Two late goals from Loreto saw them fight back to beat Cork Harlequins 2-1 and take the outright lead at the head of the women's EY Hockey League at the halfway stage.
They trailed for a long time to Rebecca Barry’s fine goal but Sarah Torrans and Siofra O’Brien both scored in the closing quarter to earn the three points.
Loreto had been level with Pegasus before Saturday’s tie but the Ulster side were undone by Old Alex’s rising forces as they also landed a 2-1 result. Emma Russell and Rebecca Evans were both on the score sheet to build a 2-0 lead.
Kerri McDonald got one back in the third quarter, Alex held on to make it 10 points out of the last possible 12 on offer, moving them level with Pegs on 19 points.
UCD consolidated their place in the top four with a 3-0 win over Railway Union in a tie much closer than the scoreline suggests. Hannah McLoughlin edged the students in front and it remained that way until four minutes from the end when Lena Tice and Edel Nyland made things safe.
The other two matches produced draws with Belfast Harlequins grabbing their second point of the campaign thanks to Julie Dennison’s final second scramble. That made it 3-3 against Muckross who had led 3-1 at one stage before succumbing to their fifth draw in nine games.
Catholic Institute, meanwhile, also scored late on for a 1-1 draw with Pembroke. Emily Beatty put Pembroke 1-0 in front in the seventh minute before Ciara Moloney deflected in a corner in the last 10 minutes for a share of the spoils.
Insta remain in ninth place, shaving off some of the gap to Railway in eighth with Pembroke sitting in fifth, four points of the EY Champions Trophy spots.
