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Pegasus through to final four as Trinity, Corinthian, C of I and Lurgan land first EYHL2 wins

Pegasus advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s Irish Senior Cup with a dominant performance against Muckross at Grange Road, prevailing 6-1 in the end.

After an early disallowed effort and some good Aoife Glennon stops, Alex Speers guided home from a Shirley McCay corner slap for the opening goal and she added another from play soon after.

Leah Paul scored an open play cracker to make it 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and the advantage was stretched out to 4-0 at half-time.

Becky McMullen got a classy deflection to reduce the deficit in the second half but Pegasus kept plugging away with Lucy McKee ending up with a couple with Niamh McIvor also on the scoresheet.

In EYHL Division 2, Lurgan defied a string a of Covid cases during the week to pick up their first win in Pool 2, beating Queen’s 3-1 to jump into second place in the group.

Jo-Anne Reid was the star netting a double which sees Lurgan add to their two draws.

The win sees them leap-frog Queen’s who also fell behind Cork C of I courtesy of the Garryduff side’s 5-2 success against NUIG. The Cork side were up and running via Clara O’Sullivan’s first quarter goal and this was augmented by another for Anna Collins, set up by Ciara Sexton.

Ailbhe Folan got one back from a corner but Julie Coyne responded in kind from a set piece for a 3-1 half-time lead.

NUIG missed a stroke to cut the gap again and C of I took advantage of the let-off when O’Sullivan got her second. Sexton made it 5-1 before Folan completed the scoring with a super goal from Folan following a solo run.

In Pool 1, Trinity and Corinthian picked up their first wins of the campaign to bolster their chances of reaching the playoff places.

For Corinthian, they won 5-1 away to UCC to move into second place in the group, pulling away in the second half after a very tight first half.

Lauren McGrane put Corinthian 1-0 up in the first 10 minutes but a brilliant run from Caoimhe Perdue from halfway ended with a classy shot from the top of the D for 1-1.

Reds skipper Amber Kinlan, however, restored the UCC lead going into the first break and it remained 2-1 through to half-time. Jessica McGrane put daylight between the sides in the 48th minute from a corner move, a switch right which led to a deflection in.

Both Lauren and Jessica McGrane added their second goals of the game to complete the scoring in the closing quarter.

The healthy win has Corinthian up to second place in the group and within range of leaders Ards if they can win their game in hand.

Trinity are also up to seven points but with a game extra played as corner goals either side of half-time helped them to a 2-0 win over Galway. Valerie Hajek was on the mark before half-time and it was 2-0 via Amy Buttimer.

The next series in EYHL2 will take place on February 12 when the second tier competition reaches its halfway stage.

Women
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-final: Muckross 1 (R McMullen) Pegasus 6 (A Speers 2, L McKee 2, L Paul, N McIvor)

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Galway 0 Trinity 2 (V Hajek, A Buttimer); UCC 1 (C Perdue) Corinthian 5 (L McGrane 2, J McGrane 2, A Kinlan)
Pool 2: Cork C of I 5 (C O’Sullivan 2, J Coyne, A Collins, C Sexton) NUIG 2 (A Folan 2); Queens University 1 (E Getty) Lurgan 3 (J Reid 2, C McBride)

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Annadale produce another big comeback as Kilkeel, Inst and Bandon move ahead in EYHL2

Annadale produced another huge comeback to land what could be a very important point in men’s EY Hockey League’s battle to avoid the relegation places. 

They trailed 4-1 deep into the second half at Whitechurch Park against Corinthian but fought back to level at 4-4 and move four points clear of the drop zone. For the reds, they went a point clear of ninth-place Pembroke but they will rue not making more ground on a day when player-coach Brinsley Powell was on their line for the first time. 

Ciaran O’Shea gave them the lead in the second minute before Callum Robson’s cracker levelled the game early in the second quarter. 

Parity was only temporary, though, as Ian Stewart’s deflected penalty corner put Corinthian back in front and a Peter Caruth bullet – against his old club – off the back of turnover ball, made it 3-1 at half-time. 

