The UCD Ladies and Mens team, made an unfortunate exit from the Senior Cup this weekend, meaning that the hopes of defending their title for the Ladies, have now diminished.

Women’s Irish Senior Cup

Railway Union and Loreto will contest the first all-Leinster ESB Irish Senior Cup final in four years in May after they disposed of Pegasus and reigning champions UCD respectively to advance.

UCD Ladies Hockey team narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the Irish Senior cup, losing out 1-0 to Leinster rivals Loreto. The game was a tense affair, starting an hour late as a result of the overtime in the men's tie between UCD and Monkstown.
Loreto's 15th minute goal proved the sole difference, scoring from the first real opening, finishing off a fluent move in which Lizzie Colvin was the key element.

She raced down the left flank before working her way into the circle and offering up a slightly lobbed cross for the ace finisher to complete. Catriona Tipping's individual run and shot was well saved from the half's other major opening while Lisa Jacob was a constant threat for UCD. The UCD captain and Irish international was the prompting force for the Belfielders purple patch in the game's third quarter but Loreto dealt with a series of corners as open country was difficult to find for either team nor was the tie especially free-flowing.

UCD enjoyed the better of possession and chances in the 2nd half where Irish international Lisa Jacob was a constant threat in the opposite direction.
But Loreto doggedly held on for the final place, denying the students a place in the final for the second year running.

For Railway, it will be a first ever national senior title of any description as their incredible; 100pc season continues apace adding the Ulster champions scalp to their list of victories which also includes Munster champions and IHL winners in 2009/10.

Loreto, though, have the experience on the big stage and will be going in search of their ninth final win and a number of the side enjoyed glory in the two in-a-row of 2002 and 2003. The Beaufort club's 1-0 triumph over UCD gained a modicum of revenge for last season's penalty strokes elimination at the genesis of the student's famous cup run.
 

Mens Senior Cup

Monkstown went a step further in the tension stakes as they eventually fought off a spirited UCD on sudden death penalty strokes. The Town appeared to be cruising with eight minutes to go, leading 3-1 courtesy of Andy Ewington's corner double and a sweet reverse strike from Gareth Watkins in the 20th minute.

Robbie McFarlane, though, had scrambled an early corner rebound to level at 1-1 and, after Gavin O'Halloran had served time for a yellow card, UCD launched a thrilling comeback.

McFarlane smashed in after David Quinn's initial shot to make it a grandstand finish with seven minutes to go and the striker earned and scored the corner on the final hooter to complete his hat-trick. He deflected a corner routine to force extra-time.

Brian Groves and Quinn both sat out part of extra-time as the Town won a series of corners in extra-time but no goals meant strokes. Five strokes left the sides still inseparable at 3-3 but Alec Barrett showed the ice cool nerve to beat Ross Gribben while David Fitzgerald denied John McInroy - his nemesis earlier with an incredible point blank save from a diving deflection - to send Monkstown through.

Elsewhere YMCA's progression continues apace as they dumped Cork Harlequins out of the Irish Senior Cup as veteran Mikey Fry grabbed the golden goal that earned a second round tie in Kilkeel in two weeks time.