Institute aiming for an Irish Senior Cup two-in-a-row

A year after their first triumph in the competition, when Aoife Hickey’s goal gave them a 1-0 win over Pembroke Wanderers, Catholic Institute will be back at Belfield on Saturday to defend the Irish Senior Cup. They face Leinster opposition again, this time in the shape of Monkstown.

While the Limerick club went in to last year’s final as underdogs against the treble-seeking Pembroke, they’ll have to carry the favourite’s tag against Monkstown who finished 16 points behind them in the Hockey League.

Both of the league meetings between the sides finished 2-2, with Monkstown coming from two goals down on its final day, a result, combined with a defeat for Ards, that ensured they retained their top flight Hockey League status.

In head-to-heads this season, then, there’s been nothing between the teams, and while Institute coach Eimear Cregan, who succeeded David Passmore after he was appointed coach of the United States ‘women’s team, can draw on the bulk of last year’s cup winners, Monkstown aren’t short of experience on that front either – captain Chloe Watkins, Suzie Kelly and Sarah Twomey all won the competition with UCD.