Davy Howard’s penalty stroke seemingly had the Dubliners on course for the points but Robson’s second opened up hope and the belief – perhaps bolstered by a similar comeback against Monkstown before Christmas – was obvious. 

Robbie Davidson got in on the act with seven minutes to go and, from a corner in the 67th minute, David Tremlett equalised the tie. 

In EYHL Division 2, David Rae’s last minute screamer saw Kilkeel land the first win for any side in Pool 2, earning a 3-2 away win over Clontarf, putting them into a four-point lead. 

Kilkeel and Clontarf in action. Picture: Deryck Vincent (click image for more pictures)

The tie went tit-for-tat throughout with Alan O’Malley and Rae exchanging first half goals and the score advanced to 2-2 in the third quarter with John Mullins and Luke Russell trading strikes. 

It left the game in the mix until the last seconds when Rae was seemingly running out of pitch but, from the baseline, thrashed the ball into the top corner.  

In Pool 1, Instonians moved into the lead courtesy of their 4-0 win over Rathgar while Railway Union undid Cork C of I 1-0. 

The latter contest was a fierce one with C of I having the edge in chances in a scoreless first half. But the tie was ultimately settled by a great piece of individual skill from David McCarthy who beat a couple of defenders before firing into the bottom left corner. 

For Inst, they scored once in each quarter, Stephen Kelso getting the first, Tommy Orr nabbing the next just before half-time. Another from Kelso and a corner-switch slap from Ross Kelly completed the win. 

Bandon took a big step toward topping Pool 3 when they came back from a goal down to defeat Cookstown 3-1 in west Cork.  

Scott McCabe put the Tyrone side one up in the first quarter but his brother, Josh, was soon the busier of the goalkeepers.  

Ian Perrott equalised in Q2 and he turned creator after half-time to set David Smith to put Bandon 2-1 up. Perrott again was crucial when he picked out Karl Smyth to deflect in the third and they carried that scoreline through to the finish. 

Mossley, meanwhile, picked up their first ever EYHL win to give them a chance of pushing for a playoff place in March when the competition returns to action. 

They led from the off against Portrane with Matthew Warnock putting them 1-0 up in the second minute. A full pitch breakaway was finished off by Ethan Clotworthy and Ricky McClintock put them into a dominant position with just 22 minutes gone. 

Portrane fought back with Tom Mulvey and Anthony Glutz trimming the gap back to 3-2 early in the second half.  

But another Mossley breakout led to a corner, won by Jamie Lyall, and Neal Glassey scored to give some breathing room. Simon Todd then put them out of sight with a corner rebound and a hammer-blow from the top of the circle for 6-2. 

 

Men 

EYHL Division 1: Corinthian 4 (C O’Shea, I Stewart, P Caruth, D Howard) Annadale 4 (C Robson 2, R Davidson, D Tremlett) 

EYHL Division 2 

Pool 1: Instonians 4 (S Kelso 2, T Orr, R Kelly) Rathgar 0; Railway Union 1 (D McCarthy) Cork C of I 0 

Pool 2: Clontarf 2 (A O’Malley, J Mullins) Kilkeel 3 (D Rae 2, L Russell) 

Pool 3: Bandon 3 (I Perrott, D Smith, K Smyth) Cookstown 1 (S McCabe); Mossley 6 (S Todd 2, M Warnock, E Clotworthy, N Glassey, R McClintock) Portrane 2 (T Mulvey, A Glutz)   

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Full series of EYHL2 fixtures will see contenders emerge

An stronger idea of who will be involved in the shake-up for EY Hockey League places next season will move closer after Saturday with a full series of Division 2 fixtures on the agenda.

In addition, there is a vital men’s top tier meeting between Corinthian and Annadale while Muckross and Pegasus meet in an Irish Senior Cup quarter-final postponed from before Christmas.

Looking at the one top tier EYHL game, Corinthian and Annadale sit just outside the relegation places and will be hoping to use this tie to give them a bit more breathing room.

