Hermes hammer home the points

Hermes claimed the women’s EY Hockey League with four games to spare thanks to an emphatic 9-0 defeat of Greenfields in Galway.

The westerners said Hermes “showed us why they are the best” as their nine-goal romp, in tandem with Ulster Elks’ 3-1 success over UCD, put them out of reach. The result also meant the Greenfields will be relegated back to the Connacht regional leagues for the 2016/17 season.

Pegasus moved up to second place with a 3-1 win over Cork Harlequins with Vanessa Surgeoner and Alex Speers getting the key goals in the second half.

Nicola Kerr’s effort saw UCC claim a hugely important 1-0 win at Serpentine Avenue against Pembroke to raise their hopes, once again, of possibly avoiding the relegation playoff tie.

That is a prospect that could yet loom large for Cork C of I’s men after yet another chastening result. They lost a dull tie 2-1 to Railway Union in Garryduff as David Harvey’s howitzer of a reverse wasn’t enough to make amends for third quarter goals from Eoin MacArthur and James Dick.

With Cookstown winning for the second week on the trot - 2-1 against Annadale - they now move within three points of C of I, and the bottom two play again next weekend. It means C of I’s visit to Tyrone on March 12 could prove pivotal.

At the league’s business end, Lisnagarvey survived a late scare to win 4-3 at Three Rock Rovers and extend their advantage at the summit to nine points.

Second placed Monkstown and third placed Banbridge drew 1-1 at Havelock Park. The goals came within a minute of each other, Eugene Magee’s corner rebound cancelled out by Gareth Watkins’ penalty stroke in the third quarter. Pembroke edged out Glenanne 3-2 to move up to seventh in the table.

In Munster, Catholic Institute again had the Indian sign over Ashton, their 3-0 success giving them a Munster Senior Cup final day out against Cork Harlequins.

Bandon’s 4-0 win over C of I B moved them into the men’s Senior Cup final, but the Junior Cup semi-finals were where the real action was. UCC’s seconds edged Bandon’s on strokes after a 4-4 draw while Cork Harlequins won a titanic battle against Midleton 6-5 to book their place in the decider.