Pegasus and Loreto maintained their perfect starts to the Women’s EY Hockey League season with strong wins in Dublin to lead the way in the division at this early stage.
Pegs raided Serpentine Avenue for the points in a 4-2 win over Pembroke. They trailed 1-0 in the first quarter to a Katie-Jane Marshall goal but scored the next four to put the game out of sight with former Irish captain Alex Speers starting the ball rolling with their first and second goals.
They are joined on six points by reigning Champions Trophy holders Loreto who were too strong for newly promoted Muckross, running up a 5-0 win.
It took a while to break down their defence before Sarah Torrans – in a star performance – broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. Clever corner moves allowed them to advance the scoring further with Mia Jennings and Niamh Small on the mark before Siofra O’Brien and Torrans completed the result.
Aine Connery had a debut to remember for Old Alex as she scored the only goal of their meeting with Cork Harlequins. It came just four minutes in and saw them record a 1-0 win, their first since joining the EYHL ranks.
Railway Union and Belfast Harlequins remain unbeaten following their 2-2 draw at Park Avenue.
UCD, meanwhile, got off the mark thanks to a Hannah McLoughlin goal with nine minutes to go as they beat Ards 1-0 away from home. It was her first appearance since moving from Loreto.
Three sides share top spot at the head of the Men’s EY Hockey League after three games with the last two perfect records falling by the wayside and all clubs off the mark in terms of points.
Lisnagarvey won a classic Down derby against Banbridge 5-4 with the young guns from Comber Road joining Bann at the head of the table on six points.
The hugely experienced Timmy Cockram provided a hat trick as Garvey turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead early in the second half to take the initiative. Four goals were shared in a wild six-minute period to extend the lead to 5-3 going into the final 10 minutes and the hosts held on for the win.
As such, Garvey move level with Banbridge and Pembroke, who also lost their perfect record with a 2-1 home defeat to Annadale.
The tie was locked at 0-0 after three quarters with Pembroke missing a stroke before Dale took the lead via Peter Caruth’s power-slap. Keith O’Hare levelled instantly but the Ulster side nabbed the win when David Tremlett got on the end of a long corner cross.
Jack Haycock grabbed a point for Cookstown as his diving penalty corner rebound with seven minutes to go saw them share the points with reigning league champions Glenanne at Steelweld Park.
They led early thanks to Michael Kerr’s near post touch but fell behind to corner goals from Shannon Boucher and Jonny McCormack before Haycock’s intervention for 2-2.
In Cork, C of I made it two draws from three while YMCA got their first ever EYHL point. The Dubliners will regret, though, not making more of it having missed a stroke and letting a lead slip in the final quarter.
Gabriel de Grandis gave them a first half lead before Cork levelled through former YM man Stephen Parker. Grant Glutz made it 2-1 to the Y from their second penalty stroke of the day but Alex Deane scrambled in a second equaliser.
Three Rock Rovers and Monkstown’s match was deferred to October 18 due to Rovers' involvement in the Euro Hockey League in Barcelona where they beat Racing Club de France 6-0 and drew 1-1 with Junior FC.
