Last weekend was a dramatic one in women?s hockey as the two challengers for the A league title squared off on Sunday amid a weekend packed full of games.

Canaries and Swallows have been neck-and-neck all season but the Swallows may have finally seized the advantage as they shut down their rivals 3-0.

With many teams hitting the pitches twice last weekend to make up for recent rainouts, there were a lot of points up for grabs.

But Swallows were able to walk away with six, with a 1-0 win over Ravens adding to their tally from the key victory over Canaries.

Canaries are hardly down for the count, however, as the stellar six-goal performance of league leading scorer Lisa DeSilva showed during their 11-3 romp over Bluebirds on Saturday.

While Swallows won their Saturday match 1-0, Ravens managed to give them a good fight.

Having suffered a dismal and disheartening defeat to Swallows the prior week, Ravens came out determined to gain some respect.

From the initial whistle it was apparent they were a different team and working with great communication and defence they were able to limit Swallows attacking opportunities.

Swallows Shelley Clement and Hannah Ellison on the right half of the pitch demonstrated some fine play in earning a series of penalty corners in the first half but Ravens short corner defence team of Caroline Black, Emma MacKnight, Kirsten Faria, Kristen Rego and goalie Althea Storrier were equal to the task.

Undeterred Swallows came back with a goal from open play when Jenny Burrell scored from a seemingly impossible angle, lifting the ball over the head of Storrier.

Ravens fought to get back in the game and the second half saw solid defence from both sides, with the majority of the play being limited to the middle of the field.

Ravens surged to create numerous scoring opportunities in the last ten minutes but goalie Sarah Fenwick and Swallows defenders shut down any further attacks.

Meanwhile in their Saturday match with Bluebirds, Canaries flexed their muscle with an 11-3 win.

DeSilva notched six points to continue her dominance of their scoring table while team-mate Emma Kelly also stepped up with a hat-trick and Mary Ellen Jackson supplied two more goals.

Defender Michelle Ming played goal kicking back for Canaries during the first 20 minutes of the game until Tami Ray arrived.

Canaries played an attacking game with many wonderful touch passes.

Stacey deShield, Ming and Emma Simmons linked up well and most of the goals came as a result of neat passing, especially around the goal mouth.

Four goals from DeSilva and a strike from Kelly saw Canaries close out the first half with a convincing five-goal lead.

The second half was the continuation of hard drives and supportive play. Kelly put in the first two goals of the second half as she tucked away the ball just out of the reach of the goalie when shots were taken.

Mary Ellen Jackson scored the next goal, followed closely by DeSilva?s fifth.

Jackson was awarded a penalty stroke after her run through the defence saw a player use their foot to stop the shot.

She converted into the far right hand post.

And then Desilva finished the game with a final flourish.

But the weekend?s main event was Sunday?s Canaries against Swallows tie.

Both teams took the field confident ahead of their long-awaited face-off.

The entire first half was a tense stand-off and the teams left for the break mired at nil-nil.

But a slight defensive lapse on the part of Canaries just into the second half helped Swallows to gain advantage and secure the first goal.

Canaries tried to equalise but were very unsuccessful with penalty corners taken and shots on goal falling just outside the far post.

Swallows exerted considerable pressure on the Canaries backline and were rewarded with their second goal of the match, with ten minutes to go.

As time ran out and the final whistle blew, a last minute penalty corner that was awarded and played out allowing Swallows to score their third and final goal to clinch the critical victory.

The end of this rivalry is not in sight yet, however, as Swallows and Canaries will face off again at Warwick Academy Sunday at 1.30 p.m.

In other A league play last weekend, Cardinals notched a 2-1 win over Swifts. Cardinals got off to a strong start in this game as Swifts failed to capture the ball on too many occasions.

Cardinals scored after seven minutes from their second penalty corner.

They continued to dominate and Swifts best chance of the half came in the 24th minute when a simple opportunity in front of goal was missed.

Cardinals scored their second after 30 minutes.

Despite a series of good saves by Robinson for Swallows, the rest of the team were not performing the way they have in recent weeks.

Cardinals ruled the second half gaining seven penalty corners but were unable to score again. Swifts earned a consolation goal in dying minutes when Mandy Oliver fed a free hit on the edge of the circle to Stephanie Adderley who cracked a shot through the crowded circle into the net.