HOCKEY WOMEN'S: THE DRAW for the semi-finals of the ESB Irish Senior Cup allows for the possibility of a repeat of last year's final, with holders UCD paired with Loreto and Pegasus, who lost to the students last April, at home to Leinster champions Railway Union.

When the semi-finals will be played, however, has yet to be decided. Ireland’s participation in April’s World Cup Qualifier in Chile is necessitating a change of dates for both the Irish Senior Cup and the latter stages of the pool phase of the Irish Hockey League.

Saturday’s quarter-finals proved to be the closest of affairs, with one goal the margin of victory in three of the ties.

The 4-1 scoreline from Beaufort suggests Loreto had a comfortable afternoon against Pembroke Wanderers, but their third and fourth goals came in the closing minutes when Pembroke were pressing for an equaliser, sealing a game that was in the balance until then.

Having lost 4-1 away to Railway in the IHL last month, Ards made the most of home advantage this time round to give the Dublin club a much tougher test, Patricia O’Dwyer’s first-half goal proving to be the only score of the game.

Likewise, the game between UCD and Cork Harlequins at Belfield was settled by a single goal, Rosie Carrigan’s first-half strike putting the holders through.

Pegasus, meanwhile, needed extra time to see off the challenge of Ballymoney, a Suzanne Beaney hat-trick clinching the club its semi-final place.