Pratt sets Institute’s gold standard

Catholic Institute raided Dublin for the second Saturday in succession, but this time it was their ladies team who took the plaudits following a stunning golden-goal victory over Three Rock Ladies in the Irish Trophy quarter-finals at Grange Road today.

While the Rosbrien club’s men had left it late to defeat Suttonians at the same stage of the men’s competition last weekend, there was even more drama this time around.

Louise Dungan had given Three Rock an early advantage, but that was cancelled out by a neatly-worked short corner, which Rosie Pratt emphatically slammed home.

Action from the Three Rock Ladies vs Catholic Institute clash, which the Limerick girls won 2-1 thanks to a Rosie Pratt golden goal. Picture: Stephen Findlater

Naomi Carroll thought she’d given Institute victory late in normal time with a volleyed reverse, but play was brought back for a corner from an earlier infringement.

However, it mattered little as Pratt got the all-important strike in extra time, finishing brilliantly on her reverse after a mazy solo dribble.

However, Ashton were unable to make it two Munster sides in the semi-finals, as they fell 6-0 at Ulster Elks. Although the northerners were without their Irish internationals Emma Clarke and Shirley McCay at Jordanstown, they still had too much in reserve for the Blackrock Road girls, who were none too happy with the match’s umpires.

Ashton will be hoping for better luck in tomorrow’s Irish Junior Cup clash with Cork C of I, but they will need to pull off a stunning performance if they are to top Cork Harlequins’ showing in the same competition today.

They won 2-1 against Pegasus in Belfast, with dramatic short corner strikes from Ger Kehelly and Eleanor Flood inside the last ten minutes.

In the men’s competition, C of I once again underlined why they are fancied to be thereabouts at the business end of the IJC as they hammered Weston 13-1 in Dublin.

The Rochestown side have already seen off the might of Annadale and Quins this season, but they found the going far easier this time around. Richie Dorman bagged five of their strikes – two each from play and corners, and one from a stroke – with Roger Gray getting four.

Nick Burns hit a double and Andrew Gray and Andrew Scannell rounded off the scoring, before Karl Taylor scored a late consolation from the spot for the hosts.

Quins' Mark Black grabbed a hat-trick in his side's 9-0 win over Catholic Institute. Picture: Adrian Boehm

However, Bandon existed the competition after going down 1-0 at home to Corinthians, who won thanks to a first-half penalty stroke at a rain-lashed Bandon Grammar School.

Meanwhile, all of the domestic league ties in Cork fell victim to the weather, with the majority unplayable as gale-force winds meant goalposts at various venues couldn’t be kept upright.

The one Division One game that did go ahead was the clash of Quins and Institute in the men’s league at Rosbrien. Mark Black hit a hat-trick in a facile 9-0 win, while Philip McLaughlin got a double and Lee d’Alton, Jason Black, Eddie Dore and Paul Murray also found the net.

Meanwhile, there were mixed fortunes for Munster clubs in round one of the women’s Irish Challenge; Dungarvan went down 3-2 at home to Gorey, Mallow won 1-0 at Kilkenny while Clonmel’s tie with Enniscorthy was postponed.