They drew 3-3 on the opening day of the season with Chad Futcher scoring twice for the reds; he has since returned to South Africa and they will miss his impressive drag-flicks – scoring six in total – and long overheads.

Dale are three points better off and a third victory of the season would see them put six points between them and the drop zone.

In EYHL2, the tension is ramping up in the group stages, particularly in a very tight Pool 1 where just one point covers the top three places. Cork C of I lead the way on goal difference and they meet third placed Railway Union.

Both are leading their regional leagues but have not it all their own way of late. C of I needed a late Rob Sweetnam to win at Catholic Institute in Munster to win 2-1 and stay top. Railway scraped by Dublin University and Portrane before losing their unbeaten record at the hands of Clontarf.

Instonians, meanwhile, host Rathgar who have yet to land a point in the competition.

Similarly, there is nothing between the sides in Pool 2 with Cork Harlequins, Kilkeel and Clontarf drawing all the games they have played so far.

This time out, Clontarf host Kilkeel with the Bulls in red-hot form with nine games unbeaten in Leinster, most recently beating Dublin Uni in midweek 5-0 with a Sam Grace hat trick. Kilkeel, meanwhile, have been shading high-scoring battles, beating Queens 4-3 this week and Newry 5-4 either side of a 2-2 draw with Portadown.

Pool 3 has two clear leaders – Cookstown and Bandon – with a maximum 10 points from two games on their record but that will not remain beyond Saturday with the two clubs meeting in west Cork.

Mossley and Portrane will look to kickstart their potential chances of reaching the playoffs when they face off at The Glade.

On the women’s side, it’s a similarly vital moment in the EYHL2 season. Leaders Ards are on the bye weekend and so chasers UCC and Corinthian will see their meeting at the Mardyke as vital.

NUIG and Queen’s are in EYHL2 action. Picture: Billy Pollock

The students are on seven points and five above the reds but the Dubliners have only played one game thus far due to a frozen-out fixture before Christmas which leaves them ground to catch-up and seven games remaining.

Galway and Trinity, meanwhile, are seeking their first win of the campaign when they meet in Dangan and needing a result to keep their chances of a playoff spot alive.

In Pool 2, with runaway leaders Monkstown on a break, it is a great chance for all four of the sides to put themselves in the frame for a playoff place.

Cork C of I and NUIG are both seeking their first win of the league having drawn with Lurgan in earlier rounds. The Cork side have been in excellent form in Munster, moving top of the table and reaching their regional cup semi-final with a 5-0 away win over Bandon.

Queen’s will strengthen their hold on second significantly if they can win their meeting with Ulster rivals Lurgan on Saturday. Queen’s have made strong moves in 2022 with healthy wins over Dungannon (5-0) and Raphoe (2-0) lifting them five places in the table, one spot behind Lurgan but with two games in hand.

In the women’s Irish Senior Cup, Muckross are hoping to overturn their EYHL 3-1 defeat to Pegasus when they meet at Grange Road. Both are aiming to join UCD and Pembroke in the final four with Banbridge and Catholic Institute’s date now refixed for February.

Sunday sees the latest round of matches in the male underage interprovincials with Munster and Leinster meeting in a triple-header at Three Rock.

Elsewhere, the draws were made for the men’s and women’s Irish Junior Cups and the women’s Irish Hockey Challenge with the men’s playoff places also confirmed.

Saturday 29th January 2022
Men
EYHL Division 1: Corinthian v Annadale, Whitechurch Park, 3.15pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Instonians v Rathgar, Shaw’s Bridge, 3pm; Railway Union v Cork C of I, Park Avenue, 1.30pm
Pool 2: Clontarf v Kilkeel, Mount Temple, 1.30pm
Pool 3: Bandon v Cookstown, Bandon GS, 1pm; Mossley v Portrane, The Glade, 2.45pm

