Ireland start FIH Series Finals with 2-1 win over Malaysia

Ireland 8 (N Daly (2), A O’Flanagan (4), S Hawkshaw, Z Wilson) Czech Republic (1 J Reichlova)

Irish Women get their FIH Series Final off to Strong Start with 2 – 1 win over Malaysia.

Ireland 2 (B Barr, K Mullan) Malaysia 1 (S Husain)

Bethany Barr put Ireland on the scoreboard early on with a goal in the forth minute, deflected from the penalty corner, on her major tournament debut. The Green Army showed good speed and intensity in the opening quarter, although Malaysia weren’t without opportunity. Strong defence from Zoe Wilson and Shirley McCay kept the score 1-0 to finish the quarter, with Lena Tice, Bethany Barr, and Roisin Upton also playing a noticeable role in Ireland’s strong defence.

A penalty corner early in the second quarter had the crowd silent in anticipation but was shot just wide by Zoe Wilson. Malaysia seemed to come into themselves as the second quarter progressed, putting Ireland under more pressure than the first quarter. A great play from Katie Mullan kept Malaysia out of the Irish circle. Followed shortly after by a nice series of play which saw O’Flanagan and Mullan moving the play back up the pitch between them, although a tough tackle to O’Flanagan prevented any further opportunity here.

Ireland upped the intensity coming into the third quarter. Hannah Matthews and Ali Meeke held a strong presence on the right-hand side of the pitch controlling much of the Irish possession for a period early in the quarter. A chance for Ireland from Mullan to Duke was well saved by Malaysian Goalkeeper Farah Yahya. Although it wasn’t long before Katie Mullan was back threatening shortly after. A nice side-line ball saw Colvin slip pass to Mullan who reversed in to bring the score to 2-0 at 40 minutes. The Irish women were back attacking the Malaysian circle again shortly afterwards, but the next chance for Ireland by O’Flanagan was kept out of the goal by solid Malaysian defence.

The final quarter saw Sarah Hawkshaw as a noticeable influence up near the Malaysian circle. The sun came out at last and the home-crowd support was stronger than ever. A goal for Malaysia at 55 minutes saw a shot deflected to Siti Husain who managed to get it passed Ireland’s McFerran. Ireland missed out on third goal with a chance for O’Flanagan going wide.

Speaking on the match, Interim Head Coach Gareth Grundie said “We’re please to get the first win of the tournament under our belt.

Conditions in the first half meant the pitch was slow so we didn’t have the tempo in the game that we wanted. We had good improvement in the third quarter and were then comfortable until we let them back six minutes to go. The win has put us in a strong position in the group and we hope to build on this performance tomorrow against the Czechs.”

A positive outing for the host nation in their opening match of their FIH Series Finals. The road to Tokyo is long, but it’s underway at last!

Ireland: A McFerran, K Mullan, S McCay, M Frazer, E Tice, B Barr, C Watkins, L Colvin, N Daly, H Matthews, A O’Flanagan

Subs: E Buckley, R Upton, G Pinder, S Hawkshaw, Z Wilson, D Duke, A Meeke.

Malaysia: F Yahya, N Rashid, N Shabuddin, S Ruhani, J Din, N Sumantri, H Onn, S Awang, N Saiuti, N Zulkifli, K Gurdip

Subs: N H Ali, H Aziz, S Mat Isa, F Sylvester, F Sukri, S Husain, N Syafi.

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Hat-trick from Magee gives Ireland Men 3-2 win over France

Ireland 3 (E Magee) France 1 (G Baumgarten, E Tynevez).

A hat-trick from Eugene Magee saw Ireland beat France in the second of this two-match series in Lisnagarvey Hockey Club.

Magee put Ireland on the scoreboard early on with a goal in the 2nd minute of play, in noticeably better conditions than last Tuesday’s match. The Banbridge man took his 280th cap in this match making him the most capped Irish Hockey player ever, surpassing Shirley McCay’s previous record of 278 caps.

However, the two look set to leapfrog each other for the top position of the coming fortnight between their respective FIH Series finals in Le Touquet and Banbridge.

