, ,

Hawkshaw and Mullan on the mark to send Ireland into Nations Cup semi-final

Ireland kept their cool in the final moments of their last pool match of the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Valencia this morning to book their spot in the semi-final on Friday. Second-half goals from Sarah Hawkshaw and Katie Mullan put Ireland two goals in front, but two goals in the last five minutes for Korea gave Ireland fans nerves going into the dying minutes.

Ireland had controlled the game from the pushback, with Korea’s main threat being their counterattack. The girls in green were skilful up front, winning penalty corners with regularity. They went through their routine but with limited effectiveness, Korea defending an array of strikes, drag flicks and deflections in the seven Ireland corners won in the first half.

Korea struggled to get the ball out of defence in the second half as Ireland hunted in the press, winning plenty of ball in the attacking third. Katie Mullan led the charge up front while Michelle Carey and Sarah Torrans made good headway wide on the right of the pitch, the final pass just eluding the Irish. Defensive Irish players, too, began to press forward with Hannah McLoughlin and Ellen Curran making probing runs out of the defending line and creating problems for Korea.

It took nine penalty corners for Ireland to get on the scoreboard. Roisin Upton drag-flicked the initial shot that was saved by goalkeeper Lee; then Ellen Curran saw her shot smothered and kicked up towards Sarah Hawkshaw on the post who tracked it and batted it goalward to put Ireland in front. Sean Dancer’s charges continued to pile on the pressure in the last quarter and a mistake from Lee in goal, who had done so much up to that point to keep her team in the tie, led to her team conceding their second.
A loose ball made it through to the ‘keeper who cleared straight into the path of the oncoming player of the match, Katie Mullan. Lee looked to correct her mistake by coming at Mullan who spotted her chance, sliding the ball past the keeper on her near post.

Korea continued to look for goals, though, and they found some joy late on when they won a penalty corner with four minutes left on the clock. Their drag flick found the leg of Elena Tice on the line, which led to a penalty stroke. Hyejin Cho sent it high to the left to give her team a glimmer of hope. Korea duly went straight back down the pitch after the Ireland pass back to win another corner and this time Sujin An’s drag flick found the arm of Roisin Upton – the deflection sending it into the Ireland goal with two minutes on the clock and the scores level.

If there were nerves within the Ireland team, however, they were not evident as they expertly ran down the clock, Hannah McLoughlin drawing foul after foul and winning multiple frees to smother any chance of a third and winning goal for Korea – the game-finishing two goals apiece.

The draw puts Ireland into second place in Pool A which means they face the winners of Pool B in the second semi-final on Friday at 2.45 pm. If Ireland can win that match, they go into the final on Saturday at 2.45 pm. The winner of that match wins a spot in the 2023 FIH Pro League.

Head Coach Sean Dancer felt it was the best he’s seen this group play. “The performance overall was extremely pleasing,” he smiled. “It was actually one of the best games I’ve seen this team play – the way that we held onto the ball and controlled the game. It’s obviously very disappointing that it ended 2-2 and we certainly need to look at that last five minutes to make sure we control the game a bit better. We had more than enough opportunities in penalty corner attack to put them away but, overall, I’m really pleased.”

Ireland now looks ahead to Friday. “The opponents in the semi-final will probably be India. They’ll be a really tough opponent but it’s also a great opportunity. What was particularly pleasing today is that, while the senior players played well, the younger players really stepped up and at stages, they took their chances and they hurt Korea.”

Player of the match Katie Mullan says it is a job done, despite drawing a match they feel they should have won. “We wanted to be in the semi-final come the end of the week. We are a wee bit disappointed to concede two goals at the end and leave it at a draw because I think we dominated the game and we had the better chances,” she admits. “Korea were clinical in big moments and in penalty corners and we just need to learn from those moments going into the semi-final,” she added.

/by
, ,

Ireland v South Africa Spar Indoor Test Series

In Cape Town, Ireland’s indoor women’s hockey team will face the South African women’s team in a six-match SPAR series. In recent years, the two sides have developed a fantastic rivalry, having played 11 tests over two test series, including the series in Dublin in January.

