Leading pair give pack some hope

Women's Hockey Weekend round-up: Just when it looked like Pembroke Wanderers and Hermes were turning the pursuit of the Leinster first division title in to a two-horse race, both suffered their first league defeats of the season over the weekend to give hope to the chasing pack.

Loreto, who beat Three Rock 3-0 on Saturday, avenged last week's Irish Cup defeat by Hermes by beating the league leaders 1-0 at Beaufort yesterday. Jessica Lynch scored six minutes from time. And on Saturday UCD maintained their fine form by beating Pembroke 3-2 at Belfield, with Eimear Horan, Róisín Flinn and Jane Bourke scoring.

Their 3-0 defeat of Clontarf on Saturday puts Hermes three points clear of Pembroke at the top of the table, but Pembroke have a game in hand. Loreto, who have also played a game fewer than Hermes, have narrowed the gap to five points. That's still a sizeable gap to bridge, but Loreto have, at least, breathed some life in to their hopes of retaining their league title.

It proved to be a good weekend too for Railway Union. Their 5-0 defeat of Trinity, with goals from Sarah McMaster, Jean McDonnell, Cathy Kenefick, Beth Maguire and Karen Clarke, might still have them eight points adrift of Hermes, but they have two games in hand.

Old Alexandra, in sixth place, still have some work to do before closing in on the top three, but a remarkable second-half display against Corinthian on Saturday, in which they scored seven goals, keeps them on track. Two goals apiece from Barbara Fitzgerald and Anya Bowers, and four more from Kelly Whelan, Lisa Dowling, Jamie Deacon and Jan Perrin, gave Alexandra an 8-1 win, having been held to 1-1 in the first half.

MAY COSTLEY - Semi-finals (Saturday): Moyne Thurles 3 Weston 1. (Yesterday): Dungarvan 0, Yeats County 3.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One (Saturday): Old Alexandra 8 (K Whelan, L Dowling, J Deacon, B Fitzgerald 2, A Bowers 2, J Perrin) Corinthian 1 (J Heggie); Hermes 3 (M Powers, C Devine, A Mitchell) Clontarf 0; Railway Union 5 (S McMaster, J McDonnell, C Kenefick, B Maguire, K Clarke) Trinity 0; Loreto 3 (J Lynch 2, N Keegan) Three Rock 0; UCD 3 (E Horan, R Flinn, J Bourke), Pembroke Wanderers 2 (R Brophy, L Hill). (Yesterday): Loreto 1 (J Lynch), Hermes 0. Division Two: Pembroke Wanderers II 5 (A McSweeney-Farrell 2, W Cullen, H Williams, K Henderson)Bray 0; Old Alexandra II 4 (H Agar 2, G O'Shea, C Griffin) Diocesan 0; Corinthian II 1 (S Murphy) Glenanne 1 (S Colton); Genesis 1 (L Barrie) Hermes II 2 (M Flavin 2).