Catholic Institute landed their first win over UCD for at the least 20 years to start the ladies’s EY Hockey League with a bang at Rosbrien.
With Cork Harlequins, UCC and Cork C of I all refusing to journey to Dublin on Saturday as a consequence of Covid-19 issues, they have been the one Munster aspect to hit the turf on the opening day of the nationwide leagues.
The Limerick aspect have been sluggish to start out final time period however this 12 months, they hit the bottom operating with an agile trying squad, bolstered by three returnees from UCC and two worldwide high quality goalkeepers – Pam Smithwick and Hannah Humphreys – added.
American duo Allison Smith and Kelsey Farkas deliver additional high quality and it confirmed as targets within the final 12 minutes from Aoife Hickey and Laura Foley produced the outcome.
Each got here from a superb platform from the again, the primary created by Ciara Moloney’s surge ahead from left again. The go was good for Hickey to the touch into house on the best of the D, rounding on the ball along with her second contact to fireside house.
Foley performed the instigator and scorer for the second within the ultimate minute, a pleasant give and go at tempo down the best, along with her shot having sufficient on it to beat Clodagh Cassin.
Since final Christmas, Insta have been a aspect remodeled and, in 2020, have overwhelmed two of the perimeters who completed within the high 4 previous to lockdown together with reiging EYHL champs Pegasus and, now, Irish Senior Cup holders UCD.
For coach Dave Passmore, he was thrilled as his aspect was unable to safe significant warm-up matches over than towards his membership’s males’s crew, saying “our elevated depth and improved health stood to us and we managed the sport effectively within the closing phases which was one thing we struggled with within the early phases final season”.
The three Cork sides will discover out whether or not they face any sanction for not fielding later this week.