Too close to call as Loreto and Harlequins square up in Irish Senior Cup final

Irish Senior Cup final: Cork Harlequins v Loreto 
Grange Road, 1.30pm

After they both had their Champions Trophy-winning hopes ended by Pegasus last weekend, Cork Harlequins and Loreto have the chance to finish their seasons on a high when they meet in Saturday’s Irish Senior Cup final at Grange Road.

It’s been almost a decade since Loreto last triumphed in the competition when they beat Railway Union on strokes back in 2010, but it’s close to twice as long since Harlequins won their first and only ISC when Ciara McGrath’s last-minute goal gave them victory over Hermes in 2000.

The sides have met once before in a decider when a 3-2 victory gave Loreto the cup in 2003, Harlequins losing again in their only other final appearance when Deirdre Duke’s late goal saw them fall to UCD.

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Heartache

And the outcome of their two meeting so far this season would point to Harlequins suffering heartache again, Loreto beating them home and away in the Hockey League, 2-0 at Farmer’s Cross back in September and 1-0 at Grange Road in February.

But not too many would have given the Cork side much of a chance of ousting Pegasus from the competition when they travelled to Belfast for their semi-final at the end of March, Emma Barber’s goal 12 minutes from time ending their hosts’ quest for a clean sweep of the season’s honours.

And with Irish internationals unavailable for the game, as they were for the semi-finals, that means Loreto will be without the influential quartet of Ali Meeke, Hannah Matthews, Sarah Torrans and Nicci Daly, with Harlequins missing just the one player, albeit a key one in Yvonne O’Byrne.

Those absences, then, make it a too-close-to-call affair, all that’s certain is that one or the other will get their name on the cup after the lengthiest of waits.