WOMENS HOCKEY: The draw for the third round of the Irish Senior Cup, to be played next month, produced a few appetising ties yesterday, the most appealing of the eight, perhaps, the pairing of the 2000 finalists, Cork Harlequins and Hermes. Harlequins will have home advantage against the team they beat four years ago to win their first Irish cup.
Railway Union, meanwhile, will have the ultimate test of their progress when they play cup-holders Pegasus at home, while two of Leinster's top teams, Pembroke Wanderers and Old Alexandra, will meet at Serpentine Avenue.
Pembroke had a relatively comfortable 3-0 win over Ballymena in the second round on Saturday, Wendy Cullen, Orla Canavan and Kathryn Henderson getting their goals, but Railway won by the narrowest of margins against Cork's Ashton, Louise McDermott getting the only goal of the game.
Church of Ireland won their all-Munster tie away to Waterford, 2-0, their reward a home game against Ulster's Victorians in the third round.
Goals from the Knox sisters, Gemma and Katie, and a third from Rachel Johnson, gave the Belfast side a 3-0 win over Cookstown.
Ballymoney, the form team in Ulster so far this season, put eight past Three Rock on Saturday, Susie Martin getting a hat-trick and Irish captain Lynsey McVicker adding two more. They next play Ards, who came from behind to beat Knock 4-2, Rachel Shields scoring twice.
Clontarf, 4-2 winners over Enniskillen after extra-time, have been given a home draw against Coleraine, while Randalstown face the long trip south to play Bandon. Finally, Corinthians, for whom Kathy Shaw, Wendy Hobson and Susie Geoffroy got the goals in their 3-1 win away to Civil Service, have been given the dubious honour of playing Leinster champions Loreto at Beaufort.
Graeme Francey will have a second spell as assistant coach to Riet Kuper after his appointment was approved by the Irish Hockey Association on Saturday. Francey, who is the Annadale men's coach and was in charge of the senior Ulster women's team at the interprovincial tournament last week, was assistant to Kuper at the 2002 World Cup before stepping down due to work commitments.