Ireland defeated South Africa in Dublin before losing the series, and they have chosen a squad with the goal of growing on the indoor courts. The six games are as follows;

  • Ireland v South Africa – 15:00 – 15nd December 
  • Ireland v South Africa – 17:00 – 16th December 
  • Ireland v South Africa – 17:00 – 17th December 
  • Ireland v South Africa – 08:00 – 18th December 
  • Ireland v South Africa – 17:00 – 19th December 
  • Ireland v South Africa – 17:00 – 20th December 

Squad List for Spar Indoor test series;

No. Name Caps
1 Emma BUCKLEY (GK) 13
2 Millie REGAN (GK) 18
3 Sarah PATTON 18
4 Laura GRAHAM 7
5 Mikayla POWER 12
6 Orla MACKEN (C) 9
7 Chloe BROWN 17
8 Hannah KELLY 9
9 Orla FOX 24
10 Orla PATTON (C) 23
13 Lily LLOYD 12
14 Amy BENSON 23
/by
, ,

Ireland bounce back with commanding win in Nations Cup

Ireland women turned disappointment to delight as they held out for a 2-1 victory against Italy in their second pool match in the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Valencia this morning. Having suffered defeat to Spain in their opening match, a blistering third quarter of sustained pressure paid dividends for Sean Dancer’s charges today with goals from Naomi Carroll and Katie Mullan putting the girls in green two goals to the good after a cagey first half.

Ireland had much of the play in the opening stages but the lack of goalscoring opportunities was evident as Italy seemed happy to defend and feed off scraps when turning over in the press. After the half-time break, though, Ireland’s speed and fitness came to the fore and Roisin Upton, who won her 100th cap today, was particularly effective when coming out of defence.

Indeed, the link between Upton and player of the match Katie Mullan was twice the creative element Ireland required; first in the 35th minute when Upton beat a player and popped a pass to Mullan who posted up to the top of the circle. Mullan then turned and hit to the back post off her right foot where Naomi Carroll was perfectly positioned to tap in through the goalkeeper’s legs.

Ireland seemed to play with renewed energy after the opening goal and were rewarded for their sustained pressure when Upton again linked up with Mullan, this time from a long pass but again with Mullan making a run back to receive. She juggled between two defenders and showed great strength to hold them off as she lifted over the ‘keeper for a finish she won’t soon forget.
It was a strong Ireland performance that was not dulled by an attacking finish from the Italians, who pushed for a result in the last quarter and scored a consolation goal in the final minute. They were awarded a penalty corner, which Ireland reviewed, but it stood, and the Italian’s executed a well-drilled corner deflection to make it a one-goal game. It was too little, too late, however, and few would argue it was a deserved Ireland victory in the end.

There were too many excellent performers to name them all, but coach Sean Dancer had high praise for Upton on her 100th appearance. “Roisin is one of our key players and I’m so pleased for her. What a wonderful milestone and I hope she has a lot more. Katie Mullan was a really strong performer in the centre of the field and she held onto the ball well and controlled things, but the whole team did their job and that’s probably the key thing, everybody is doing their role,” he said.

He was particularly happy with the way that Ireland took their chances. “We scored two field goals today which is something we have worked hard at. The game was very close. The first half was about trying to control, taking away a few of their strengths and their skills and we did that very well in the first half. That set us up for the second half,” he said. “You’re always happy when you win, that’s what our job is about, high performance is all about getting results. The important thing for us is that it keeps us moving forward in the tournament. We’re now on three points and it gives us a good opportunity against Korea to get a result and then into the semi-finals,” he added.

Captain and player of the match Katie Mullan was, understandably, proud of her team. “It’s such a good team performance from us,” she declared. “We had such great control for the majority of the game. We dominated, we were clinical, and huge credit to the girls – we had a tough game yesterday and we came away and learned a few really valuable lessons last night, and I think you’ve seen them put into practice today.”

Upton was at the centre of a lot of what Ireland did well today, but she says the team improved on a few things, and that was what made the difference today. “We really wanted to bounce back after yesterday. We thought we performed well, we just needed to get a good result today to set us up for a final game against Korea. We didn’t make too many changes, we just talked about how we could do things a little bit better.”

