Hermes have the pedigree

Women's Hockey/Irish Senior Cup: The Irish Senior Cup has reached the semi-final stage, and if cup pedigree, experience and the number of Irish internationals in the competing teams are anything to go by, then Hermes and Ballymoney should be contesting the final next month. Neither club, though, will be circling the date in their diaries just yet, alive to the ambition of Railway Union and Randalstown, neither of whom have won the trophy.

Before this season Railway had prevailed in just one of their previous 10 Irish Cup games. This season, Una McCarthy's young team have so far accounted for Ballyclare, Ashton, cup-holders Pegasus and Old Alexandra.

And their progress in the league has been no less dramatic. Last season they finished 19 points behind Hermes; if they win their game in hand they will move within three points of the same team.

Standing between them and a place in the final is a club for which the Irish Senior Cup final has nigh on been an annual fixture: Hermes have appeared in five of the last eight finals.

They have, though, lost in their last three deciders, to Pegasus (last year), Loreto (2002) and Cork Harlequins (2000), winning in 1999 (against Pegasus) and 1997 (beating Muckross).

Hermes last met Railway in October, at Booterstown in the league, winning 2-0. But with home advantage tomorrow Railway will hope to reproduce a performance as resolute as the one that saw them eliminate wily old Pegasus, on penalty strokes, in the third round.

And Ballymoney will hope to reproduce as steely a display as the one that saw them beat Pegasus on strokes in the 2001 final, their first and only success in the competition, when they play Randalstown at the Joey Dunlop Centre.

Randalstown last made the semi-finals in 1997 when they were beaten by Muckross, the same year they won their last Ulster League title.

Ballymoney, though, with their four internationals (Lynsey McVicker, Angela Platt, Bridget McKeever and Nicky McCaughern) will be favourites to reach the final

IRISH SENIOR CUP: Semi-finals: Railway Union v Hermes, Park Avenue, 3.0; Ballymoney v Randalstown, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30.

LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Tomorrow - Clontarf v Old Alexandra, Dardistown, 12.30; Loreto v Genesis, Beaufort, 2.0; Pembroke Wanderers v Three Rock, Ballsbridge, 2.0. Sunday: Loreto v Three Rock, Beaufort, 2.30.

JUNIOR INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT (at Mervue, Galway): Tomorrow - Leinster v Connacht, 9.30; Munster v South East, 11.0; Ulster v Leinster, 12.30; Connacht v South East, 2.0; Munster v Ulster, 3.30. Sunday: South East v Ulster, 9.0; Leinster v Munster, 10.30; Connacht v Ulster, 12.0; Leinster v South East, 1.30; Connacht v Munster, 3.0.