Women's Hockey Leinster Senior LeagueUnlike previous years when Loreto and Hermes were neck and neck in the race for the Leinster first division title, this season's permutations are really quite uncomplicated. And all the calculations will be made redundant should Loreto beat Pembroke Wanderers at Beaufort tomorrow afternoon.
Victory over Pembroke would secure Siobhan Keogh's team its second league title in a row - and leave them one game away from completing a second successive league season unbeaten.
As fate would have it, Loreto's final game of the campaign, on Saturday week, is against Hermes, the only team that can catch them in the league. A 4-1 win over UCD on Wednesday kept Hermes's hopes alive but they are now depending on Pembroke, who have lost their last two games, to do them a huge favour and deny Loreto victory.
If they succeed Pembroke would become only the second team all season to take anything from a league game at Beaufort (Old Alexandra drew 0-0 there), where Loreto have averaged four goals a game.
The omens, then, aren't good for Hermes, but if Pembroke do them a favour and they do beat Three Rock at Booterstown, the title will be in their own hands. Two wins from their remaining games, against Railway and Loreto, would see them regain the title they won five seasons out of six before last year.
The meeting of Railway Union and Alexandra at Park Avenue is no less critical to each team with both fighting it out for third in the league and a place in the All-Ireland club quarter-finals.
Meanwhile in Ulster, Ards find themselves in a similar position to Alexandra, making a last ditch attempt to snatch third place from Randalstown who are on course to join Pegasus and Ballymoney in the club quarter-finals.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One - Tomorrow: Hermes v Three Rock, Booterstown, 12.15; Clontarf v UCD, Clontarf, 12.30; Railway Union v Old Alexandra, Sandymount, 12.30; Loreto v Pembroke Wanderers, Beaufort, 3.30; Genesis v Corinthian, Belfield, 5.0. Sunday: Pembroke Wanderers v Old Alexandra, Ballsbridge, 2.0. Division Two - Tomorrow: Pembroke Wanderers v Skerries, Ballsbridge, 12.30; Hermes II v Loreto III, Booterstown, 1.45; Old Alexandra II v Muckross, Milltown, 3.15; Diocesan v Glenanne, Rathgar, 3.45.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Senior One - Tomorrow: Coleraine v Ards, UUC, 1.30; Ballymoney v Randalstown, Joey Dunlop Centre, 1.30; Ballymena v Knock, Ballymena Showgrounds, 1.40; Victorians v Belfast Harlequins, Olympia Leisure Centre, 1.30; Pegasus v Omagh, Queens, 1.30.
MAY COSTLEY CUP FINAL (at Belfield) - Tomorrow: Moyne/Thurles v Weston, 3.30.
