Bandon’s stunning comeback the stand out cup shock
The west Cork girls were 3-0 down midway through the second half but stunned the hosts with four goals in nine minutes — a Ciara McCarthy brace plus one each from Rachel Desmond and Katie Desmond — saw them escape with a 4-3 victory.
They were joined in round three by Cork Harlequins, who saw off Corinthian 1-0 thanks to Karen Bateman’s short corner rebound, while Cork C of I won the all-Munster tie with UCC 3-2, twice coming from a goal behind before Dymphna Hill netted a last-minute winner.
Quins are the last Munster team standing in the men’s Irish Junior Cup after their three Pauls did the damage in a 4-1 win over YMCA. Paul Lombard hit two with Paul Murray and Paul Holland also finding the target. Cork C of I came unstuck at Instonians, losing 1-0.
The women’s Munster Senior Cup quarter-finals produced plenty of drama, not least in Fermoy where the ever-improving hosts picked up a dramatic first win of the season over Bandon.
Fermoy survived a dozen short corners in a scoreless 70 minutes, with Joan Lonergan and goalkeeper Ondine Roche in fine form. They then stunned Bandon with a breakaway goal from skipper Aibhin O’Sullivan 90 seconds into silver-goal extra-time, which proved to be the winner.
UCC exacted revenge for a league defeat by title rivals Catholic Institute as they won 4-2 at Rosbrien. Sarah Browner’s brace cancelled out a Naomi Carroll double while Aine Curran and Miriam Crowley also found the target for the students.
C of I laboured to a 2-0 extra-time victory over Limerick at Garryduff amid an incredible rearguard action from the visitors, who survived 23 short corners before goals from Claire Hickey and Amy Roberts saw C of I over the line.
There were also a handful of Division One league games, with UL doubling up but having no luck as they lost 3-1 to Ashton and 9-0 to Cork Harlequins. Caroline McCarthy’s brace and a Michelle Barry short corner strike did the necessary in the first half for Ashton, while Cliodhna Sargent and Karen Bateman shared seven goals between them in a facile win for Quins.
UCC’s men got out of jail as they hosted Bandon for the second time in eight days, Fionn O’Leary — who hit the winner first time out — earning them a 2-2 draw late in the day.
A fine Gary Wilkinson goal had put the students in front but Graham Kingston scored a beautiful solo goal before drawing a foul that led to a penalty stroke which Ali Smith converted.
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