Pembroke Wanderers, Pegasus, Cork Harlequins and UCD battled their way through to the semi-finals of the Irish Senior Cup on Saturday, but only Pembroke did it with any degree of comfort, Harlequins and UCD’s ties going to penalty strokes, while Pegasus needed a late winner to get past Loreto.
The contest between UCD and Hermes-Monkstown lived up to its billing as the tie of the round, both sides going in to it with an unbeaten record in all competitions so far this season. By the seventh minute, though, Hermes looked well on course for the last four after two of their internationals, who had helped Ireland to success at the World League 2 in Kuala Lumpur the previous weekend, put them 2-0 up.
Anna O’Flanagan swept home a penalty corner on three minutes and four later Nikki Evans rounded off a fine team effort. After the worst of starts, though, the students settled and by half-time, thanks to a double from another international, Katie Mullan, they had levelled the game.
But O’Flanagan, player of the tournament and top scorer in Malaysia, maintained her form against the club she started out with, restoring Hermes’ lead seven minutes after the break. Once again, though, UCD fought back, this time through an ex-Hermes player, Deirdre Duke making it 3-3, capping her return from a dislocated shoulder that had kept her out of action since October.
Sudden death
And 3-3 it ended, the tie going to penalty strokes. It was 4-4 after the first round, Clodagh Cassin then making the decisive save in sudden death to put UCD through.
Cork Harlequins advanced in the same manner, Roisin Upton getting their goal in a 1-1 draw before converting the winning stroke in the shootout.
Pegasus, meanwhile, looked set for strokes themselves when Loreto’s Sarah Evans equalised with five minutes to go after Michelle Harvey had put the Belfast side a goal up at Beaufort – but Harvey struck again at the death to steal the win. Only Pembroke enjoyed a two-goal cushion in their quarter-final, Hayley O’Donnell scoring twice in a 3-1 win away to Ballymoney.
There was some consolation for Ards on Sunday when they won the National Indoor title for the sixth successive year, beating Railway Union 4-1 in the final at Queens.
Irish Senior Cup – quarter-finals: Loreto 1 (S Evans), Pegasus 2 (M Harvey 2); Ballymoney 1 (J Moore), Pembroke Wanderers 3 (H O'Donnell 2, R Scott); Ards 1 (T MacLeod), Cork Harlequins 1 (R Upton). Harlequins won 6-5 on penalty strokes. UCD 3 (K Mullan 2, D Duke), Hermes-Monkstown 3 (A O'Flanagan 2, N Evans). UCD won 7-6 on penalty strokes.
