Archive for category: International

Ireland 1 (K Mullan) Czech Republic 0

Katie Mullan’s 21st minute goal has Ireland on the brink of qualification for the 2023 European Championships as they made it two wins from two at the Sport Ireland Campus this week with a 1-0 success over the Czech Republic.

She struck with a powerful backhand shot and while her side had numerous other chances to make the game safer, this was enough to record the win.

“It feels good,” said Mullan of the success. “It is only the second part of the job done but we have another big part of the work complete. Tomorrow is another big game and Turkey have some nifty players. A good performance today; we left a couple of goals out there but it was important to get the win.”

Ireland were in control from start to finish with the Czechs unable to muster a shot on Ayeisha McFerran’s goal but Ireland were unable to build on their first half lead to make the result safer, sooner.

“We are getting closer and closer to being a clinical side; there are a few of us up front who haven’t played a while lot together so we are building those connections. Each game, it feels like we are on the brink [of cutting loose]. We know we need to put more in the back of the net but, all in all, to be as in control as we were from the first to last minute was a big positive.”

Visiting keeper Barbora Chechakova produced some wonder saves before the goal, somehow denying Mullan from close range in the third minute with a sprawling block when the net beckoned.

The lively Deirdre Duke also went close while a rasping Mullan shot also hit the outside of the goal as the Czech goal led a charmed life.

Michelle Carey’s direct running was a constant source of pressure while Duke’s close range deflection was tipped over by Cechakova from a Sarah McAuley baseline cross.

And the goal inevitably arrived when Róisín Upton’s long overhead ball was not dealt with as the lurking Mullan picked up the ball and fired home on her backhand.

Cechakova continued her heroics with a diving intervention to halt Niamh Carey’s run through on goal. The half closed with Ireland’s first penalty corner, Upton’s drag blocked by the Czech netminder.

The second half was tighter though the hosts continued in the ascendancy with the Czechs unable to mount a circle penetration of note. Sarah Torrans went closest to doubling the score, her shot somehow saved by Chechakova’s instep in the 42nd minute.

Three more penalty corners came and went to no avail but the points always looked assured and they march on to Sunday’s final challenge of this round-robin competition, leading the group on six points and need a draw or better on Sunday against Turkey to qualifier for next summer’s top tier.

Turkey, for their part, lost 2-0 to Poland in their second game to sit on one point beside the Czechs. Maria Drozda opened the scoring in that contest with a smart finish close in. Marlena Rybacha then thumped home a penalty corner shot in the second half to complete the victory.

Mullan says the 33rd ranked Turks are not to be underestimated and are much improved since the sides last met in 2015 – a 13-0 victory for Ireland.

“The side we have seen the last few days is very different. They throw different things at you that we are not used to so we will suss them out and prepare for tomorrow’s game.”

And the Ballymoney woman is looking forward to seeing even more faces on the sidelines at the impressive Sport Ireland Campus venue where many kids enjoyed a meet and greet post-match with the Irish skipper and her team mates.

“It is fantastic to be here. We put a lot of training into this pitch but to play national games with a home crowd and so many young fans is brilliant.

“It’s fantastic when you ask the kids where they are from, they are from all round the country – it’s not just Leinster kids, there’s kids from Munster and Ulster and some from Connacht. It’s fantastic to see and we need to encourage this more to be able to repeat this at the Sport Ireland Campus.”

Ireland: A McFerran, S McAuley, M Carey, R Upton, S Hawkshaw, K Mullan, L Tice, N Carroll, C Perdue, D Duke, C Hamill
Subs: N Carey, H McLoughlin, S Torrans, C Beggs, K McKee, E Curran

Czech Republic: B Cechakova, K Lacina, L Duchkova, V Pribikova, K Topinkova, T Mejzlikova, V Novakova, A Lehovcova, A Kolarova, N Babicka, E Merxbauerova
Subs: K Basova, M Smidova, A Koziskova, A Vorlova, N Tlamsova, N Novakova

Women’s EuroHockey Championship qualifiers (all at the Sport Ireland Campus)
August 20:
Poland 2 (M Drozda, M Rybacha) Turkey 0
Ireland 1 (K Mullan) Czech Republic 0

Standings: 1. Ireland 6pts (+4) 2. Poland 3pts (-1) 3. Czech Republic 1pt (-1) 4. Turkey 1pt (-2)

Sunday, August 21:
Poland v Czech Republic, 10.45am
Ireland v Turkey, 1pm

Photos:- Inpho Photography

Ireland 1 (M Carey) China 3 (C Yang, Z Jiaji, C Yanhua)

Ireland finished the women’s World Cup in 11th place overall following a tough final day loss to China who struck twice in the last 10 minutes to pull clear at a scorching hot Wagener Stadium.