The defender spoke about her own impact on the game. “My own role today was, basically, myself and the other centre back just looking to manipulate the centre forward and see if we could create an overload and I had the opportunity to do that sometimes from the middle, and then we executed well up front,” she added.

Goalscorer Naomi Carroll was all smiles after her team’s win. “I think we created a lot of opportunities in the first half and we were disappointed not to put them away, so we were delighted to take our first one in the second half and then to keep stepping up and keep pushing,” she said, but Carroll knows the job is not yet done. “We know Korea are a very fast team, they’ve very quick hands, and we know that this is going to be a very tough game on Thursday so we’re going to take tomorrow, regroup and take a look at the video today and get going again. Really excited for our third match.”

Ireland play Korea in their final group game on Wednesday at 9.45 am. A win would secure them a semi-final spot on Friday which would see them play either first or second in Pool B, depending on the results of the other group matches.

/by
, ,

Ireland left chasing semi-final berth after opening loss

Ireland women suffered a 2-0 loss to favourites Spain in their opening match of the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup this afternoon. Sean Dancer’s side were chasing the game almost from the outset as Spain started the game in electric fashion, winning a penalty corner inside two minutes and slotting home a slick drag flick past Elizabeth Murphy in goal.

Ireland applied good pressure throughout the match, forcing Spain to play a lot inside their own half and winning possession with regularity. It was the final pass that was missing for the girls in green which is an element they will hope to rectify moving forward in the tournament.

After that opening shock, Ireland grew into the match and forward Zara Malseed had a good chance to bring her side level when Ireland won the ball in the press in the sixth minute, but her powerful shot went wide. And when they won a penalty corner with four seconds left on the clock in the first quarter, Irish supporters were up on their feet. Spain opted not to send out a flyer and an Ireland runner was judged to have obstructed in the circle, and so the chance was squandered as a free out was awarded to Spain.

The second quarter went much the way of the first, with Spain winning an early penalty corner which Ireland dealt with well on this occasion. Then Malseed again had a chance to level things up when she shot on the reverse and drew a save by the Spanish keeper.

Lizzy Murphy in goal made some important interventions, showing confidence while deputising for Ireland’s usual first-choice keeper, Ayeisha McFerran. Another penalty corner for Spain was shot wide late on in the quarter and Ireland went on a quick break, showing how dangerous they are on the counter but late Ireland pressure didn’t result in an outcome and the score remained 1-0 to Spain at half-time.

The host nation began the second half just how they began the first, winning a penalty corner and scoring with devastating precision. A sweep from the left of the circle was deflected on the backhand into the roof of the net, showing why Spain look to win corners whenever they are in the opposition’s circle, and that second goal knocked the stuffing out of Ireland.

Dancer’s charges kept pushing, though, with Christina Hamill and Sarah Hawkshaw, in particular, making inroads, and a well-won corner in the 40th minute was the reward. Roisin Upton dragged low to the left, but Spain saved well. Ireland had much of the possession and maintained the pressure on Spain, who marked and defended tightly, absorbing everything the green machine threw at them.

In the final quarter, Spain played the sidelines well and opened Ireland up as they tried to push for goals, Roisin Upton foraying forward with her characteristic, mazy runs. With two goals in front, though, Spain were able to sit deep when defending and gave Ireland no space to attack into as large amounts of possession came to nothing for the girls in green.

Coach Sean Dancer is not too worried about the position Ireland now find themselves in. He said: “I was pleased with the overall performance today. It’s been a big learning curve for a lot of these girls and it started with the World Cup (in the summer). After the World Cup we reviewed and we really worked hard on a few areas so it was great to see those areas come through today. We want to play with speed, tempo, we want to use the skills that we have and it was great to that working well today.

“We want to be in the semi-final when it gets to that stage so tomorrow is really important for us. We played some good hockey today, at stages we controlled the game well, and that’s what we need to take into tomorrow’s performance.” With that being said, he felt that with a bit more cutting edge, it could have been a different result. “Losing 2-0 is disappointing, especially with the flow of the game. Both teams had some good opportunities and to Spain’s credit they took their two penalty corners quite well – difficult to stop – so we’re disappointed with the result.”

