Dublin University Ladies Hockey Club (DULHC) clawed themselves one step closer to safety in the premier tier of Irish hockey yesterday with a hard-earned point against a fancied Cork Harlequins side. Having taken the lead, the capital city side did well to repel a series of attacks, conceding only a single goal 11 minutes from time to secure what may well be a vital point in this season’s relegation battle.
With key players missing on both sides as injuries continue to mount after a long season, Trinity visited the second-placed Southern side in desperate need of some championship points on the table, coming off the back of a 3-0 reversal the day before against relegation rivals Monkstown. With the game of almost dead rubber significance from the perspective of the hosts, it was DULHC who set a high standard of intensity from the off.
Aggressive, front-foot play from DULHC, coupled with an intense pressing strategy, put severe pressure on the Harlequins defence in the opening sequences, with Sally Campbell, Ailish Long and Niamh Sweeney standing out in an impressive first-quarter performance. A more evenly-contested second quarter produced several chances at both ends, with the highlight being a rasping Harlequins effort stopped by the helmet of the brave Carolyn Crampton. Trinity’s attacking prowess continued to pose problems to the Cork defence, with the work of Issy Delamere, Jenny Long and Avril Dooley O’Carroll causing the concession of numerous attacking opportunities. Both rearguards, however, continued to hold firm, with the game remaining scoreless at half-time.
The third quarter saw renewed attacking enthusiasm from Trinity, with the first goal of the match finally arriving in the 39th minute. A marauding Jenny Long ball along the baseline found the stick of Sweeney, with goalkeeper Emma Buckley powerless to stop the visitors moving a goal to the good. DULHC continued their attacking intensity in search of a two-goal cushion, but it was the Harlequins who finished the quarter in the ascendancy, sparked into life after conceding the opening score. Two clear shots on goal in the space of 30 seconds had Trinity on the ropes, but the Dublin side retained their lead heading into the final quarter.
Sustained Harlequins pressure yielded further strikes on the visiting side’s goal, with Cliona Sergeant finally benefiting from the onslaught, levelling matters from a corner with 11 minutes left on the clock. Staring down the barrel of relegation, the Trinity women were left to endure a tense ending to the game, repelling wave after wave of the home side’s attacks. A final attacking manoeuvre from Trinity almost allowed Sweeney to snatch victory, with mere inches separating her late strike and the wrong side of the post.
With Monkstown due to visit table-toppers UCD next weekend now knowing only a win will save their EYHL status, DULHC could well look back on their southern trip as a pivotal moment in their season. For Brian Scully’s charges, next Saturday’s home clash with Loreto is of enormous significance. A win could see them move to eighth and away from the spectre of a promotion/relegation playoff, but a defeat, coupled with the admittedly unlikely eventuality of a Monkstown victory, could signal automatic relegation. It’s set to be a day of high drama as the relegation battle reaches its climax.