France’s Gaspard Baumgarten secured an equaliser in the 15th minute to end the quarter 1-1.

The second quarter was marked by pressure from both teams, yet little clear cut goal scoring opportunities. France took the lead with a well taken goal from Etiene Tynevez at 25 minutes, but Magee wasn’t long securing the equaliser.

A short corner for France provided little threat for Ireland ahead of the half-time whistle, with the Irish defenders standing strong to ensure the score remained 2-2.

Quarter three provided chances for both teams, with Paul Gleghorne and Johnathan Bell alongside Jamie Carr in goals standing strong.

The final quarter of the match saw France’s Charles Masson receive a yellow card for poor tackle in the 51st minute. While Eugene Magee was on fire again scoring his third goal of the match at 53 minutes.

The Green Machine travel to Le Touquet next where their FIH Series Finals begin on June 15. All travelling support welcome! You can find more information on the tournament at: https://www.fihseriesfinals.com/1051/competitionOverview

Ireland: D Harte, J Jackson, J Bell, E Magee, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, B Walker, D Walsh, P Gleghorne, L Cole, S Cole,

Subs: J Carr, M Bell, L Madeley, M Nelson, M Robson, N Glassey, C Harte.

France: A Thieffry, T Genestet, H Genestet, S Martin Brisac, B Rogeau, V Lockwood, C Masson, N Dumont, G Baumgarten, F Goyet, JB Forgues,

Subs: P van Straaten, A Bellenger, C Peters-Deutz, E Tynevez, T Ponthieu, M Branicki, C Saunier.

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Ireland Draw 1-1 with France in Lisnagarvey

Ireland 1 (S O’Donoghue) France 1 (H Genestet)

A goal from Shane O’Donoghue in the 42nd minute saw Ireland take the lead in third quarter against France at Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, in the first of this two-match series. However, Frenchman Hugo Genestet equalised with the last play of the game following seven consecutive penalty corners dragging high to Harte’s right post.

The teams took to the pitch in very wet conditions both trying to play at a high tempo from the very start. The first opportunity of the match went France’s way but their effort flew wide. Ben Walker had the first opportunity for the Green Machine but a mishit allowed France to clear the danger. The match remained 0-0 for the first quarter.

The second quarter was dominated by Irish possession and solid defence kept a French threat at bay, while Sean Murray was unfortunate to hit the post after with the keeper beaten.

A Penalty Corner to France shortly after play resumed got the second half underway. However, this came to nothing as the Irish Men won a free out. Excellent work by Darragh Walsh as he intercepted and drove into the French circle showing great skill to win a PC from which Shane O Donoghue dragged, wrong footing the French keeper, to give Ireland the lead. Although the rain continued throughout, slowing play somewhat, a Penalty Corner to France was expertly saved by David Harte to finish the third quarter 1-0 to the Irish Men.

Early in the final quarter France had their third PC of the game but again Ireland defence stood strong. David Harte was having an outstanding game in goal called on several times and was up to the task. From another PC, in the 57m, France scored but the Umpire has blown for an earlier infringement and awarded a PC instead. France piled on the pressure and following a series of corners, in the 60th minute, Hugo Genestet equalised.

Speaking afterwards, Head Coach Alexander Cox said, “I saw some very positive things in the game. Our defensive structure looked strong. We are adding a zonal system which gave as good control.

On the ball we didn’t play our best game. Too many unforced errors which we need to improve for the next game.

In the end a draw isn’t a bad result, but conceding in the last seconds is never a nice feeling after all the hard work the guys did. As always they gave it their all!”

The teams will meet again on Thursday at 12:00 in Lisnagarvey for the second match of the series against France in Lisnagarvey on June 6 before travelling to Le Touquet where their FIH Series Finals begin on June 15.

Ireland: D Harte, J Jackson, J Bell, E Magee, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, M Robson, B Walker, D Walsh, P Gleghorne, L Cole, S Cole,

Subs: J Carr, M Bell, L Madeley, M Nelson, C Robson, N Glassey, C Harte.

