HOCKEY: It proved to be a perfect weekend for Pembroke Wanderers, a good one for Hermes, a middling one for Old Alexandra and a hugely disappointing one for Loreto. At the end of it all Hermes, the defending Leinster League champions, took a giant stride towards retaining their title after Loreto, their closest rivals, lost to Alexandra on Saturday.

Alexandra, though, couldn't maintain their momentum over the weekend, losing 1-0 to Pembroke yesterday in a re-arranged league fixture - a victory would have lifted them in to second place, defeat saw them drop to fourth, overtaken by Pembroke who made it six points our of six over the weekend having beaten Glenanne on Saturday.

A goal five minutes from time from Anya Bowers gave Alexandra the points against Loreto in a stormy match that saw one player yellow-carded, three green-carded and the umpires having to call the captains aside to call for 'calm'. Trish Conway gave Alexandra the lead before her goalkeeper Nikki King saved Sarah Rand's penalty stroke. Sarah O'Meara converted another stroke for Loreto after the break but Bowers secured the points for Alexandra.

UCD stayed in the hunt for a top three finish by beating Corinthian 4-0, with Catherine Murray getting two of their goals, while Genesis drew level on points with Railway Union by beating them 2-1 at Rathdown with goals from Helen Hughes and Siobhan Kane. Trinity's 3-0 defeat by Hermes, however, leaves them five points adrift of Genesis and Railway's total at the bottom end of the table, although they remain seven points clear of Glenanne.