Women
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-final: Muckross v Pegasus, Grange Road, 2.30pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Galway v Trinity, Dangan, 1pm; UCC v Corinthian, Mardyke, 2pm
Pool 2: Cork C of I v NUIG, Garryduff, 2pm; Queens University v Lurgan, Malone Playing Fields, 12.45pm

Sunday 30th January 2022
Men
Interprovincial series
Under-16: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 3pm
Under-18: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 5pm
Under-21: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 4pm

National cup draws
Men
Irish Junior Cup semi-finals: Cookstown v Bangor; Banbridge v YMCA
Irish Hockey Challenge, quarter-finals: Limerick v Midleton; Waterford v Mullingar
Semi-finals: Winner of QF 1 v Portrush; Winner of QF 2 v Saintfield

Women
Irish Hockey Challenge semi-finals: Bangor v Wexford; Clonakilty v NICS
Irish Junior Cup semi-finals: Pembroke v Queens; Corinthian v Railway

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Christine O’Shea the new Connacht Regional Development Officer

Hockey Ireland is delighted to welcome Christine O’Shea as our new Connacht Regional Development Officer. 

Christine joins Hockey Ireland with a wide range of experience in the sport from coaching, managing and umpiring over the past 20 years. 

She has been a Director of Hockey for a number of years in a secondary school in Limerick, involved in Munster development teams and as Munster Under-18 interprovincial manager. 

Christine is a qualified coach and umpire and is no stranger to Hockey Ireland, providing strength and conditioning work with the Irish women’s development squad. 

She has also delivered development programmes in schools (eg Tricks 4 Sticks) and helping out with the initial coaching set-up of new schools and clubs. 

Christine continues to shine on the playing front with Catholic Institute, playing a key role in their rise to national contention in the EY Hockey League.  

Her appointment comes at an exciting time for hockey in Connacht with a number of new clubs getting off the ground in recent months. 

Last weekend saw Tuam Falcons and Loughrea Lakers host their first taster sessions. Ballinasloe Lions have their first introductory event on February 5 at the football grounds at Portiunculla. Athenry Swans got under way in September and have already played in their first blitzes.  

Some of the areas the Connacht Regional Development Officer will focus on are:

  • Grow hockey, support and develop existing/new resources for the Connacht region, an area that Hockey Ireland see as having huge potential for growth. 
  • Partnering and growing participation in NUIG 
  • Growing indoor hockey in NUIG, specifically around growing men’s hockey and encouraging social participation in hockey
  • Promoting and developing the indoor format of the game across the province 
  • Management and administration of development programmes including ClubMark, Tricks4Sticks etc.
  • Working in new areas to run cluster Primary School/Secondary School programmes with the aim of setting up new clubs around Connacht
  • Act as link between clubs and schools and identify and support clubs to develop ways to increase volunteers, coaches and umpires.
  • Delivering workshops and holding meetings to support, educate and empower clubs to implement change and become more sustainable 
  • Working in partnership with LSP/ local councils and helping clubs to identify and apply for funding opportunities

Christine started in the role last week and can be contacted on christine.oshea@irelandhockey.sportlomo.com.

 

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Adam Grainger steps down as Hockey Ireland Performance Director

Adam Grainger has stepped down as Hockey Ireland’s High Performance Director to pursue a new work opportunity with Kitman Labs.

It follows a successful period since joining Hockey Ireland in 2017 with both the Irish men’s and women’s senior international sides contesting World Cups with the latter winning silver in London 2018 before going on to qualify and compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Adam has made defining and lasting contributions to our high-performance programme and can be very proud of all the achievements during his time with us,” said Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels.

“We wish him the very best and thank him for all the support and his service to the sport of Hockey in Ireland.”

For Adam’s part, he said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hockey Ireland and I am extremely proud of the work that Hockey Ireland, the wider hockey community, Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland have undertaken together.

“I believe hockey is in a strong place in Ireland and it is my hope that Hockey Ireland can now build upon the successes we have all created during both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic cycles.

“I would like to specifically recognise the passion, time and effort given to me by the Hockey Ireland Board, the Hockey Ireland High Performance Committee and the wider Hockey Ireland staff.

