As it was a quiet weekend in Belfast I took the trip down to Dublin to catch up with Ards LHC against Railway Union in the Irish Hockey Women’s Senior Cup at Park Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

The match was played without current internationals in both squads but it was a lively enough game.

Ards started well and had an early goal, from Ali Carson, disallowed in the opening minutes. However, Railway began to get on top and after a couple of chances they found the net as the talismanic Kate Dillon got on the end of a cross to send the ball past Ards keeper Naomi McKnight. It was the only score of the first quarter and the teams . . .