Loreto maintain advantage

WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Weekend round-up: It's "as you were" at the top of the Leinster first division table after the top four all won…

WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Weekend round-up: It's "as you were" at the top of the Leinster first division table after the top four all won their games on Saturday, with Loreto retaining their six-point lead over reigning champions Hermes, who have a game in hand.

Corinthian, meanwhile, continue to make significant progress this season, with their 1-0 victory over UCD keeping them in joint third with Old Alexandra - just a point short of their entire total from last year with seven games still to play.

Fiona Purcell clinched the points for Corinthian with the winner 10 minutes from time away to UCD, who they meet again on February 14th in the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup. Corinthian trail Alexandra on goal difference by nine goals.

Orla Ryan made an immediate impact on her return to the Loreto line-up, after being away on international duty, scoring one of their goals in a 2-1 win over Pembroke Wanderers. Loreto were 2-0 up by half-time, Cathy McKean got the other goal, with Clara Hayes pulling one back for Pembroke in the second half.

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Scores from Aoife Mitchell, Christine Quinlan and Lisa Jacob gave Hermes a comfortable win over Three Rock while six Old Alexandra players - Orla Bell, Leanne Ryan, Zanya Dahl, Gillian O'Shea, Anya Bowers and Jan Perrin - shared the goals in their 6-1 defeat of Genesis.

A 3-1 win over Trinity moved Railway Union above UCD into sixth place, with Trinity still bottom of the table, two points behind Three Rock.

Holders Pegasus II advanced to the semi-finals of the Odlum's Irish Junior Cup with a 2-1 victory over Clontarf in Belfast - Ally Compton and Joanne Campbell scored in the first half before Grainne Leahy replied in the second. They meet Ards II, 2-1 winners over Alexandra II, in the semi-finals, with Hermes II and Pembroke II squaring up in the other all-Leinster play-off.

Sarah Moores got both Hermes's goals in their 2-0 win at Cork Harlequins while Pembroke needed extra time to beat Ashton 4-2.

Pegasus and Randalstown must replay their Ulster Shield quarter-final after Friday night's game finished 1-1 - a floodlight failure meant the tie was unable to go to strokes, as required. Belfast Harlequins beat Ballymoney on strokes after a 1-1 draw while two goals from Olympic veteran Jackie McWilliams helped Ballymena to a 3-1 win over Ballyclare. Victorians beat Owls 4-1 in the fourth quarter-final.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times