Seconds catch the eye

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: With three All-Ireland quarter-final places to aim for, a league title to be won, and a possible two relegation slots to be avoided, the second half of the Leinster Division One season, which commences tomorrow, should retain the interest of all 10 clubs until its conclusion in March.

While the teams near the bottom of the first division will concentrate on accruing points to lift them out of the danger zone over the next nine games they'll be keeping one eye on the progress of the batch of "second XIs" chasing Clontarf and Three Rock in Division Two, with Hermes II and Old Alexandra II leading the pursuit.

Two first division teams will go down if Clontarf and Three Rock finish in the top two; only one will be relegated if a "second XI" takes one of the top two places; none will face the drop if "second XI" teams fill the top-two positions.

Glenanne, six points adrift at the bottom of the table, remain favourites to go down - they have the unenviable task of playing Hermes in Tallaght today - with Trinity, Genesis and Railway Union vying to avoid ninth place. A week after their crucial win over Trinity at Park Avenue Railway meet the same opposition again tomorrow, this time in Santry.

A repeat of last Sunday's 4-2 victory would see Railway move six points clear of the students, second from bottom - not enough to rest on their relegation laurels, but a result that would, at least, give them a bit of breathing space. Genesis will attempt to drag Corinthian into the relegation battle by beating them in Terenure.

At the other end of the table four of the top five face each other, with UCD (fifth) meeting Old Alexandra (fourth) at Belfield and Pembroke Wanderers (third) playing leaders Loreto at Serpentine Avenue.

Clontarf and Three Rock, meanwhile, turn their attention to the Odlums Irish Junior Cup where they play Lurgan and Belfast Harlequins II at home, respectively, in the second round. Cup holders Hermes II travel to Cork to play Ashton, 2001 winners Enniscorthy host Bandon II and the 1999 champions, Our Lady's Terenure, take on Kinvara in Galway.

Donegal's Raphoe play Church of Ireland II at home and Old Alexandra II play Wexford at Milltown. The tie of the round could be Pegasus II, last year's beaten finalists (and 2000 winners), and Loreto II at Queen's.

In Ulster league leaders Pegasus and Ballymoney, three points behind in third place (with a game in hand) meet at Queen's in a dress rehearsal for their Irish Senior Cup tie on Saturday week. Pegasus will be without is Irish international Claire McMahon who has taken a break from hockey since her return from the World Cup.