Railway Union trio on a high after wins

Women's Hockey: Una McCarthy, Denise McCarthy and Karen Clarke may as well retire after the weekend just gone because short of being appointed as the Irish senior coaching and managerial team and leading Ireland to gold at the Olympic Games it's unlikely ever to get better than this.

Saturday: their young Railway Union team knocked holders Pegasus out of the Irish Senior Cup, Clarke scoring twice before the tie went to penalty strokes.

Yesterday: their Leinster under-16 team dethroned Ulster at the interprovincial tournament in Limerick.

Today? They're probably still pinching themselves.

Railway's victory over Pegasus will, it can safely be said, live long in the memory of the folk down Park Avenue way.

Three times they trailed the Ulster champions, in utterly miserable conditions, three times they fought back. And then, after a 3-3 draw, they held their nerve when strokes were required to find a winner.

Ciara O'Brien, Kate Dillon, Sinead Dooley and Isobel Joyce converted their strokes, with Jane Coyne saving two of the Belfast side's efforts. Not even Saturday's torrents of rain could dampen the celebrations that followed.

Pegasus stalwart Arlene Boyles admitted to being "gutted" by the defeat, particularly as her team had held the initiative on three occasions, the last when Jo Campbell put them 3-2 up in the second half of extra time, but paid tribute to Railway, describing them as a "fantastic young team" who she wished well in the competition.

But to progress to the last four Railway will have to beat either Pembroke Wanderers or Old Alexandra whose tie on Saturday was abandoned due to torrential rain - Alexandra had led 1-0 at the time through Jan Perrin.

That game will be played in a fortnight, two weeks before the quarter-finals.

The stand-out tie of the last eight is the pairing of Ballymoney (2001 winners) and Loreto (2002 and 2003 winners) who, between them, have nine players on the current Irish senior panel.

Three of Ballymoney's panellists - Nicky McCaughern, Bridget McKeever and Lynsey McVicker - were amongst the goals in their 5-0 third round win over Ards, but Loreto were made to work for their victory by Corinthian, Cathy McKean and Orla Ryan scoring in each half.

Hermes' reward for a fine 3-1 win at Cork Harlequins is an away trip to Victorians, 2-1 winners at Church of Ireland, while Randalstown, 6-0 winners over Bandon, have been given a home tie against Coleraine, who beat Clontarf 3-1 in Dublin.

Meanwhile, Loreto Beaufort's Rachel Maunsell got the all-important goal for Leinster in their 1-1 draw with Ulster yesterday at the under-16 interprovincial tournament in Limerick, a result that gave Una McCarthy's team the title on goal difference.

IRISH SENIOR CUP:

Quarter-final draw: Pembroke Wanderers or Old Alexandra v Railway Union, Ballymoney v Loreto, Randalstown v Coleraine, Victorians v Hermes.

Ties to be played February 19th.