4 Nations Tournament Valencia
Ireland 2 (Walsh, Darling)
England 1(Taylor)
With 3 places separating the two sides sitting at 7thand 10thin the world this was always likely to be a close encounter. There was nothing to split the two in the opening exchanges and the first quarter saw few real chances at either end. The game came to life a bit more in the second quarter when David Harte was called into action for the first time so smother a pacey English attack. Moments later the Green Machine won their first penalty corner of the fixture but Shane O’Donoghue’s drag flick effort went just wide of George Pinner’s goal. Lee Cole picked up a green card in the 26thminute but the English couldn’t capitalise on their man advantage. Ireland won a penalty stroke in the dying moments of the first half but O’Donoghue’s shot went wide.
The deadlock was broken thanks to a powerful reverse strike from Daragh Walsh inside the opening 3 minutes of the second half. Both teams went down to 10 men with Stuart Loughrey and David Goodfield picking up green cards, but that didn’t stop Mitch Darling from doubling Ireland’s lead with a lovely goal set up by Eugene Magee. 3 penalty corners in quick succession saw England claw a goal back as Luke Taylor found the back of the net. But the men in red couldn’t find an equaliser as an experienced Green Machine side held off the world number 7 side to claim the 2-1 victory.
Starting: D Harte (Captain), J Bell, C Cargo, M Nelson, E Magee, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, M Darling, C Harte, L Cole, S Loughrey
Subs: L Madeley, A Sothern, K Shimmins, D Fitzgerald, D Walsh, J Duncan
4 Nations Tournament Valencia:
29/10 16:30 Ireland 2vs1 England
29/10 18:30 Spain vs Netherlands
30/10 16:30 Netherlands vs England
30/10 18:30 Spain – Ireland
01/11 16:30 Ireland – Netherlands
01/11 18:30 Spain – England
03/11 10:00 1st vs 4th
03/11 12:30 2nd vs 3rd
04/11 10:00 3rd vs 4th
04/11 12:30 Final
