WOMEN'S HOCKEY/Club Championship: After a near perfect season so far, in which they won the senior and under-21 interprovincial titles and saw their top two clubs contest the Irish Senior Cup final, Leinster are in danger of failing to get one representative into next month's club finals. Hermes and Loreto lost the first legs of their quarter-finals on Saturday while Pembroke Wanderers were held to a scoreless draw at home by Cork Harlequins.
Ulster, on the other hand, had a flawless weekend with all three of their quarter-finalists winning their games, the finest result of all Ards' shock 3-1 victory over Hermes. Pegasus trounced UCC 11-0 in Cork while Ballymoney beat Irish Cup holders Loreto by a single goal.
Even Ards themselves didn't expect to become the first team to beat Hermes in 'normal time' this season (their only defeat before Saturday was to Loreto on penalty strokes in the Irish Cup final) but the Leinster champions will have to overturn a 3-1 deficit in next weekend's second leg at Belfield if they are to make it through to the finals.
The game had started promisingly for Hermes, who took the lead after 11 minutes through Caitriona Carey, but Ards punished them severely for their failure to capitalise on any more of their numerous corner opportunities and a string of chances from open play.
Goals from Jenny Magill and Julie Stewart either side of the break, both from corners, gave Ards the lead, one Magill extended near the end when Hermes were pressing for an equaliser.
A 39th minute goal from sweeper Ruth Forgrave was enough to give Ballymoney victory over Loreto in the tightest of games at the Joey Dunlop Centre. Loreto were denied an equaliser by Angela Platt 30 seconds from time when she saved Sarah O'Meara's penalty stroke.
Meanwhile at Serpentine Avenue the defences had the better of it in the 0-0 draw between Pembroke and Harlequins. The Munster champions should be favourites to win the return but their failure to get an away goal will give Pembroke hope.
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP - Quarter-finals (first leg): Pembroke Wanderers 0, Cork Harlequins 0; Ards 3 (J Magill 2, J Stewart), Hermes 1 (C Carey); Ballymoney 1 (R Forgrave), Loreto 0; UCC 0, Pegasus 11 (C McMahon 3, J Gordon 2, S McGookin 2, H Mullan 2, C McGookin, K Mills).
