Ryan and Cregan demolish C of I

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.

Laurel Hill Coláiste student Ryan, who vice-captained the Munster U16 side this year and has been blooded in the senior side by coach Ger O’Carroll this term, picked off four of her side’s goals, all coming from play, as she had a fruitful day up front.

Her partner in crime Eimear Cregan — a far more experienced campaigner, given she holds the all-time Irish caps record — notched five of her own as she continues a remarkable goalscoring assault on the league; that’s now 17 strikes in six games.

The result is another setback for a youthful C of I side, who were competitive in their first four encounters but have now shipped 18 goals in two games and remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Meanwhile, Cork Harlequins punished Bandon for failing to protect their circle in a surprisingly straightforward 5-0 win at Harlequin Park.

Quins had recent Irish international centurion Cliodhna Sargent back at the heart of their defence after her goalscoring heroics in Argentina before Christmas, and she duly dispatched her side’s first penalty corner to the backboard inside five minutes.

Rachel McSharry picked up a rebound after Claire Hayes had stick-saved another Sargent effort shortly afterwards, before Kay Gaffney slammed home a switched corner for three from three at set-pieces.

The contest settled down thereafter with Roisin O’Mahony and Sarah Sullivan at the heart of most of Bandon’s best attacking work. But the west Cork side allowed Quins’ young skipper Yvonne O’Byrne too much room to maraud down the right, and she duly assisted late goals for Acacia Taylor and Leanne Mullins to complete the rout.

That left Quins in joint second with UCC on 11 points, while Institute are way out in front with a perfect 18 from 18. Bandon lie fourth, five points off Quins but with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, Catholic Institute’s men are still without a league win this term after Stephen Sweetnam guided Cork Church of Ireland B to a noteworthy 3-1 success at Rosbrien.

Sweetnam, available for second team duty as he was in New Zealand for the start of the season and is therefore not currently restricted by first-team nominations, smashed home a trademark reverse-stick effort and hoovered up a short corner breakdown to put the visitors in command.

Fifteen-year-old starlet Simon Wolfe did likewise to make things more comfortable, before Gary Acheson grabbed a late consolation for the hosts, who stay off the bottom of the table by virtue of Quins B’s inferior goal difference.