Church of Ireland second XI too strong for Harlequins

Cork Church of Ireland B 5, Cork Harlequins 0: A heroic goalkeeping performance from rookie Cork Harlequins goalkeeper David Palmer wasn’t enough to prevent a St Stephen’s Day stroll for Cork C of I B in yesterday’s Peard Cup final at Garryduff.

C of I’s first team have been regular winners of this competition in recent times, but their ascension to the EY Hockey League has seen them put on a major display of their strength in depth, with their second XI winning handsomely here.

They set out to dominate possession from the outset and tire Quins out, a strategy which yielded four early corners. Palmer, normally his club’s third team netminder, repelled all of C of I’s drag-flick attempts but they worked the fourth back to injector David Hobbs for 1-0.