France: A Thieffry, T Genestet, H Genestet, S Martin Brisac, B Rogeau, V Lockwood, C Masson, N Dumont, G Baumgarten, F Goyet, JB Forgues,

Subs: P van Straaten, A Bellenger, C Peters-Deutz, E Tynevez, T Ponthieu, M Branicki, C Saunier.

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Women’s International Team Announced for FIH Series Final

Hockey Ireland Announce Women’s Senior International Team for FIH World Series in June.
The Irish Women’s Hockey squad was unveiled early this morning for the upcoming FIH World Series in Banbridge, which gets underway on June 8th. This tournament is the first stage in the Olympic qualification process for the Irish women, with the top two teams from each FIH Series Finals securing a place in qualification events for Tokyo 2020, which will be held later this year. It is also the first time the public will be able to see them play at home since their World Cup silver medal last summer.

The Green Army will take on Czech Republic, Malaysia and Singapore in Pool A, with Korea, Scotland, Ukraine and France in Pool B. The squad selection is as follows:

Name

1.Bethany Barr

2. Emma Buckley (GK)

3. Lizzie Colvin

4. Nicci Daly

5. Deirdre Duke

6. Megan Frazer

7. Sarah Hawkshaw

8. Hannah Matthews

9. Shirley McCay

10.Ayeisha McFerran (GK)

11. Ali Meeke

12.Katie Mullan

13. Anna O’Flanagan

14. Gillian Pinder

15. Elena Tice

16. Roisin Upton

17. Chloe Watkins

18. Zoe Wilson

 

Reserve. Chloe Brown

Reserve. Nicola Evans

 

Gareth Grundie, who has been interim Head Coach in recent weeks, will continue in the Head Coach position until the culmination of the series finals in Banbridge with Sean Dancer in attendance, as well as Arlene Boyles and David Passmore who complete the coaching team. Speaking on the squad selection, Gareth Grundie said “I am happy to announce the squad which will compete in this tournament as the first stage in the Olympic qualifying process. Selection has been really difficult which means there has been healthy competition for places throughout the recent training block, which is great to see. We are looking forward to and excited to see what the next couple of weeks bring.”

Commenting on the selection, Anna O’Flanagan, one of Ireland’s most prolific goal scorers, said “this is definitely the most competitive irish squad I’ve ever been part of. We’re representing a much wider group and we’re very fortunate we’re the ones selected to do this. We want to go out and do ourselves, the wider squad and the country proud.”

2018 World Cup Captain Katie Mullan told us “As we take our first step towards Olympic qualification the 18 players selected for this FIH Series Final represent the 43 Green Army squad members who started this journey. We’re really excited for this home tournament and hope to play in front of a large Irish crowd. The World Cup was a starting point for us, and we’re keen to continue on this journey and stay in the top 10 in the world. This June tournament is an opportunity to show where we are. It’s a busy summer ahead and we’re eager to take it on.”

To find further information on the FIH Series Final tournament in Banbridge this June, or purchase tickets, please see: www.irelandhockey.sportlomo.com/buy-tickets/

Further Information
FIH Series Finals
The FIH Series Finals include some of the best teams in the world and are one of the roads to reach the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Indeed, the top two teams from each FIH Series Finals will secure a place in the Qualification Events for the next Olympic Games which will be held in October and November 2019. Banbridge, (Women) 8th – 16th June 2019, match schedule available here.

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Hockey Ireland welcomes two new Honorary Life Members

Congratulations to Ivy Dennis and Daphne Hall who became the two newest Honorary Life Members of Hockey Ireland at the 2019 AGM.

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Men’s Senior International Test Match. Sunday May26th

Ireland 2 (S O’Donoghue, L Madeley) USA 0

Penalty corner goals from Shane O’Donoghue and Luke Madeley saw Ireland’s men complete a 2-0 win over USA at Serpentine Avenue, adding to Friday’s 5-0 success over the same opposition.