Ireland captain Katie Mullan is excited about how much her team still has to give in this tournament. “It was a tough first game, I think we dominated at times, we had some really good opportunities and unfortunately, we just weren’t clinical enough. I think Spain really took their opportunities when they had them. They were efficient off their penalty corner attack and there’s a few things now for us to go away and learn from and prepare for tomorrow’s game, but we’re really excited. We’re playing some nice hockey and all eyes are on tomorrow now.”

Ireland play their second Pool A match tomorrow (Monday) at 9.45am against Italy and Dancer says playing one of the top teams in Spain today, sets them up well for the remaining matches. “Spain and India are the two highest-ranked teams here; both are going to be very hard to beat. I think it helps us for tomorrow’s game that we played well against Spain. Italy are a different opponent but with the Italian and Argentinian influence, there are similar plays to what Spain did today, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity to take a step up again tomorrow and keep doing the things we did well today,” he added.

Today’s loss means Ireland, most likely, need to win their remaining two pool matches against Italy and Korea to finish in the top two of their group and into the semi-final matches later this week. The team that wins the final of the Inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup, wins a spot in the 2023 FIH Pro League.

/by
,

Heartbreak for Ireland as they falter at final hurdle

It took a final quarter penalty stroke to separate Ireland and South Africa in a pulsating FIH Hockey Nations Cup final that didn’t go Ireland’s way in Potchefstroom this afternoon. Ireland had almost double the shots on goal that South Africa did, but it was the cutting edge that the Irish were missing while the hosts were clinical in this high-stakes match.

Ireland never got in front in an enthralling encounter, although they managed to get back level from a 3-1 deficit in the third quarter to ensure a breathless last quarter. Mark Tumilty’s men spent much of the match chasing the game, but with 10 seconds to go in the third quarter, John McKee scored Ireland’s third to draw things level and give his team a chance to win this historic, inaugural tournament.

An early field goal from South Africa’s skipper knocked the stuffing out of the boys in green when they went behind in the fourth minute. Dayaan Cassiem, who finished the day as player of the match and player of the tournament, found space on the right of the Irish circle, lifted the ball over his defender’s stick and roofed a bouncing ball to give his side an early lead.

Ireland then dominated play with a passing game, but South Africa showed more discipline today than in the encounter between these teams in the group stages. Ireland’s best chance of the first quarter came in the final minute when Jeremy Duncan received with his back to goal, spun and flicked in one movement and Ben Walker almost snuck his touch under the keeper.
Ireland continued their passing game in the second period, and it was a passing move that saw them win their first corner which Shane O’Donoghue duly scored. The defender’s sublime drag flick was too quick for Hendrik Kriek in the South Arica goal as he was simply beaten for pace.

It was a final for the ages with end-to-end hockey, both teams showing prowess with their overhead delivery and one-on-one skills. Cassiem was in the mood and he created another moment of brilliance when he received on the left of Ireland’s circle, juggled past a handful of defenders and committed David Fitzgerald in goals before, incredibly, hitting fresh air and squandering a gilt-edged chance. Cassiem made up for his earlier mistake, though, again finding a yard of space, backing into the circle and firing a bullet into the right corner on his reverse to give his team the lead again.

South Africa will be forgiven for thinking they had earned themselves some breathing space, then, when in the first minute of the second half, Tevin Kok produced the play of the game after incredible skill from Keenan Horne. Horne had controlled a short overhead just outside the Ireland circle before juggling past a couple of defenders. Kok then dinked over his defender’s stick before a double lift just made it over Fitzgerald’s shoulder to make it three goals to one in South Africa’s favour.

Credit must go to Tumilty’s charges, though. They didn’t panic, continuing to put pressure on the hosts, and when John McKee was denied from close range, he did well to see what most did not – a South Africa back-stick in the circle. He opted to use Ireland’s referral and the penalty corner was duly given. O’Donoghue gave Ireland hope when he fired another rocket into the top right corner, this time almost taking the glove of Kriek with it into the goal.

