It’s a double-header of a weekend in the Hockey League, with the pick of the 10 fixtures the meeting of leaders Pegasus and defending champions UCD at Belfield on Saturday.
Second-placed Cork Harlequins, meanwhile, are on the road yet again, first dropping into Dublin to play Monkstown, before heading north to take on Belfast Harlequins the next day.
There’ll be no shortage of confidence in the Pegasus camp after last weekend’s 6-0 win over Loreto, on the same day UCD dropped to third after being held to a scoreless draw by Pembroke Wanderers. And it’s Pembroke who are the Belfast side’s opponents on Sunday, when the students will meet Loreto.
Four of Cork Harlequins’ five games so far this season – in the Hockey League and Irish Senior Cup – have been away to Leinster or Ulster opposition, so their journeys this weekend will be familiar ones. They will expect to take the points from a struggling Monkstown side, but they will be wary of Belfast Harlequins after they surprised Ards last weekend with a 2-1 win.
Railway Union will look to build on their first win of the season, a 6-0 defeat of Monkstown, after drawing their opening three games. That success lifted them to fourth in the table, Belfast Harlequins and Trinity their opponents this weekend.
HOCKEY LEAGUE: Saturday: Monkstown v Cork Harlequins, Rathdown, 12.30; Loreto v Pembroke Wanderers, Beaufort, 1.15; Ards v Trinity, Ards Park, 2.30; UCD v Pegasus, Belfield, 2.50; Railway Union v Belfast Harlequins, Park Avenue, 3.0. Sunday: UCD v Loreto, Belfield, 3.0; Belfast Harlequins v Cork Harlequins, Deramore Park, 1.0; Pembroke Wanderers v Pegasus, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30; Railway Union v Trinity, Park Avenue, 2.40; Monkstown v Ards, Rathdown, 3.0.