“Similarly, thanks to Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland high performance units for their ongoing support.

“Lastly, I want to acknowledge the support being provided by coaches and volunteers in clubs and leagues across the country, particularly at the junior age grade level.

“I am looking thoroughly looking forward to starting my role with the fast growing and ambitious performance science company Kitman Labs and will, of course, be keeping an eye on Hockey Ireland results in years ahead.”

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Banbridge’s Havelock Park the host venue for EY Champions Trophy

Banbridge’s Havelock Park has been confirmed as the venue for the EY Champions Trophy, the marquee club event of the 2021/22 Hockey Ireland club season.  

The event will take place on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24, 2022, bringing together the top four men’s and women’s club sides from around the island to crown the national champions. 

The club and the venue has played host to a string of memorable events, including the most recent edition of the EY Champions Trophy in 2019 as well as the FIH World Series Finals in the same year. Havelock Park was also the venue for the first – and only to date – visit of the Euro Hockey League to Ireland in 2016.

Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner, EY Ireland said: “This has been an incredibly exciting league so far and all the more precious given the challenges presented by ongoing pandemic.

“We are very much looking forward to the event and seeing which of the league’s high performing teams will ultimately come together to vie for the EYHL Champions Trophy. I’m delighted EY’s sponsorship of the league continues and this event will certainly be an excellent opportunity to celebrate the fantastic talent, teamwork and leadership displayed throughout the league.”

The host club’s president Mark Evans added: “Banbridge are delighted to once again have to opportunity to host the EY Champions Trophy weekend at Havelock Park,”

“Following the enforced cancellation of the event these past two seasons due to Covid-19, we are looking forward to showcasing the best of club hockey in Ireland over the weekend of April 23 and 24, 2022. 

“As a club we pride ourselves in our hosting capabilities and will work closely with Hockey Ireland to ensure that the standards we have set are matched and hopefully surpassed this time round.” 

Welcoming the agreement, Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels added: “We are delighted to confirm Banbridge as the host club for the 2021/22 EY Champions Trophy. 

“With their army of enthusiastic volunteers, the club and the town will once again provide a perfect showcase for our players and our sport along with a top fan experience.”  

The line-up of competitors for the EY Champions Trophy will be confirmed following the conclusion of the regular season of the EY Hockey League (EYHL) and the subsequent quarter-finals which are scheduled to take place on April 9, 2022. 

Next Saturday sees Corinthian meet Annadale in a back-match from before Christmas. The EY Hockey League returns in full for the new year on February 5th with a full schedule of matches on the agenda.

** To keep up to date with the EYHL, go to: https://irelandhockey.sportlomo.com/competitions-2/eyhl/

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Hockey Ireland – Covid-19 Guidelines Update 21st January 2022

On Friday January 21st, 2022, the Irish Government made an announcement in relation to Public Health Measures. Sport Ireland have issued further guidelines for sport. 

Please note that these guidelines apply to the Republic of Ireland only.  

 The full announcement can be accessed here: gov.ie – Government announces that most of the public health measures currently in place can be removed (www.gov.ie) 

 Key items in relation to sport & physical activity are as follows: 

  • Formal requirements for physical distancing (2m) removed.
  • 8pm closing time for sporting events removed. 
  • Capacity restrictions for outdoor sporting events removed. 
  • Capacity restrictions for indoor sporting events removed. 
  • Seated only spectators at indoor sporting events removed.
  • Use of pods for indoor sporting activities removed.
  • Use of a COVID pass to access indoor events removed. 

The requirement for a Covid-19 Compliance Officer (CCO) to be present at underage activity has also been removed.  

 As the Irish Government have reiterated the need for ongoing close monitoring of the virus, hockey branches, clubs and schools should continue to risk assess individual activities and events. This includes the continued implementation of good hygiene practices, along with recommending symptomatic individuals do not participate in or attend sporting activities. 

