Matthews hat-trick edges Loreto towards Champions Trophy

A hat-trick from Hannah Matthews on Saturday moved Loreto a step closer to joining UCD, Hermes-Monkstown and Cork Harlequins in next month’s Champions Trophy. One win from their final two games – both against teams in the bottom three – is all that is required to seal their qualification.

They had to come from behind, too, after Zara Delany gave Railway Union a first quarter lead at Park Avenue, but Matthews proved clinical from penalty corners, converting three before the end of the third quarter. Railway replaced their goalkeeper with an outfield player for the final period and their pressure yielded an Emma Smyth goal, but Loreto held on for the final 10 minutes to pick up a crucial win.

They now have a four-point cushion over Railway, whose final fixtures are away to Pegasus and home to Cork Harlequins, and are another three clear of Pegasus who saw their Champions Trophy prospects fade when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Belfast Harlequins.

Ards’ already slim Champions Trophy hopes were extinguished by Pembroke Wanderers who survived a spell when they were reduced to nine players, after picking up two yellow cards, before Eanna Horan won them the game with a goal 10 minutes from time.

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Fighting chance

That win gives Pembroke a fighting chance of getting out of the bottom two, with Ulster Elks, who lost 6-1 at home to Hermes-Monkstown, looking doomed to automatic relegation. They are now four points adrift of Pembroke who they play in their final game, but before then they’re away to Loreto who could seal their fate.

That would leave Belfast Harlequins and Pembroke battling it out to avoid going in to a play-off with the runner-up from the provincial play-offs. Harlequins are three points ahead of Pembroke, but their concluding fixtures are against UCD and Loreto. Pembroke next play Hermes-Monkstown, and then Elks.

Meanwhile, UCD and Cork Harlequins produced a lively dress rehearsal for their Irish Senior Cup final meeting when the students came from 2-0 and 3-2 down to beat the Munster side 4-3, Abbie Russell getting the winner five minutes from time.

HOCKEY LEAGUE

Pegasus 2 (R Maguire 2), Belfast Harlequins 2 (A Geddes, G Frazer); UCD 4 (D Duke 2, S Clarke, A Russell), Cork Harlequins 3 (K Bateman, N Carroll 2); Pembroke Wanderers 1 (E Horan), Ards 0; Ulster Elks 1 (C Mitchell), Hermes-Monkstown 6 (R Carrigan, N Evans, A O’Flanagan, L Pinder, C McGilp, S Loughran); Railway Union 2 (Z Delany, E Smyth), Loreto 3 (H Matthews 3).