Loreto hope to keep unbeaten run going

WOMENS HOCKEY: Merely drawing attention to lengthy unbeaten runs makes it almost inevitable they will instantly come to an end. Loreto, then, ahead of tomorrow's game against Railway Union at Beaufort, could probably do without yet another reminder of just how long it is since they last lost a league match: 23 months.

So, if the leaders manage to avoid defeat by Railway they will close in on an extraordinary two-year undefeated run. Ironically Old Alexandra, the last team to beat them in the league (in February 2003), could end up standing between Siobhan Keogh's side and that two-year unbeaten stretch.

The teams were due to meet on January 29th but that game has to be rescheduled because Loreto, who will have five players on Irish duty in Barcelona, have been granted a postponement. Depending on the new date, then, Alexandra may be the last team to have a chance of depriving Loreto of their "24 months not out" achievement.

All that talk, though, will be immaterial should Railway produce an upset tomorrow at Beaufort where Loreto haven't lost a league match since October 2002 (Alexandra, again, being the team to beat them).

Since that season Railway have steadily developed from being relegation "contenders" to, on the evidence of the league table, the third strongest team in Leinster. Indeed, if they were to win tomorrow they would narrow Loreto's lead over them to just three points - they finished last season's campaign 25 points short of Loreto's winning total.

When the teams met in September, at Park Avenue, Railway gave some indication of their improvement when they forced the champions to come from a goal down to win by the narrowest of margins (2-1).

WEEKEND FIXTURES

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: UCD v Corinthian, Belfield, 1.15; Pembroke Wanderers v Hermes, Ballsbridge, 2.0; Loreto v Railway Union, Beaufort, 2.15; Three Rock v Old Alexandra, Grange Road, 3.30; Genesis v Clontarf, Belfield, 4.15. Division Two: Skerries v Hermes II, Dardistown, 10.0; Muckross v Diocesan, Donnybrook, 2.0; Pembroke Wanderers II v Loreto II, Ballsbridge, 3.30; Loreto III v Trinity, Beaufort, 4.45.

IRISH JUNIOR CUP - Second round - Tomorrow: Carrickfergus v Old Alexandra II, Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, 1.0; Aer Lingus v Cork Harlequins II, ALSAA, 1.0. Sunday: Corinthian II v Belvedere, Whitechurch, 2.15.

ULSTER SHIELD - Third round: Omagh v Parkview, Omagh Leisure Centre, 2.30; Ards v Victorians, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Randalstown v Pegasus, Antrim Forum, 2.30; Ballymoney v Portadown, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30.

MAY COSTLEY CUP - Quarter-final draw: Moyne Thurles v Yeats County, DCU v Cooke, Newbridge v Mallow, Weston v Wexford II. Ties to be played February 5th.