Women's Irish Hockey League race to go down to the wire

Catholic Institute's win over Pembroke cut the gap to two points with one game to go

Catholic Institute's Roisin Upton Pic: Adrian Boehm

Catholic Institute ensured the women’s EYHL title chase will go down to the wire as the Limerick side beat league leaders Pembroke in a 4-1 victory, cutting the gap to two points with one game to go.

It was their eighth successive home league win and completes an unbeaten home campaign, picking up 25 out of 27 points on offer. For Pembroke, they came into the tie needing a draw or better to win the title for the first time but they struggled without the services of Sinead Loughran, Emily Beatty, Isy Delamer, Amy-Kate Trevor, Hayley O’Donnell and Leah McGuire with their backline overhauled.

They fell behind in the eighth minute when Naomi Carroll slipped a lovely through ball to Laura Foley and her intended cross took a big deflection in off the shoe of a back-pedalling defender.

Hannah Kelly made it 2-0 following an exquisite move down the left wing with Leah Clery picking out the pass and the Kilkenny woman slammed home a backhand shot.

Pembroke, though, fought back well before the end of the first half with Gillian Pinder and Orla Macken to the fore and Ellen Curran twisting and turning in midfield. From a series of penalty corners, Pinder flicked in from close range to cut the gap to 2-1.

And they carried that momentum into the early stages of the second half where they had a lot of possession. Insta, though, always had a greater cohesion and were able to work the ball out of tight spots in neat style and they put daylight between the sides from a penalty corner. Roisin Upton got the goal, picking up a rebound from a penalty corner from mid-circle.

Foley then crowned the win when she won the breaking ball from a long Upton pass forward and, while she had options left and right, she took on the shot herself and picked out the bottom corner.

Insta now face eighth-placed Belfast Harlequins away while Pembroke go to Muckross on the last day of the season to determine the title.

In Division Two, UCC and Cork C of I put themselves right in the frame for playoff places. The former let a lead slip against Corinthian but the losing bonus point in that 3-2 result was enough to ensure the students finish in third place in Group A.

In Group B, Cork C of I moved into playoff contention with a 3-2 away win over NUIG, moving them above Lurgan - who lost 4-0 at home to Queens - into third place. Hollie Moffett got the all-important stroke to win it.

It means Lurgan must now break Monkstown’s 100% record to have a chance of going through but even with a win, they must get a favour from elsewhere to deny C of I a place in the promotion playoffs.

On the men's side, the news was not so positive for C of I as they lost 6-2 to Instonians to leave their chances of breaking into the top two hanging by a thread. They need to win their final game against Railway Union with a healthy scoreline and hope Inst come unstuck against winless Rathgar.

Harlequins, though, gave themselves a fighting chance in Group B thanks to a 2-1 win over Kilkeel with Harry O'Byrne and Andrew Dale getting the goals. It puts them top of the three-team group by one point. Quins have finished their matches and so await Kilkeel and Clontarf's result from next week with numerous permutations at play.

Bandon are assured of a playoff place courtesy of a 3-2 victory at Mossley. Next, they go to Cookstown where the winner will top the group and go straight into the playoff semi-finals.