A big weekend for Hermes

UCD AND Ballymoney, already through to the semi-finals of the Irish Senior Cup, will learn tomorrow who they will meet in the last four of the competition, with Pegasus facing Lurgan at Queen’s and Hermes away to Ulster Elks in the quarter-finals.

It’s the first of two games in three days for Hermes who, on Monday, have a critical league encounter with Railway Union, both sides’ penultimate Division One fixture of the season.

The game was due to be played tomorrow, but had to be rescheduled because snow forced the postponement of Hermes’ ISC game in February.

This means 11 members of the Ireland squad will be unable to play in the game, five for Railway and six for Hermes.

Two goals from Ali Meeke on Monday night kept Loreto in the title chase, their 2-1 defeat of Old Alexandra (who they play again next Monday) moving them within a point of Railway and two of Hermes, with a game in hand.

The top three’s remaining fixtures, though, show just how impossible a race it is to call – Hermes: Railway (H) on Monday, UCD (A) next Saturday; Railway: Hermes (A) on Monday, Loreto (A) next Saturday; Loreto: UCD (H) tomorrow, Alexandra (A) on Monday, Railway (H) next Saturday.

The title race in Munster is considerably less complicated, with Catholic Institute needing to take just two points from their last three games to seal their triumph.

Even a score draw, then, against bottom club Belvedere tomorrow would suffice, and would cap a memorable week for the club who won their first Munster Senior Cup in 21 years last weekend with a 5-2 victory over holders Cork Harlequins.

Meanwhile, Belfield will be hosting two cup finals this weekend, with Dungarvan playing Limerick in the Irish Hockey Challenge tomorrow while Portadown will take on Lisnagarvey in the Irish Hockey Trophy on Sunday.

WEEKEND FIXTURES:TOMORROW: Irish Senior Cup – Quarter-finals: Pegasus v Lurgan, Queen's, 2.30; Ulster Elks v Hermes, UUJ, 1.0. Irish Hockey Challenge – Final: Dungarvan v Limerick, Belfield, 3.30. Leinster League – Division One: Loreto v UCD, Beaufort, 1.45; Trinity v Glenanne, Santry, 11.0; Old Alexandra v Bray, Milltown, 1.15. SUNDAY: Irish Hockey Trophy – Final: Portadown v Lisnagarvey, Belfield, 3.30.