at UCC.

Meanwhile, UCC and Bandon meet in west Cork, with the stakes especially high for the students, who lie four points off Institute in second but have played a game extra. Ashton and UL lock horns in Limerick.