The score might have been much higher as each side seemed to score the more difficult goals, and miss the more clear-cut chances, but it was a moment of luck that saw Ireland level things up. Jeremy Duncan received in midfield and found McKee who drifted into the circle and swept what was probably a pass for an Ireland deflection. Instead, he found the stick of a South African defender and the resulting deflection wrong-footed the keeper to make it three apiece going into the final quarter.

But in the end, it was an Irish mistake that led to the winner for South Africa with 10 minutes to go. South Africa won the ball in the midfield and when Cassiem was through on goal, a foul from behind gave the umpire no choice but to award a penalty stroke. Mustaphaa Cassiem, Dayaan’s brother, sent Fitzgerald the wrong way and slotted into the right corner.

As the clock ran down, Ireland played with patience, but South Africa managed the game well, thwarting everything Ireland threw at them. The hosts were good value for their first victory over Ireland and their first place in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup.

Ireland captain Sean Murray was understandably distraught after the match. “Just gutted, to be honest, really gutted. Credit to South Africa, they were good today; they took their chances. We put a lot of pressure on, had some good chances as well but in the end, it just comes down to little details and it’s just bitterly disappointing.”

Even after a devastating loss, Murray spoke of his team’s bright future. “We have a young group coming together; we’ve made a lot of progress in the last few months, especially,” he said. “We have a lot more to give, I think. We just need to get through the next few months and regroup, get back together, and push on,” he finished.

Coach Mark Tumilty feels his team had the winning of the match. “We had enough chances to get something out of that game but that’s sometimes the way that it goes at this level,” he admitted. “We got punished by a very clinical South Africa side. Overall, it was an excellent tournament and something for the Senior Men to build on.”

Tumilty was philosophical after a frustrating day: “It’s a disappointing result, and the opportunity to play in the FIH Pro League would have been fantastic, not just for the senior men’s team, but for hockey in Ireland. However, I think this group of players can look back on this week with great pride. We certainly have made huge progress and it’s now an opportunity to kick on in 2023 and beyond.”

Ireland’s senior women are in action next when they look to go one better than their male counterparts in the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup. That tournament begins on December 11th.

/by
, ,

Magnificent Ireland book historic Nations Cup Final berth

A flawless third quarter led by Ireland captain and player of the match Sean Murray brought Ireland to within 60 minutes of a maiden FIH Pro League berth as they beat Malaysia comfortably in the semi-final of the Nations Cup this morning.

A moment of magic in the 41st minute from Ben Walker was the catalyst for an incredible final third from the boys in green. Walker made a chance from nothing, dinking the ball over his defender’s stick before he spun and blasted an unsavable snapshot into the top right corner. Jeremy Duncan backed that goal up with two superb finishes as Ireland looked ice-cold in front of the goal in a must-win match.

The first half was littered with classy skills going forward for both teams as well as last-ditch tackles that were punished with regular cards. The teams had clearly done their homework, as the two penalty corner attacks looked somewhat toothless and plenty of opportunities were shot wide, although Lee Cole did save well on the line for the second Malaysia penalty corner – making the most of his cricketing background to help the ball around the corner and out of play.

The game opened up for Ireland as the first quarter wore on, with a clear game plan to suck Malaysia into the pockets in midfield, before making use of the space on the, paying dividends. Malaysia altered tactics at the break and had their most commanding period of the game in the second quarter, drawing plenty of unforced errors from Ireland. Malaysia had chances but will be left to rue errors in the circle as they mistrapped the ball in front of the goal, as well as running the ball over the end line with almost criminal regularity.

The game remained scoreless at half-time with the commentators noting that it was a match-up of Malaysia’s skills versus the organisation of Ireland; but it was the skills of Walker that brought out the creativity in his team as Ireland bossed the game from that point on.

It was an entertaining match to watch if you were an Irish supporter with plenty of silky skills and breath-taking pinpoint passes from the boys in green; no skills more impressive than the first finish from Jeremy Duncan just two minutes after Ireland had scored their first. Ireland had a three-on-four in the circle, but incredibly Duncan found himself free in front of the goal with the ball on the end of his stick. His quick release with a flick of the wrists was too fast for the ‘keeper as he found the right inside post to double the lead.

