We caught up with Ards Ladies Hockey Club, at Londonderry Park, as they made their latest debut in the EYHL, against Loreto, having gained promotion from the Ulster Premiership via EYHL 2 last season.

Ards were keen to make an impression and they started the game strongly with Internationals Zara Malseed and Erin Getty, a new signing from Queen’s University, to the fore.

It took Loreto a while to get up to speed but when they did they looked just that bit quicker in thought and deed but it was still somewhat against the run of play when they took the lead after 11 minutes as Sarah Torrans slid in to place a cross beyond the . . .