Brave Speers scores twice as Pegasus take off

ALEX Speers scored two of the goals after playing through the pain barrier as Pegasus began their EY Irish Hockey League campaign with a 6-1 win over newly-promoted Trinity College at Upper Malone on Saturday.

The former Ireland and current Pegasus captain was taken to hospital with a suspected broken thumb but, an X-ray revealed the injury was less serious.

However, Speers could still miss Saturday’s game with Cork Harlequins, who shocked champions UCD with a 2-1 win in Dublin.Speers was happy with the Pegasus performance after they came from a goal down to hit the highest tally of the day, four of the goals coming from set-pieces which had been an Achilles’ heel last season.

She said: “We played well in parts and the first-quarter, when we conceded the goal, wasn’t great but we reacted well, winning and scoring four corners in the space of six minutes.”

“So, overall we’re happy enough but we know there is a lot more to come from us.”

It was also a good day at the office for the two other Ulster sides, who completed a first-ever clean sweep for the province on the same day as the national league enters its third year.

Chloe Brown scored a last-gasp winner for Ards in the 2-1 victory over Pembroke Wanderers at Londonderry Park, while at Deramore, Belfast Harlequins also left it late, Rachel Johnston’s winner in the 3-2 success over Monkstown arriving with six minutes left.

Quins had trailed 2-1 at the break after taking an early lead through Lucy Geddes. But new signing Zoe Wilson levelled from the penalty-spot before Johnston sealed an impressive win with a deflection from a set-piece.

In the Ulster Premier League, there were opening wins for Queen’s, Dungannon, Randalstown and Ballymoney while Senior One title favourites Lisnagarvey crushed Knock 8-0.

EYHL: Ards 2 (F Brown, C Brown) Pembroke 1 (Pinder); Belfast Harlequins 3 (Geddes, Wilson, Johnston) Monkstown 2 ( Lloyd, Hoban-Logan); Loreto 1 Railway Union 1; Pegasus 6 (Thompson 2, Grieve, McKee, A Speers 2) Trinity 1 ( O’Brien); UCD 1 Cork Harlequins 2; Ulster Premier League: Banbridge 0 Queen’s 1 ( Aston); Mossley v Rainey abandoned; North Down 1 Dungannon 5 (White 2, Elliott, Kelly 2); Randalstown 3 ( Armstrong, McDonald, Gleghorne) Portadown 1 (Black); Ulster Elks 1 ( Paul) Ballymoney 2 ( Parke, O Mullan); Senior One: Armagh 1 Omagh 6 ( Buchanan, Pinkerton, Elkin, McConnell 2, Short); Ballyclare 0 CI 1 (Hill); Lisnagarvey 8 (J Flynn 3, McQueen, Colgan, Jebb, Gamble, R Houston) Knock 0; Victorians 0 Ballymena 1 (B McFerran). Hard knocks: Alex Speers took a painful hit on the thumb