Women's Hockey: A month in to the season and Pembroke Wanderers and Railway Union top the Leinster first division table, both teams on 10 points from four games, after picking up their third wins of the new campaign on Saturday.

A second-half short corner strike from Sarah Clarke proved enough for Pembroke to take the points from their game against Old Alexandra, while two goals from Cathy Kennefick helped Railway ease to a 5-0 defeat of Genesis at Belfield.

The unavailability of international players at the weekend cost UCD dearly, the absence of Róisín Flinn, Lisa Jacob, Holly Moffet and Christine Quinlan, all on Ireland training duty, hardly helping the students' cause in their scoreless draw with Three Rock Rovers.

Loreto, too, had to make do without their internationals, but still managed a 2-1 win over Corinthian, while Trinity produced the result of the weekend by holding an understrength Hermes to a 0-0 draw at Booterstown.

In Ulster, Armagh, who held Pegasus to a draw last weekend, were without their four internationals, as well as two more first team regulars, but with a side that included two 15-year-olds they were still too strong for Ballymena, beating them 3-0.

Karen Bateman made it five goals in two games with a double for Cork Harlequins against the University of Limerick, while UCC - without internationals Áine Connery, Ali O'Connor and Julia O'Halloran - lost 1-0 to Church of Ireland.