Duncan’s second, eight minutes from time, all but assured his side of their spot in the final. Conor Empey broke down the right and beat his defender on the inside before fluffing a pass going into the circle. He somehow managed to win it back and keep his composure to get his eyes up and find Duncan who controlled and shot home off the left post.

Malaysia had a good period with five minutes to go, but it was too little, too late, as their penalty corners again came to nothing and Ireland kept a sheet clean.

Player of the match Sean Murray was elated at the final whistle. “Fantastic, it’s just fantastic,” he said. “It’s nice to be player of the match but to be fair to the guys up front, they were awesome today; they took their chances. It’s just a fantastic feeling to go into tomorrow with a great opportunity to qualify for the Pro League.”

POTCHEFSTROOM – FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup South Africa 2022
15 Ireland v Malaysia (Semi-Final)
Picture: Coach TUMILTY Mark celebrates the win.
WORLDSPORTPICS COPYRIGHT FRANK UIJLENBROEK

Head Coach Mark Tumilty was full of praise for his team’s complete performance. “I am delighted with the result today and the performance. It was excellent to see us score three goals from open play. Our corners have been a key part earlier in the tournament but today in the semi-final, I’m thrilled with our finishing from open play,” he said.

Speaking about the team’s tactics, he said: “I think we got it spot on today and a lot of credit needs to go to our new assistant Neville Rothman for how he helped set the team up going into that game. Also, credit to the players with how they implemented what was asked of them. Our defensive game was very good and when we got the opportunity to attack, we delivered that, especially in the second half.”

There is very little time for his team to rest, with the final tomorrow at 1.15 pm, but Tumilty will be treating it like any other match. “Preparing for tomorrow it’s about keeping the routine the same,” he insisted. “There are massive implications for hockey in Ireland if we could get to the FIH Pro League, but our focus is on a performance again – if we can produce a performance, the result hopefully will look after itself.”

Ben Walker’s finish is one that will live long in Irish hockey memory, but Tumilty knew he had it in him. “Benny is the one forward in the country that has a finish like that in him. He may miss easier chances at times but he definitely has that piece of magic that he showed today at a very important stage in the game.”

Speaking about other standout players, the head coach found it difficult to pick out just a couple. “Shane (O’Donoghue) and Ben (Walker) have been excellent. They have both played some of their best hockey in a green shirt in this tournament, especially Sean, but I think Shane moving into the back four has made that much more solid. But I also think it’s worth mentioning the other defenders. The six defenders and two keepers deserve a lot of credit because they give us such a good foundation to defend with also to build from an attacking point of view.”

He finished by saying: “Overall it was a good day, and hopefully tomorrow can be a better one.”

It will be one of Ireland’s best if the Green Machine can go to the well again and summon the strength and inspiration to march on and win the final of the historic Inaugural Men’s Hockey Nation’s Cup and take the coveted spot in the 2023 FIH Pro League.

They play the host country, South Africa, on December 4th at 1:15 pm. Watch live on the https://watch.hockey/ app.

/by
, ,

Dancer focusing on development at FIH Women’s Hockey Nations Cup

Just under a week until Ireland Women take part in the Inaugural FIH Women’s Hockey Nations Cup, coach Sean Dancer has announced his squad. Ireland travelled to the Netherlands ahead of the tournament for some final preparation before arriving in Valencia, Spain for the competition which runs from December 11-17.

Ireland will be looking for a strong performance knowing that if they win the tournament, they win the opportunity to compete in the FIH Pro League. Dancer says his young team have developed since the summer and go into the competition with confidence despite some big names missing.

“The last few months have been an important development period for us as a group,” he says. “The Nations Cup presents a high-level tournament for us to use as a checkpoint on our progress. Results are important for us, and we will be focusing on managing games and doing the simple things well to give ourselves the best chance of being successful,” he added.

