O’Flanagan fires UCD past Pegasus
The holders continued their winning ways in the Senior Cup against Ulster’s finest, adding to their win last year at the same stage of the competition and the 2009 final victory.
Railway Union had too much cohesion for Hermes as a 2-0 win, highlighted by Kate Dillon emphatically firing a penalty stroke in off the crossbar, saw them book a semi-final berth.
The final clash between UCC and Ards was postponed to February 16; although Cork and the Mardyke was free of ice, adverse conditions up north prevented Ards from travelling.
In Munster, Yvonne O’Byrne’s excellent treble helped leaders Cork Harlequins make it 10 wins from 10 with a 5-0 dismissal of Ashton.
Five different players hit doubles in Catholic Institute’s facile 11-0 defeat of Fermoy while Cork C of I kick started their campaign once more with two victories over UL.
Amy Roberts and Ali O’Regan got them out of jail after going behind to the struggling Limerick students on Saturday, eventually winning that league clash 2-1 before recording a far more comfortable 6-1 Munster Senior Cup quarter-final victory yesterday.
UCC’s seconds followed the lead of their first team in causing a second big shock at Farmer’s Cross inside a week, winning a scintillating Munster Junior Cup tie against Cork Harlequins B 4-2.
The firsts had claimed a 3-3 league draw against Quins on Tuesday which was the first time one of the ‘big two’ of C of I and Quins had dropped points to anyone but each other since 2004.
Peter Catchpole and Stuart O’Grady were central to that result as players, and they masterminded another win as coaches here, with the game turning on Colin Manning’s stunning volleyed effort from the top of the circle.
Two fine Mark Lombard deflections for Quins — who play in a division above the students — were cancelled out by a pair of Andy Colton drag-flicks, while Greg Chambers converted a penalty stroke won by Brian Egan to give UCC breathing space.
College firsts could not repeat the trick in their Munster Senior Cup semi-final, as Quins punished a handful of errors for a deserved 3-1 win. Paul Lombard set up David Egner for the opener after 90 seconds as a fired-up Quins sought revenge.
A David Eakins drag-flick midway through the second half gave them breathing space but Andrew Scannell replied in kind for UCC until a pinpoint strike from Paul Lombard sealed a final date against C of I, who were given a walkover by Bandon in the other last four tie.
The West Cork men did regroup to push UCC all the way in a league clash 24 hours later, a late Greg Chambers goal getting Neil Welch’s side out of jail for a 1-0 win, ending a punishing schedule of four games in eight days.
They’ll now face Limerick in the last four after four goals from Munster U18 hitman Jonny Powell backboned their 9-1 success over Galway.
Philip Sweetnam bagged a brace as Cork C of I B beat Catholic Institute 6-1 to set up a last-four clash with either C of I C or Midleton.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