Please note that mask wearing requirements and close contact protocols should be followed according to government advice. For more information: www.gov.ie 

If you require any further information, please contact Hockey Ireland – info@irelandhockey.sportlomo.com  

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Abbott “immensely proud” of Irish women’s efforts at Euro indoors

Irish women’s indoor coach Rob Abbott said he was “immensely proud” of his side’s efforts at the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II in Spain in their first appearance in a tournament of this level for 30 years.

Ultimately, they fell to five defeats out of five to end the competition in last place but, with a tournament restructure for 2024, Abbott says there will be plenty of take from this series when they compete at the same level in two years time.

“Immensely proud of how the girls played,” Abbott said after the tournament. “I certainly can’t fault the commitment, heart or morale. The camaraderie on and off the pitch has been great fun. Big learning curve; we have to improve in areas but overall I deem this a success. They represented Irish indoor hockey pretty well.”

After defeats to Poland and Belgium on Friday, Ireland started well on Saturday against world number seven side Switzerland, leading early on through Orla Patton and they went in level at half-time.

But a penalty stroke decision early in the second half proved a momentum shifter as Sofie Stomps put the Swiss in front and despite a Lily Lloyd goal, it ended with a 5-2 final outcome.

Against Scotland, Ireland were level twice in the first half with Orla Macken scoring her first international goals but Fiona Semple’s 18th minute effort proved the winner.

That made it 3-2 before half-time and despite an end-to-end second half, no further goals accrued.

The tournament concluded with Ireland facing the hosts Spain who needed a win to land the title and promotion to Europe’s top tier.

The coaching team of Ross Willis, Gareth Myburgh, Amy Phelan, Rob Abbott and Aaron Passmore

But they knew they were in a game early on as Ireland defended well before landing a couple of corners and created a couple of other chances. They were left to rue not taking one of those as the game turned in the 100 seconds before half-time with Spain going 1-0 up through the legendary Rocio Ybarra before Maider Altuna added another in quick succession.

It ended 4-0 to the delight of the noisy home support who celebrated their title but Abbott was pleased with how his side showed up against more resourced and experienced opponents.

“The atmosphere in the arena was superb. Loads of youngsters, bells, hooters going off. Being the last game of the tournament, every other player and staff was there and, being the underdog, they were all cheering us on which was great.

“The noise at the end was out of this world and I told the girls ‘half of that applause is for you’ because of how well we played. Spain knew they were in a game there.

“Disappointed not to get a result as I felt we deserved one or two, especially against the Swiss and Scotland. It might sound a little crazy for the Swiss game when we lost by three but it was the best we played with the ball, the most chances we created. The stroke was a big momentum swing.

“We are going back to this level in two years time. We need to be more flexible and adaptable when we have the ball, certainly more clinical and improve the way we look to score goals. Off the ball, we were quite comfortable at this level; we found a few styles of play that suited us and didn’t concede many field goals other than in the Belgium game.

“We need to improve some technical skills but we are a new indoor nation. There’s a bit of indoor naivety and experience in managing games.

“One thing we were superb at was, before today, we hadn’t conceded when we were down a player. Our structure and organisation in understanding the game off the ball has been pretty impressive for the time we had together.

“Experiencing it as a coach, it is demanding – I am absolutely shattered. My voice is nearly going with all the noise in the hall and that Spanish game was electric. You don’t sleep much because you are constantly working. I have had a blast; I’ve learnt a lot myself from the staff with me who were all superb and the girls have been a joy to work with.”

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, O Fox, O Patton, O Macken, M Regan, H Jenkinson, M Power, H Kelly, L Lloyd, A Benson

EuroHockey Indoor Championships II

Friday results: Ireland 1 (H Kelly) Poland 4  (P Slawinska 2, A Katerla, S Tatarczuk); Ireland 1 (O Patton) Belgium 9 (J Peeters 3, M Ronquetti 2, C vander Gracht, M Vouche, D Gose, C Closset)

Saturday, January 22: Ireland v2 (O Fox, L Lloyd) Switzerland 5 (S Stomps 3, N Pohler, C Heselhaus); Ireland 2 (O Macken 2) Scotland 3 (E Dark, S Hinds, F Semple)

Sunday, January 23: Spain 4 ((R Ybarra, M Altuna, A Civera, L Bruguera) Ireland 0

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Women’s indoor side endure tough opening day in Spain

Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championships – day one round-up

Ireland endured a tough opening day at the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championships II in Ourense, falling to both Poland and Belgium in the six-team round-robin group.

