The gods weren't smiling on Cork Harlequins when the draw for the Sharwood's-sponsored Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals was made last month but they will go into their game against Pegasus in Belfast tomorrow with a steely determination to stay in the competition they won so dramatically last season. "We worked hard to win the cup, now we'll work even harder to keep it," said Irish forward Karen O'Brien. "There was a time we'd go to Belfast to play them with no confidence at all but this time it's different. Why shouldn't they be afraid of us for a change - we're the cup holders after all."
Still, O'Brien conceded, home advantage makes Pegasus firm favourites to advance but as they proved last season, Harlequins are more than capable of rising to the occasion. As coach Bernie Heffernan put it, "when we're firing on all cylinders I believe we're good enough to beat anyone in the country and that's the attitude we'll take with us to Belfast."
Hermes, last season's beaten finalists, also have to overcome a tough Ulster challenge at Belfield, in the shape of Portadown, if they are to progress. Coach Peter Darley went to watch Portadown against Pegasus last weekend and was impressed. "In Leinster we tend to focus on how strong Pegasus are and perhaps we don't give sides such as Portadown enough respect," he said. "They're a classic Ulster side - tough, uncompromising and good on the ball. They're difficult to break down and very dangerous on the counter-attack. Jill Orbinson's workrate is unbelievable and she's capable of creating chaos against any defence."
Darley believes the outcome of the contest between Orbinson and Hermes' Caitriona Carey could determine the result. "Catriona's got a huge job to do for us - we need her to shut Jill down and also find time to attack from midfield." The round's only all-Leinster game takes places at Serpentine Avenue where Pembroke Wanderers play Old Alexandra. When the teams met in the league earlier this season Alexandra ran out 5-1 winners but Pembroke's second team exacted a measure of revenge in the Leinster Senior Cup when they caused an upset by beating Alexandra's firsts 3-2.
Ballymoney, meanwhile, will attempt to reach the semi-finals for the second successive season when they meet Randalstown at the Antrim Forum. Lynsey McVicker's young side got the better of Randalstown in their last league meeting but Randalstown, have improved dramatically since then and had an impressive 3-0 win over Trinity in the second round.
The three remaining Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final ties, all Senior A v Senior B affairs, take place on Sunday.
