Harlequins hoping to keep senior cup challenge on track

Hockey: Cork Harlequins will aim to stay in the hunt for a wide open women’s Irish Senior Cup when they welcome Pegasus to Farmer’s Cross tomorrow (1.30pm).

With heavy-hitters UCD and Loreto already having fallen by the wayside, all eight sides contesting the quarter-finals will harbour ambitions of going all the way.

Pegasus are still a major force in Ulster, lying four points off the summit with two games in hand, but Quins can call on an epic 2010 semi-final victory over the northerners to inspire some confidence.

The hosts welcome back the ever-influential Cliodhna Sargent and Yvonne O’Byrne, who missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Bandon whilst on Irish duty. That looked like a point dropped for the Munster champions, but they will have quietly drawn confidence from getting a result without their influential star after going a goal down.

Elsewhere, Railway Union and Hermes are favourites and have winnable ties against Glenanne and Belfast Harlequins respectively. Ulster Elks will be fancied to progress at Lisnagarvey’s expense.

There are three Munster sides in women’s Irish Hockey Trophy action; defending champions Cork Church of Ireland host Monkstown, who sit atop Division 4 in Leinster but showed their potential for upsets when knocking Division 3 title contenders Clontarf out in round two.

Belvedere hit the road to take on Our Lady’s after an encouraging penalty strokes win over Dromore in round two, while Ashton make their bow in the competition at Armagh, who aren’t the force they were when Mick McKinnon helped a half dozen of their squad gain Irish international status, but still pose a major threat.

Bandon are the last Munster side standing in the men’s Irish Trophy and have some unfinished business after last year’s final defeat to Newry. They face North Down in a repeat of last year’s quarter-final, which they won 3-2 after extra-time, but this time have to hit the road and will do so without key defender Mark Deane, who has gone travelling.

Most of the sides not in national action have big domestic games, with UCC’s meeting with Bandon in the women’s Division 1 carrying the most intrigue. UCC haven’t played in over a month while Bandon have been resurgent in notching fine results against Catholic Institute and Cork Harlequins; College will still start as favourites but could face a backlash from Bandon’s schoolgirls after their senior cup exit at Mount Mercy in midweek.

Cork C of I meet Cork Harlequins for the second time in eight days in what is a top-of-the-table men’s Division 1 clash. In their three meetings so far this season the teams have shared 22 goals but C of I have come out on top on each occasion and will be expected to do so again here.