The wins give Ireland a boost as they begin their preparations in earnest for the FIH Series Finals in Le Touquet, France in June, a vital step on the road to potentially qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Green Machine started well and hit the front inside the first three minutes following a series of penalty corners, O’Donoghue hitting the net for 1-0.

They continued to carry the greater threat through the first quarter with Matthew Nelson causing problems and Matthew Bell drew a big stop from goalkeeper Jonathan Klages.

The US, for their part, went close but Mark Ingram got out well to make good stops from Deegan, Huisman and Mike Barminski to keep Ireland’s lead in tact.

A couple more Irish corners went incomplete early in the second quarter while Michael Robson’s rising shot was batted away by Klages.

Madeley made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute with a high drag-flick to give a bit more comfort on the scoreboard and they carried this advantage to the big break after Patrick Harris’s dangerous shot was cleared by Ingram.

The second half was scrappier with both sides trying out new pressing techniques. Ireland were making nice circle entries and getting to the baseline but they could not back that up with the killer touch in front of goal.

USA, meanwhile, had the clearer openings when Huisman pounced on a mistake but Jamie Carr – on as a half-time sub – raced off his line to charge down the shot before Kei Kaeppler whipped the rebound over the bar.

Kai de Jager was standing in as lead coach for the weekend due to head coach Alexander Cox’s involvement with SV Kampong in the Dutch national final.

Speaking afterwards, de Jager said he was content with what his side worked on over the course of the series against the US.

“We are really happy about some things, young guys stepping up like Benny Walker; we got a lot of circle entries in the positions we wanted them to be,” he said.

“Pressing wise, we still need to make some steps because if you play a high zonal format, it can be difficult to get it right the first time you use it.

“I’m happy with the goalkeeping work and our deep defence which is something we pride ourselves on. USA is a good opponent who are going to the FIH Series as well and we scored seven with two clean sheets There’s not much more you can ask for, maybe score a few more goals.”

Next on the Irish men’s agenda is a two-game series against France in Lisnagarvey on June 4 and 6 before travelling to Le Touquet where their FIH Series Finals begin on June 15.

Ireland: M Ingram, J Jackson, J Bell, M Nelson, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, B Walker, D Walsh, C Harte, L Cole, S Cole

Subs: M Robson, P Gleghorne, N Glassey, M Bell, L Madeley, J Carr

USA: J Klages, A Montilla, P Harris, S Harris, A Dhadwal, T Barratt, K Kaeppler, P Singh, J Orozco, D Huisman, M Gandhi

Subs: M Barminski, A Miller, C de Angelis, W Holt, S Cicchi, J Croonenberghs

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Impressive Start to Summer Internationals for Senior Men

Ireland 5 (S O’Donoghue, M Nelson, C Harte, B Walker, E Magee) USA 0.

The summer of International hockey got off to a great start at Serpentine Avenue on Friday evening as an impressive Ireland team overcame the USA 5 -0 in the 1st of a 2-match series.

In ideal conditions the opening exchanges were evenly matched with neither side asserting early dominance. Ireland got on the scoresheet in the 13th minute however through a Shane O’Donoghue backhand shot from an acute angle. In quarter 2, not long after missing a good chance, Matthew Nelson was able to convert Ireland’s second goal via a neat low backhand deflection in 19th minute. Good interplay between John Jackson and Eugene Magee down the right flank saw Magee deliver the pinpoint cross for Nelson to finish.

The USA had several chances and good passages of play through the first half with the impressive Pat Harris pulling a lot of their strings in the centre of midfield.

In the 3rd quarter after the US had missed a gilt-edged goal chance Ireland unleashed one of their increasingly fast counter attacks. After a powerful 40 metre dribble by Matthew Nelson the ball fell to Sean Murray and his backhand shot was looping goalwards, Conor Harte was on hand on the back post to deflect it over the line for 3-0. Ben Walker then made it 4 – 0 in the 3rd quarter after a passage of fast passes resulted in him finding enough room in the US circle to get his low backhand shot away.

