THE second ‘Big Two’ meeting of the season between Ballymoney and Pegasus ended in a scoreless stalemate at the Joey Dunlop Centre on Saturday.
Pegasus will have been happier at the outcome as they maintained their one point Premier League advantage over their biggest rivals.
Ballymoney had won the corresponding Ulster Shield game 3-2 back in September and this was an equally close contest between two well matched sides.
The home team had the better of the early exchanges but after the first 20 minutes Pegasus had more of the possession.
Sharon Moffett, in the Pegasus goal, came to the rescue early on when she saved a Susie Martin penalty corner but thereafter it was her opposite number who was busier.
Sammy Jo Greer showed the kind of form that earned her a senior international debut earlier this year while ‘Money captain Susie Martin was a tower of strength at the back.
Greer foiled the normally lethal Pegasus winger Claire McMahon from a one-on-one situation in the first half.
Then the ‘keeper stopped two efforts from Arlene Boyles in quick succession near the end of the first half.
Pegasus stepped up another gear after the break and dominated the last quarter of the game in particular.
But they couldn’t break the deadlock thanks to Greer’s heroics and a goal line clearance from Gail Adams as ‘Money survived to secure a point.
Meanwhile a superb hat trick from Rachel Mulligan clinched Queen’s a dramatic 4-3 victory over Lurgan at the Dub.
The students threw away a 2-0 lead to fall 3-2 behind before Mulligan hit a double in the final seven minutes of an exciting contest
She had scored the opening goal of the game after 19 minutes after being set up by Hannah McMillan.
Four minutes later it was the turn of McMillan to get on the mark as she made it 2-0 with a fine solo effort.
Sarah McClure reduced the deficit eight minutes before the break when she scored from a penalty corner rebound.
Three minutes after the interval Zoe McNally hit the equaliser with a fabulous solo effort.
Then with 11 minutes left Lucy McKee made it 4-3 with another excellent goal as she powered her way into the circle before shooting home.
But with seven minutes on the clock Mulligan got her second with a well struck penalty corner to equalise.
In the 67th minute Mulligan grabbed the winner with a sensational strike as her shot from an acute angle found the roof of the net with the aid of the crossbar.
Armagh eased their relegation concerns with a 5-0 win over Victorians at Ardmore.
Suzanne Lucas gave them the lead in the 10th minute and an own goal made it 2-0 five minutes later.
Claire Warnock added number three with 14 minutes remaining and Christine Russell made it four from the penalty spot before Scarlett Holdsworth got on the mark.
there was some consolation for Vics when they heard their relegation rivals Portadown had lost 3-0 to Ards.
Sarah Alexander gave the home team the lead a minute after the break before Katy Bennett and Chloe Brown added further goals.
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