Just days before they meet in the Leinster League, in a game that could decide which one of them wins the Senior A title, Old Alexandra and Hermes will contest the Coca Cola Leinster Senior Cup final on St Patrick's Day, following yesterday's semi-final victories at Grange Road.
Despite conceding a first-minute goal to Old Alexandra, when Jan Perrin converted a Susan Keogh cross from the right, Glenanne put up a superb first half display against the league leaders and were only denied an equaliser by a fine Jenny King save from Sarah O'Carroll's fierce shot from the edge of the circle.
It wasn't until a two minute spell midway through the second half that Alexandra took a grip of the game when Trish Conway capitalised on some lax defending to drill the ball past Catherine Kennedy and, from the re-start, Zanya Dahl made it 3-0, running through to the circle and scoring with another unstoppable rising shot. Minutes from the end Conway fired a penalty stroke wide but by then her team's place in the final was assured.
The day's second semi-final, between Hermes and Muckross, proved to be another entertaining game with the teams sharing six goals. Ciara O'Connor came agonisingly close to giving Muckross the lead in the seventh minute but her effort was cleared off the line. Jenny Burke and Mary Logue combined in the 26th minute to make it 1-0 for Hermes, when Logue squared for her Irish team-mate to fire past Sandra O'Gorman.
Aisling Keane made it 2-0 seven minutes later, lobbing O'Gorman after the goalkeeper had parried Burke's shot from a short corner and Daphne Sixsmith almost made it three soon after the break when she hit the upright. Teresa Hurley pulled one back for Muckross, touching home a Ciara McGrath shot, but their hopes of a revival were dashed in the 57th minute when Daphne Sixsmith restored Hermes' two-goal advantage, scoring from a rebound after O'Gorman had saved Burke's reverse stick shot. Five minutes later Logue clinched the game for Hermes with a superb goal, from another reverse stick shot, with Hurley's stroke three minutes from time merely a consolation score for the cup holders.
Meanwhile at Jordanstown, league champions Pegasus completed the double by beating Collegians 5-0 in the Ulster Shield final. Kim Mills opened the scoring after 22 minutes from a penalty corner and 10 minutes later Joanne Campbell doubled the lead. Further second-half scores from Jeanette Turner and Claire McMahon (two) gave Pegasus their third 5-0 victory over Collegians this season. For the sixth year running Harlequins and UCC will meet in the Munster Senior Cup final after they beat Church of Ireland and Belvedere, respectively, in Saturday's semi-finals. Two goals from Irish international Karen O'Brien helped Harlequins to a 2-1 win while Johanna Hyland's double gave the students a 2-0 victory over Belvedere.
Loreto's hopes of winning the Leinster Senior A title were ended on Saturday when they went down 4-1 to Trinity, only the student's second league win.
