Defending champions Hermes-Monkstown defeat Cork Harlequins with late strike

Defending EY Hockey League champions Hermes-Monkstown showed their pedigree at Rathdown on Saturday when they came from a goal down to beat Cork Harlequins with a last minute Nikki Evans strike, the victory extending their perfect start to the campaign and ending their opponents' winning streak.

Liz McInerney had given Hermes a first quarter lead but by half-time they trailed 2-1, Rebecca Barry levelling for the visitors before a fine solo effort from Yvonne O'Byrne put them ahead. Both goalkeepers - Hermes' Liz Murphy and Harlequins' Emma Buckley - were kept busy and pulled off excellent saves, but Buckley was beaten by Chloe Watkins' third quarter shot from a penalty corner which made it 2-2.

With just a minute left on the clock, Evans sealed Hermes’ sixth win in as many games with a reverse strike from the top of the circle, a result that puts them two points clear at the top of the table, with Harlequins dropping to third, a point behind UCD.

The students maintained their impressive form and heaped yet more woes on a Pegasus side that has taken just one point from the last four games. UCD were two up by the end of the first quarter, through Gillian Pinder and Sorcha Clarke, and Clarke restored that two goal advantage in the third after Alex Speers had pulled one back for the Belfast side. Vanessa Surgenor narrowed the deficit again from a penalty corner in the final period, but despite a flurry of corners in the closing stages, Pegasus could not find an equaliser.

Railway Union, Ards and Loreto all jump above Pegasus in the table after picking up wins on Saturday, Railway beating Ulster Elks 4-2, Ards winning 2-0 away to Belfast Harlequins and Loreto taking the points from Pembroke Wanderers with a 3-1 victory.