If last week's 3-0 defeat by Loreto appeared to put an irreparable dent in Old Alexandra's Leinster Senior A title ambitions, Saturday's emphatic 5-1 dismissal of Pembroke Wanderers at Serpentine Avenue suggested that rumours of their demise were just a little exaggerated.

True, Alexandra are still three points behind Hermes, who also have a game in hand, and two adrift of Loreto's current total but such a comprehensive victory over the team that finished fourth last season - and one that has hopes of a top three finish at the end of this campaign - should, at the very least, restore the morale of David Judge's team after that Loreto defeat.

Carol Metchette, Trish Conway, Claire Smyth, Fiona Sweeney and Caroline Johnston got the goals for Alexandra with Claire Deacy replying for Pembroke whose miserable weekend was made complete yesterday when their game against Glenanne was abandoned, due to `bad light', when they led 3-1.

Loreto, meanwhile, made it a fairly extraordinary 28 goals in their last three Senior A games when they beat Railway Union 90 at Beaufort. The defending champions are now averaging almost six goals a game, with Cathy McKean top of their scorers' list - she is now on eight after adding two more to her tally against Railway.

Genesis moved out of the bottom three after beating Muckross (for whom Aimee Williams scored their first goal of the season) 3-1 at Grange Road while Trinity's Lynsey Feeney had plenty to celebrate, despite not actually playing this weekend - she was named the Computershare Leinster League Player of the Month. Harlequins came through an epic Munster Senior Cup encounter with Church of Ireland at Garryduff, winning 4-3 with Irish forward Karen O'Brien scoring twice for the cup holders.

In Ulster, Portadown's 2-0 win over Belfast Harlequins, who they meet again in the Irish Senior Cup next month, makes them the main title rivals to Pegasus who beat Ards 5-0 - sweeper Arlene Boyles got two of the All-Ireland champions' goals.