Dancer sees the forced omission of key players as a chance for other players to step up in the squad. “Ayeisha McFerran and Deirdre Duke are notable exemptions from the team lists; both have been strong performers for us this year and need this time to focus on work priorities,” he admits. “We look forward to having them back with us again early next year. This provides an opportunity for our squad to grow, with Lizzy Murphy already having strong performances in practice games and the first half of her club season in Germany. I am excited to see her step up to this challenge ahead,” he said.

FIH Nations Cup December 2022

1 Holly Micklem
2 Elizabeth Murphy
3 Róisín Upton (VC)

4 Elena Tice

5 Kathryn Mullan (C)
6 Sarah Hawkshaw
7 Naomi Carroll
8 Hannah McLoughlin
9 Sarah McAuley
10 Michelle Carey

11 Charlotte Beggs

12 Siofra O’Brien
13 Ellen Curran
14 Christina Hamill
15 Sarah Torrans
16 Caoimhe Perdue
17 Zara Malseed
18 Niamh Carey

All games can be watched live here Watch.Hockey

/by
, ,

Unbeaten Ireland march on to Nations Cup semi-final

Player of the match Shane O’Donoghue made it three goals in three games as his penalty corner drag flick separated Ireland and South Africa in their final group game in Potchefstroom, South Africa today. The set-piece goal was enough to ensure Ireland go into the semi-finals of the Nations Cup on Saturday in top spot in Pool A.

Mark Tumilty’s charges showed composure both on the ball and in defence, and in the end it was that composure that proved the difference between the two sides that had gone into this match unbeaten.

South Africa will look back at this clash and consider it an opportunity missed. Had they taken their chances and turned Ireland over, it would have been their first win against the boys in green. The host nation’s ill-discipline saw them reduced to 10 players four times during the match with three green cards and a yellow as compared with Ireland’s single green card.

Ireland began the game well, winning two penalty corners in the first quarter – the second of which they scored through veteran O’Donoghue. It was the striker-turned-defender’s third goal of the competition and 110th of his 203-game career. Ireland continued to dictate the pace in the opening 15 minutes and remained in front going into the break.

South Africa won their first corner early in the second quarter but Ireland dealt with it well, and it was Ireland who dominated those initial stages of the second period with sustained pressure on their opposition’s defence. But the host nation will be satisfied with how they dealt with the testing of their defence; they then had their best period of the game as Ireland were forced to defend South Africa’s second corner as well as bright passages from open play.

Ill discipline was the order of the day for South Africa as they squandered good attacking opportunities, and made it easy for Ireland when coming out of defence with unforced errors.

The third quarter featured plenty of entertaining individual skill, but as both teams tired, they tended to overrun the ball, losing it after taking on one too many defenders. The game became more physical, with injuries to South Africa’s Jethro Eustace and Ireland’s John McKee. Both umpires used their video referrals, as did both teams as Ireland had a yellow card overturned, and South Africa a goal disallowed in an action-packed second half.

The closing stages lacked the quality of the first half but Mark Tumilty was happy with how his team absorbed pressure in the final quarter by staying patient in defence and waiting for their opposition to make a mistake as South Africa pushed for an equaliser. “It was a tough game and it was good to get out the other side of it with three points,” said the Ireland coach.“I thought we created enough chances today, possibly, to extend our lead to make it more comfortable but it was pleasing that we defended well in the second half.”

O’Donoghue acknowledged that it was a scrappy match. “Both teams are very competitive, wanting to win, and it came down to fine details and I think we weathered their purple patch well. It was an absolute dog fight, no question about it, and we came out on top so we’re happy to progress to the semi-final now,” he said.

“These tournaments are all about momentum and getting better game on game; I think we have. We’ve made improvements, there are definitely areas still to improve and there are definitely some competitive teams in the crossover games,” O’Donoghue added.

Speaking after the game, defender Lee Cole said Ireland are used to close matches. “It’s been a very tough three games,” he admitted. “All of our games have gone down to the wire which is kind of the Irish way, especially today when we went up early and then defended for a lot of the rest of the game.”

Looking ahead to their semi-final, Cole says it will be another tight match. “We’ve had a couple of good battles against Malaysia over the years. They look pretty hot, especially in their last 15 minutes against Japan today – they seemed to really turn it on – so they’ll be another tough test.”