Eugene Magee scored Ireland’s fifth goal shooting high into the net after receiving a baseline pass. At this stage the game was a very open affair with the USA threatening to get on their scoresheet. Jamie Carr and the Irish defenders were up to the challenge to make key interventions when called upon. Aki Kaeppelar after intricate stick skills was able to produce a deflected chance for the US which Carr dealt with. Luke Madeley had a goal line save at this point from a straight drag flick from a USA penalty corner.

The Irish defence were able to keep a clean sheet with Paul Gleghorne putting his body on the line of a goal bound shot in the last 30 seconds. Pat Harris was the standout player for the USA and Ireland had many strong performances with Eugene Magee again displaying the attacking ability that has helped earn him 278 caps so far for the Green Machine. But it was an impressive team performance from Ireland with solid defensive structure and strong counter attacking skill and intensity further up the pitch.

The evening was capped off in a very enjoyable manner with a large number of young players being treated to a skills clinic on the pitch with the entire Ireland team and coaches after the match. This experience will live for a long time with the many youngsters who participated, and many thanks must go to the Ireland team and management for facilitating this.

The Irish Senior Men’s next match will take place on Sunday May 26th at 12 noon v USA at Pembroke Wanderers HC.

These matches are excellent preparation for the Men’s FIH Series Finals in Le Touquet coming up in June. In the meantime the Men’s team will also take on France on June 4th and 6th in Lisnagarvey. There will also be an open training session for media and fans to attend on Friday the 31st of May in Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, from 16:00 to 17:30.

To find further information on the FIH Series Final tournament in Le Touquet this June, or purchase tickets, please see: //ticketingfihseriesfinal.fr/en/

Ireland; Carr J (GK), Jackson J, Bell J, Bell M, Madeley L, Nelson M, Magee E, Glassey N, O’Donoghue S, Murray S, Robson M, Walker B, Walsh D, Gleghorne P, Harte C, Cole L, Ingram M (GK), Cole S.

Team Manager: Kidd G

Stand-In Manager: Kelly R

Assistant Coach: Weusthof R

Assistant Coach: de Jager K

Physiotherapist: McCallion C

USA; Klages J (GK), Barminski M, Sundeen T, Harris P, Miller A, Montilla A, Holt W, Dhadwal A (C), Barratt T, Kaeppler K, De Angelis C, Harris S, Singh P, Cicchi S, Orozco J, Kaeppeler A, Huisman D, Gandhi M, Wisselink D(GK).

Team Manager: Mazzalupi H

Head Coach: Wiese R

Assistant Coach: Wijzenbeek P

Physiotherapist: van Ark H

Match Officials

Rob Argent

Malcolm Coombes

Technical Officials

David Acheson

Erica Porter

David Wolfe

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Senior Men Squad Announcement for FIH Series 2019

The Senior Irish Men’s Hockey squad was unveiled early this morning for the upcoming FIH World Series in Le Touquet, France, which gets underway on June 15th. This tournament is the first stage in the Olympic qualification process for the Irish men, with the top two teams from each FIH Series Finals securing a place in qualification events for Tokyo 2020, which will be held later this year.

The Green Machine will take on Egypt, Scotland and Singapore in Pool A, with France, Korea, Ukraine and Chile in Pool B. The squad selection is as follows:

  • David Harte.
  • James Carr.
  • Conor Harte.
  • Jonathan Bell.
  • John Jackson.
  • Luke Madeley.
  • Lee Cole.
  • Paul Gleghorne.
  • Shane O’Donoghue.
  • Stephen Cole.
  • Daragh Walsh.
  • Neal Glassey.
  • Matt Bell
  • Sean Murray
  • Eugene Magee
  • Matthew Nelson
  • Ben Walker.
  • Michael Robson

Speaking on the squad selection Head Coach, Alexander Cox, said, “I’m happy to announce the team that will fight for an Olympic qualifier ticket. There are some new names in the squad in comparison to our last World Cup endeavours. The selected squad gives me the opportunity to use certain players in multiple lines which I feel is an advantage for us. The upcoming camps and practice games will be used to prepare ourselves in the best possible way for the World Series.”

