Pegasus flying high after McIvor goal seals win
PEGASUS made it three wins from three EY Irish Hockey League starts when a late goal from schoolgirl Niamh McIvor sealed a 1- 0 victory over Cork Harlequins at Upper Malone yesterday.
I t c e r t a i nl y wasn’ t a classic but the result keeps the defending champions three points clear at the top of the table.
On Saturday, Pegasus had begun a successful weekend with a
4-2 win over newly-promoted Catholic Institute, who registered their first victory of the campaign with a 3-2 victory over Belfast Harlequins at Deramore yesterday.
Pegasus captain Michelle Harvey ( above) went closest to scoring in the first-half of a dull contest when she saw her penalty corner saved at full-stretch by Kate Murphy.
In t he 40 t h minute, Alex
Speers shot narrowly wide and then had a goal disallowed 18 minutes later because the ball had struck her foot before she shot.
But Belfast Royal Academy student McIvor sealed the deal with nine minutes remaining when she fired home from closerange to net the winner. At nearby Deramore, B e l f a s t Ha r l e q u i n s were denied a draw when Catholic Institute’s Roisin Begley hit the winner with the last play of the game.
Quins had led 1- 0 early on through Lucy Geddes and then Katherine Welshman made it 2-2 after Laura Foley and Naomi Carroll scored to put the Limerick side ahead.
On Saturday, Julie Dennison and Serena Barr put Harlequins 2-0 up against their Cork namesakes who fought to snatch a point with strikes from Michelle Barry and Alex O’Grady.
Pamela Glass and Speers hit two goals apiece for Pegasus in their 4-2 win over Catholic Institute.
In the Ulster Premier League, Ards stay top after a 2-1 win over Randalstown while champions Lurgan fell to a first defeat, going down 4-2 at Ballymoney. Results: EY Irish Hockey League: yesterday: Belfast Harlequins 2 (L Geddes, K Welshman) Catholic Institute 3; Loreto 1 Muckross 1; Old Alex 1 Railway Union 3; Pegasus 1(N McIvor) Cork Harlequins 0; UCD 1 Pembroke 0; Saturday: Belfast Harlequins 2 (J Dennison, S Barr) Cork Harlequins 2; Loreto 1 UCD 0; Muckross 1 Old Alex 2; Pegasus 4 (P Glass 2, A Speers 2) Catholic Institute 2; Railway Union 1 Pembroke 4; Ulster Premier League: Ards 2 (Z Malseed, H Platt) Randalstown 1 (CJ McDonald); Ballymoney 4 (N Parke 2, K Mullan, S Brown) Lurgan 2 (C Stewart, L Wright); Queen’s 9 (J McMaster 3, E McStea, T Hastings 3, A Jebb, K Ferguson) Dungannon 0; Ulster Elks 4 (B Kretzmann, H Irwin, S Atkinson, L Paul) Banbridge 2 (K McDonald, S McCullough); Senior One: Ballymena 2 (K Young, E Gillespie) Omagh 1 (E Shortt); Dromore 0 Club KV 1 (J Doak); Irish Hockey Trophy: North Down 1 Raphoe 2 (W Patterson, L Patterson); Bray 1 Lisnagarvey 6 (K McIlwaine 4, S Holdsworth, Z Lowry); Armagh 3 (P Best, L Dodds, E Mackey) Rathgar 1; Portadown 1 (C Porter) Mossley 1 (E Downey) Portadown won 4-3 on pens.