Katie scores twice on return to hometown club

IRELAND’S Ulster-based World Cup silver medallists suffered contrasting fortunes on Saturday with Katie Mullan, Megan Frazer and Shirley McCay all finishing on the winning side after scoring at domestic and national level with Lizzie Colvin the only loser despite also being on the mark.

National team captain Mullan made a surprise return to the Ballymoney team and hit two of the goals in their 4-3 Ulster Premier League win over Lisnagarvey at Comber Road.

The 24-year-old, who is now with An Der Alster in Germany, hadn’t played for the Co Antrim side for six years until Saturday.

Mullan had previously lined out for UCD when studying in Dublin before moving abroad after leading Ireland to their mag- nificent second place finish at the World Cup in August.

She had initially been planning to play indoor hockey for the Bundesliga champions but is available for a few weeks to represent her home club in Ulster before she returns to Germany.

Mullan hit two of the goals in Money’s surprise win over Garvey at Comber Road, including a dramatic late winner after the hosts had come back from 3-0 down at half-time.

Frazer, who is also based in Germany but is back home for the indoor break there, scored one of the goals in Ulster Elks’ 4-0 win at Ballymena.

Meanwhile, McCay hit the winner as Pegasus made it six EY Irish Hockey League victories out of seven with a 1-0 success over Old Alex at the Dub.

Ireland’s most-capped sportswoman cracked home a 37th minute penalty corner to seal a hard-fought win.

Alex looked threatening on the counter-attack but were unable to translate their possession into anything tangible.

The margin of their defeat could have been bigger had it not been for the heroics of Ireland goalkeeper Pamela Smithwick. She made a host of brilliant saves, including two fabulous point-blank efforts to deny Taite Doherty and Michelle Harvey.

Colvin, meanwhile, was the only local World Cup silver medallist to finish on the losing side as Belfast Harlequins crashed 5-1 to leaders Loreto in Dublin.

The 27-year-old levelled matters from a penalty corner to make it 1-1 at half-time following Sarah Clarke’s opener.

But Harlequins paid the penalty after the break as the Dublin side scored three times in as many minutes after Gemma Frazer received green and yellow cards in quick succession.

Ards are still in trouble at the other end of the table after losing 4-3 to Pembroke at Londonderry Park, the result leaving them ahead of basement side Muckross only on goal difference.

Laura Noble scored twice to put the Leinster side ahead early in the second half and Sinead Loughran made it 3-1 after Emily Matchett had pulled one back.

Matchett added a second in the 49th minute but Katie-Jane Marshall restored the visitors’ two-goal lead before Francesca Brown hit a late consolation.

EY Irish Hockey League: Ards 3 (E Matchett 2, F Brown) Pembroke 4 (L Noble 2, S Loughran, KJ Marshall); Cork Harlequins 1 (C Perdue) Muckross 0; Loreto 5 (S Torrans 2, S Clarke, A Meeke, S Evans) Belfast Harlequins 1 (L Colvin); Pegasus 1 (S McCay) Old Alex 0; UCD 1 (M Carey) Railway Union 1 (H de Burgh Whyte). Back with a bang: Katie Mullan scored twice for Ballymoney

Ulster Premier: Ballymena 0 Ulster Elks 4 (E Quinn, B Kretzmann, M Frazer, J Allen); Lisnagarvey 3 (C Gillard, J McQueen, R Houston) Ballymoney 4 (K Minihan, K Mullan 2, A Kearney); Lurgan 1 (O Gibson) Randalstown 0; Mossley 3 (A Jones 2, M Dougan) Dungannon 3 (L Cassells 3); Rainey 1 (C Beggs) Queen’s 5 (J McMaster 2, E McStea 2, E Getty).

Senior One: Armagh 0 Priorians 1 (J Kennedy); Coleraine 2 (K Caithness, Z Purdy) Club KV

2 (Z Lowry, J Orr); North Down 1 (Z Murphy) Castle 0; Omagh 3 (A McCollum, L McCollum 2) Portadown 0; Raphoe 2 (L Patterson 2) CI 1 (K Willis).