In the lead up to the FIH Series Finals the men will play host to the USA and France with international matches scheduled against the USA on May 24th and 26th, and against France on June 4th and 6th. There will also be an open training session for media and fans to attend on Friday the 31st of May in Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, from 16:00 to 17:30.

To find further information on the FIH Series Final tournament in Le Touquet this June, or purchase tickets, please see: http://ticketingfihseriesfinal.fr/en/

Further Information
Upcoming Home Internationals: dates & locations.
IRE V USA May 24th @ 19:00, Pembroke Hockey Club, Dublin

IRE V USA May 26th @ 12:00, Pembroke Hockey Club, Dublin

IRE V FRA Jun 4th @ 19:00, Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, Co. Down

IRE V FRA Jun 6th @ 12:00, Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, Co. Down

FIH Series Finals
The FIH Series Finals include some of the best teams in the world and are one of the roads to reach the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Indeed, the top two teams from each FIH Series Finals will secure a place in the Qualification Events for the next Olympic Games which will be held in October and November 2019. Le Touquet, France (Men)15-23 June 2019, match schedule available here.

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Upcoming Internationals for Ireland Senior Men’s Squad

Ireland Senior Men’s team will take on USA and France over a number of matches between the end of May and beginning of June.

The Men’s team will play the USA on

  • Friday May 24th at 19:00, &
  • Sunday May 26th at 12:00
    in Pembroke Hockey Club, 27A Serpentine Ave, Dublin 4.

They will play France on

  • Tuesday June 4th at 19:00, &
  • Thursday June 6th at 12:00
    In Lisnagarvey, Comber Road Hillsborough Co. Down.

These will be the last international matches the Men’s team will play prior to their FIH Series Finals which take place in Le Touquet between the 15th and 23rd of June. Speaking on the games, Hockey Ireland Performance Director, Adam Grainger, said, “Hosting international matches in Ireland has become increasingly difficult recently, and Hockey Ireland Senior Men are therefore delighted to play both USA and France in Dublin and Belfast respectively. As our Senior Men return home from their respective clubs, these matches will provide much needed preparation for June’s World Series in Le Touquet. We encourage the hockey community to come out and support the players for what should be an exciting and rewarding summer of hockey”.

Tickets will be available at the gate for each of these matches.

More information on the Men’s FIH Series Finals in Le Touquet can be found at: http://ticketingfihseriesfinal.fr/en/

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FIH Series Finals – Volunteers Required

To run a tournament of this magnitude, Hockey Ireland is seeking a team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. Full support, training and induction is provided to all volunteers who come on board for this exciting tournament.

Volunteer Manager

This role will involve assisting in recruitment and the management & coordination of all tournament volunteers. The candidate should be available throughout the tournament, and for meetings in the weeks leading up to the event. Access to email is essential.

Team / Official Liaison Officer

This role will involve liaison with officials appointed to the tournament as well as assisting in the appointment and management of team liaison officers needed. Again, the candidate should be available for the duration of the tournament with particular attention needed in the week prior to the start. Access to a car preferable and access to email is essential.

Gate

This role involves dealing with public, taking in payment, scanning online tickets, generally run in shifts of 4 hours each (one per match)

Team / Official Liaison Officers

8 officers needed in total (1 per team), access to a car preferable, availability from team arrival to departure required, ability to speak team language a bonus

Media Centre Management

Manage the media centre to ensure that all media needs are covered

Stewards

Panel of people required, run in shifts of 4 hours each (4 stewards per match), dealing with the public, answering queries – stands, changing rooms

Mascot management

Coordination of mascots for Ireland games only, communication with clubs and/or schools, escort & meet mascots on match days

Ball patrol

Organisation & coordination of ball patrol for all matches (6/8 per match)

Transport Manager

Coordinate with the coach company transporting teams, from arrival to departure and for all transfers to and from hotel.

If you would like to be part of the organisation of this event please complete the attached application form and return it to info@irelandhockey.sportlomo.com

Volunteer Application FIH Series Finals.docx

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