Ireland face Malaysia in the first of the two semi-finals at 11.30 am on Saturday, with the winner playing in the final on Sunday at 1.15 pm.

/by
, ,

EuroHockey Indoor Championships III

Ireland Men travel to Cyprus for the Eurohockey Indoor Championship III. The matches come thick and fast with Ireland playing twice on Friday against Cyprus and Serbia at 10.45 am and 4 pm respectively, and then Denmark and Greece on Saturday at 11.45 am and 5.15 pm respectively. Their final group game comes on Sunday against Italy at 11.30 am.

Squad List for EuroHockey Indoor Championships III:

Jakim Bernsden – YMCA HC
Ross Canning – Three Rock Rovers HC
Jack Haycock – Cookstown HC
Jody Hosking – Three Rock Rovers HC
David Howard  – Corinthian HC
John Jackston – Team Bath HC
Ollie Kidd – Lisnagarvey HC
Jason Lynch – Monkstown HC
Stephen OKeeffe – Railway Union HC
Ben OGrady – YMCA HC
Rory Patterson – Wimbledon HC
James Walker – Three Rock Rovers HC
Non Travelling Reserves
Richard Couse – Glenanne HC
Craig Mackay – Corinthian HC

 

/by
, ,

Ireland beat Pakistan to move one step closer to semi-final berth in Nations Cup

Ireland made it two wins from two in the FIH Men’s Hockey Nations Cup when they ran out 3-1 winners against Pakistan this morning. With less than 24 hours to recover after their opening match, Mark Tumilty’s team started a little slowly in the heat in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Pakistan went in front in the first minute of the second quarter and it was the wake-up call Ireland needed as they hit back almost immediately through Conor Empey. Ireland captain Sean Murray was the catalyst for the goal; he took a quick free and found Jeremy Duncan in the circle who passed first time to Empey who had the final touch.

Both teams looked tired as the first half went on, the heat and heavy legs starting to tell with mistraps and unforced errors. Pakistan looked dangerous in attack as Ireland defended a couple of penalty corners, the first adjudged too high and the second shot wide. Ireland’s forwards were making the right runs but the final connection just wasn’t there as the half drew to a close with the scores level.

Ireland came out with renewed impetus in the second half with several chances in the first few minutes, including, arguably, the play of the game. Kyle Marshall found Murray who passed first time to Empey in the circle, who squared immediately for player of the match Benjamin Walker. The speed of the move was what unlocked the Pakistan defence and gave Ireland the lead. Pakistan continued to threaten, their one-on-one skills particularly impressive when in the final third of the pitch.

The third quarter was end to end as both teams drew saves from their opposition goalkeepers. James Milliken was between the posts for the men in green, as Tumilty opted to rotate his keepers. Ireland retained their narrow lead going into the final quarter, and they showed their experience in the final stages, winning two more penalty corners, the second of which Shane O’Donoghue converted when he flicked home past the player on the right post to give Ireland some breathing room.

Not content to play the game out, Ireland continued to push and had chances to widen the gap but were unable to find the mark. Pakistan won a corner late on and a goal could have made the finishing stages interesting by reducing their deficit, but the shot went wide and Ireland closed out the match to win comfortably by three goals to one.

Speaking after the match, head coach Mark Tumilty was happy with how the match went. “I’m pleased with the result today. It was always going to be a tough challenge coming off the back of the France game and Pakistan offered something unknown to us. I’m delighted that we executed a penalty corner late on to get us a bit more comfortable towards the end. I thought that at times we played some really good hockey, and at other times it wasn’t so good but the second goal was a fantastic team goal which was really pleasing because it’s something we have worked on this past number of months. So, more progress was made with the group and we build towards the game with South Africa on Thursday.”

Player of the match Ben Walker felt the team still has more to give. “We responded well to going one goal behind, we equalised quite quickly. But there are maybe still some things we need to work on. We obviously have a rest day and we know we probably need a result on Thursday to guarantee progression to the semi-final so we are focused on that now,” he said.

Ireland’s final group game is on Thursday at 1 PM when they face hosts South Africa. The top two teams in the group of four move on to the semi-finals on Saturday.

/by