Hockey: Contrasting fortunes for Bandon and Cork C of I in Division 2

Ian Perrott was the inspiration for Bandon as he scored one and set up two in the victory after his side fell behind against Cookstown

Ian Perrott was the inspiration for Bandon as he scored one and set up two in the victory after his side fell behind against Cookstown

Bandon have one foot in the play-offs of men’s EY Hockey League Division 2 as they stormed back to beat in-form Cookstown 3-1 in west Cork on Saturday.

Ian Perrott was the inspiration as he scored one and set up two in the victory after his side fell behind to a Scott McCabe in the first quarter.

Perrott equalised in Q2 and he turned creator after half-time to set David Smith to put Bandon 2-1 up. Perrott again was crucial when he picked out Karl Smyth to deflect in the third and they carried that scoreline through to the finish.

It puts them five points clear at the head of Pool 3 and they are the only side across the three groups to have a perfect record left.

Cork C of I, though, were knocked off the top of Pool 1 and down into third place after they lost 1-0 to Railway Union.

The contest was a fierce one with C of I having the edge in chances in a scoreless first half. But the tie was ultimately settled by a great piece of individual skill from David McCarthy who beat a couple of defenders before firing into the bottom left corner.

There was better news for C of I’s women who got their first win of the campaign with a 5-2 success against NUIG. The Cork side were up and running via Clara O’Sullivan’s first-quarter goal and this was augmented by another for Anna Collins, set up by Ciara Sexton.

Ailbhe Folan got one back from a corner but Julie Coyne responded in kind from a set piece for a 3-1 half-time lead.

NUIG missed a stroke to cut the gap again and C of I took advantage of the let-off when O’Sullivan got her second. Sexton made it 5-1 before Folan completed the scoring with a super goal from Folan following a solo run.

UCC’s hopes, though, took a heavy blow with a 5-1 home defeat at the hands of Corinthian which leaves them in fourth place and needing a strong backend to the campaign to earn a playoff place.

Elsewhere, Munster’s U21 men’s inter-provincial title hopes took a blow as they could not hold onto a half-time lead against Leinster at Grange Road.

Kevin O’Dea had given them a half-time lead but the blues replied in the second half with strikes from Harry Lynch and former Waterford man Isaac Johnson.