Hermes and Old Alexandra meet in tomorrow's Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final at Belfield, in a match that had to be rearranged because of Alex's Irish Senior Cup replay against Ards before Christmas.

Last year will live long in the memory of everyone associated with Hermes Hockey Club. In March the team won its first Irish Senior Cup, beating Muckross in a thrilling final at Belfield, they qualified for Europe and, after 10 matches of the 1997-98 league season, they ended the year on top of the table, a point ahead of Loreto.

However a league defeat by Muckross, followed by their elimination from the Irish Senior Cup by Randalstown last month, put a dent in the team's impressive 1997 record and Trish Conway of Old Alexandra is hoping her team can make it an equally unhappy start to the new year for the league leaders. Conway, Old Alexandra's leading scorer, picked up a shoulder injury in the drawn Irish Cup match against Ards last month and is doubtful for tomorrow's game. She hopes to be fit next week.