The first tie, though, was a heartening one against the world number six Poles. Hannah Kelly’s penalty corner goal had Ireland 1-0 up at half-time and it was level until four minutes from time courtesy of disciplined, deep defence.

But Poland stayed patient and eventually converted a couple of late corners to run out 4-1 winners. 

Game two against Belgium was a rougher outcome with a Joanne Peeters’ hat trick underpinning a 9-1 result. Orla Patton’s direct flick had Ireland in the tie at 2-1 going into the second quarter but six second half goals saw the Belgians turn on the style.

“Obviously, it was a tough day but there was lots to learn,” Patton said of this Ireland side’s first taste of this level of competition. 

“We were really pleased with our first game this morning, particularly against such a class opposition, going one up. 

“Disappointed with the afternoon game but there are positives to take into tomorrow. Our penalty corners are working well and there is a lot of hockey left to play. 

“We’ll be looking for good games tomorrow against Switzerland (9am, Irish time) and Scotland (3.15pm) and definitely feel like we can get results from both. Looking forward to it!” 

Scotland and Switzerland drew 3-3 to sit just above Ireland in the table after two games each with Belgium and Spain on six points with two wins.

 

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, O Fox, O Patton, O Macken, M Regan, H Jenkinson, M Power, H Kelly, L Lloyd, A Benson

EuroHockey Indoor Championships II

Friday results: Ireland 1 (H Kelly) Poland 4  (P Slawinska 2, A Katerla, S Tatarczuk); Ireland 1 (O Patton) Belgium 9 (J Peeters 3, M Ronquetti 2, C vander Gracht, M Vouche, D Gose, C Closset)

Saturday, January 22: Ireland v Switzerland, 10am; Ireland v Scotland, 4.15pm

Sunday, January 23: Spain v Ireland, 1pm

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Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022

Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical session taking place in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022 from 2.00pm – 4.00pm.

The aim of Fundamentals Module 2 is to ensure that the basic skills outlined in Module 1 can be put into practice, i.e. that participants know where to stand, know their areas of control, demonstrate appropriate signalling, and use their whistle correctly. Following completion of this Module participants should be comfortable with these basic umpiring tools and will be able to practice in un-appointed, league games. Specifically, it is envisaged that lower league games or u16 matches would be the target level of matches that people undertaking this Module should aim for.

There is no assessment associated with this module, instead participants will be provided with informal feedback on areas to improve on. Participants will chat with mentors on site who will suggest areas to work on around the topics of positioning, signalling, body language, whistle use, etc. Examples of necessary skills for this level:

  • Effective use of whistle including change in tone
  • Basic positioning
  • Makes decisions with appropriate signals
  • Starts to differentiate between basic stick clashes and fouls

Session will run from 2.00pm – 4.00pm with briefings by experienced umpire mentors going followed by umpire training in a match situation with observation time and followed up by group and individual feedback sessions.

Following completion of (i) the rules test, (ii) Module 1, and (iii) Module 2, participants will be able to register as ‘club umpires’ on the Hockey Ireland membership site. These three components represent the basics of the rules of hockey, the theory of umpiring and the practical components of umpiring respectively. To complete Fundamentals Module 2 participants must first have completed the Online Rules test and the online learning theoretical content of Module 1.

The umpire mentor for this session will be International Umpire Alison Keogh and spaces are limited to 8 for this course.

The cost of the course is €25 and is bookable through our events page at this link https://irelandhockey.sportlomo.com/event-page/ . Please note spaces will be assigned first come first served as there are only 5 spaces left on this course.

 

 

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