Hermes and Pegasus set for decider

Women's Hockey/All-Ireland Club Championship: Between them Hermes and Pegasus have dominated the club finals for the past seven seasons, the Belfast side winning five-in-a-row before Hermes prevailed the last two years.

As is frequently the case the teams are paired for the final game of this season's Howard Holdings All-Ireland Club Championship, on Monday at Garryduff (3.30), with the supposed also-rans finishing their campaigns in the morning ahead of the "decider".

But, after their exploits this season, to dismiss Railway Union and Randalstown as "also-rans" would be ill-advised, to say the least.

Railway, after all, already have a victory over Pegasus to their name, when they beat them on strokes in the Irish Cup, while Randalstown's elimination of Leinster champions Loreto in the club quarter-finals raised their national standing a notch or three.

For both teams, though, the tournament in Cork is a journey into the unknown: it will be Railway's debut in the event and a fair clutch of the Randalstown players hadn't even reached their 10th birthdays the last time the club played in the finals, back in the 1996-97 season.

Whether such youthfulness and inexperience will hinder or enhance Railway and Randalstown's hopes remains to be seen, but neither Hermes nor Pegasus will treat their challenge lightly.

The latter do, though, remain inseparable joint favourites for the tournament, both having got the better of their provincial rivals on three occasions this season - Pegasus beat Randalstown in the Ulster Shield and twice in the league, Hermes beat Railway 2-0 in both their league encounters and 2-1, after extra time, in the Irish Cup semi-finals.

For openers, though, Pegasus must avenge that January Irish Cup defeat when they play Railway tomorrow, a defeat that means they must regain their Club Finals' crown from Hermes if they are to qualify for European hockey next season.

Hermes, of course, have booked their passage back to Europe by winning the Irish Cup, that success allied to their Leinster Cup final victory over Loreto putting them on course for a treble this weekend. Perhaps even a "quadruple" if they can win the European Hockey Trophy they host in Dublin next month. The defending champions open against Randalstown tomorrow, before playing Railway on Sunday.

If experience prevails over youth this weekend then Monday's game between Hermes and Pegasus will be the tournament decider, and an intriguing one at that.

Pegasus, who have Pamela Magill back in their squad after her return from her travels, are well rested, their last competitive game taking place a month ago; in contrast Hermes' recent schedule has included that Irish Cup final and their last game of the league season against Railway. Randalstown and Railway will just hope to find Pegasus rusty and Hermes jaded, but the odds are still in favour of one of the "big guns" lifting the Club Championship crown come Monday afternoon.

ALL-IRELAND CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS (at Garryduff) - Tomorrow: Pegasus v Railway Union, 12.0; Hermes v Randalstown, 2.0. Sunday: Pegasus v Randalstown, 10.0; Hermes v Railway Union, 4.0. Monday: Railway Union v Randalstown, 11.0; Hermes v Pegasus, 3.30.