Season 2011-12

Coach: Mick McKinnon
Assistant Coach: David Bane
Manager: Helen Johnston
Captain: Emer Lucey

Matches Played (Leinster League Division 1)

Matches Played (Irish Hockey League)

Upcoming Matches (Leinster League Division 1)

Upcoming matches (Irish Hockey League)

Season 2010-11
Coach: Mick McKinnon
Assistant Coach: Úna McCarthy
Manager: Helen Johnston
Captain: Isobel Joyce

2010-11 Division 1 League Table

                                                            Home                          Away

** Railway Union – Registration Infringement (1 point deducted)

2010-11 IHL Result Table

2010-11 Jacqui Potter Cup Result Table

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Season Review 2009-10

The ladies first team enjoyed unprecedented success in season
2009/2010. One of our aims for the year was to retain the Leinster
League, but our number one priority was to win the first national
title in our history.

The season started well with the team unbeaten going into the
Christmas holidays. It felt like we were waiting for something to
happen, surely we couldn’t keep going on winning? One of the
highlights of the season came before Christmas, our home league game
against Loreto. It was a goal fest with a few nerves late on when two
Railway players were sin-binned, but Railway prevailed with a 3-2 win.

We also got over our fear of playing Ballymoney away, winning with an
emphatic 4-1 scoreline in the All-Ireland League. After Christmas came
the mighty Pegasus in the semi-final of the Irish Senior Cup, and the
girls in yellow had a truly complete game, Jean McDonnell and Kate
McKenna’s goals in particular finishing off the performance.

It was bound to happen though, we lost a game. 5-1, to Hermes, at
home. The defeat was compounded by our second of the season the very
next day, again at home to Hermes but in the Leinster Cup this time.
The loss was only 1-0 this time, though, and Railway showed much
improvement.

Next came the National Indoor Trophy, and despite losing for the third
time to Hermes in the group stages, Railway prevailed when it really
counted, in the final, beating Hermes 7-4 with indoor captain Kate
Dillon the stand-out performer.

With one national title under our belts, we set about securing another
one, but not before retaining the league in our last league game
against, yes, Hermes. One well worked goal set off by Emer Dillon with
a pass to newcomer Nikki Evans who set up Jean McDonnell for an
inch-perfect finish was all it took, and the celebrations began.

The Irish Senior Cup Final was different. The team played great hockey
but somehow contrived to be two goals down at half-time. Railway
rallied and before we knew it, we were back on level terms. The girls
in yellow attacked with Loreto withstanding wave after wave of
attacks, but the conclusive third goal remained elusive.

Eventually, with the game going to penalties, Railway’s brave penalty
takers could not do the job on the day and the team and supporters
were left heartbroken. Not to worry though, there was another
opportunity for glory the very next weekend. We had to pick ourselves
up and get ready for yet another showdown with Hermes in the
All-Ireland League semi-final. The game went up and down with Hermes
going one goal up via a questionable penalty before Railway equalised
with a Cecelia Joyce wondergoal deflection and then took the lead with
a Kate Dillon penalty.

Hermes equalised with five minutes to go and when extra-time could not
produce a winner, the game went to penalties, but this time it was
one-on-ones. Both sides missed their first two before Jean McDonnell
stepped up and netted. Hermes equalised. Then came the controversy
with Kate McKenna’s penalty, Hermes contesting that she scored after
the whistle had been blown. The goal stood, however, and it was down
to Emma Smyth to finish it off, and finish it off she did, and in the
style becoming of our only national representative at the time.

The final against Cork Harlequins was all Railway as we won 4-0 and
finally, we got to call ourselves All-Ireland Champions.

Written by Isobel Joyce