For periods, the Green Army made most of the running but China’s half-court defence and greater accuracy in the two circles made the difference. Chen Yang’s corner goal in the seventh minute broke the deadlock before Zhong Jiaji and Chen Yanhua stretched the scoreline out before Michelle Carey’s sliding touch got one back in the final throes.

The 11th place finish comes with the small consolation of putting Ireland above their pre-tournament ranking and they will hope to use this experience when they face August’s European qualifier tournament in Dublin.

“It took us to be 1-0 down to start to play how we wanted,” said Sean Dancer, reflecting on the result.

“We did enough to get back into it in the third quarter; we had good opportunities and put them under pressure but if you don’t score, it’s always hard.

“Overall, we played a couple of good games against the top teams in Holland and Germany but didn’t get any results. The next step is to get some points. Disappointed about not finishing the Chile game which was key for us. Great for the highs of beating South Africa but we didn’t put everything out there today so it is a sour taste in the mouth.”

China were out of the blocks quicker, winning the first of eight penalty corners in the first half in the early stages. Ireland’s defence in this facet of the game was strong with Sarah Torrans – despite heavy bandaging on her knee – charging down a series of shots.

But they could not keep out a neat move in the seventh minute when Ma Ning turned smartly onto her backhand and slipped the ball across for Chen Yang to deflect home.

The Green Army gave as good as they got in a stop-start first quarter. Hannah McLoughlin’s corner shot did find its way in via Naomi Carroll but illegally so with a free out given and Deirdre Duke’s shot cleared the crossbar in a good phase of attacking waves.

The second quarter was tighter still with chances at a premium outside of corner chances for either side, McFerran up to the challenge.

The scoreline remained the same through Q3 which was far more engaging. China hit the post from their ninth corner but it was brief respite for the Asian side as Ireland piled on the pressure for this 15-minute phase.

Michelle Cary and Duke led the line brilliantly, hassling at every turn to help effect a string of well-placed turnovers while Duke also made work Liu Ping work, as did Róisín Upton with a corner drag-flick.

But they were left with a mountain to climb – with Sarah McAuley in the sin-bin – when Zhong Jiaji’s penalty corner drag made it into the bottom of the backboard. And the game was out of sight in the 52nd minute when Zhang Xindan slipped the ball into the path of Chen Yanhua who swept home first time.

Ireland kept fighting and did get one back with two minutes to go, a lovely Carey touch to an Upton push at corner time to close out the result.

The match itself was special for Ayeisha McFerran becoming the joint most capped Irish female goalkeeper – alongside Emma Gray on 118 caps – while Siofra O’Brien made her debut, coming in for the injured Caoimhe Perdue.

McFerran paid tribute to Gray and her influence on her career: “I had no idea about it. Emma was brilliant and I learned a lot from her whenever I was coming in and she set the tone for me as a goalkeeper, an athlete and a goalkeeper coming through.

“To be up there with Emma is a real honour because she was a stalwart of goalkeeping for hockey in Ireland for a long time.”

As for O’Brien, it was a bittersweet start to her capped international career: “Obviously a disappointing result; we wanted to get the win. Personally delighted to get my first cap and what an honour to get to do it at a World Cup with this group of girls.

“This week was tough for Erin [Getty] and I. The girls have been great and rallied together and it was still a squad of 20, never just the 18 plus two [reserves], sticking together. You don’t wish an injury on anyone and obviously it was awful for Caoimhe after a great tournament for her but it isn’t an easy place as a reserve.”

The next step is to now regroup and take the experiences from this event into next month’s European Championship qualifiers in Dublin from August 18th to 21st, a key step on the road to Paris 2024.

“We always knew it would be the case – World Cup and then Euro qualifiers which is extremely important. We have do well there and qualify. That sets up the long road to Paris and the long-term goal. We’ll take a few days to recover but we have to be prepared for that one. It will be a fight every game in Dublin and qualification is the only option.”

Ireland: A McFerran, M Carey, R Upton, S Hawkshaw, K Mullan, H McLoughlin, S Torrans, L Tice, N Carroll, S O’Brien, E Curran

Subs: S McAuley, Z Malseed, C Beggs, K McKee, D Duke, C Hamill, L Murphy

China: L Ping, Q Cui, Y Gu, M Liang, X Zhang, J Zheng, N Wang, H Yang, Y Chen, T Luo, J Zhong

Subs: B Gu, J Li, N Ma, X Zhang, M Yuan, Y Chen, X Li

Umpires: E Yamada (JPN), A Rostron (RSA)

Women’s Hockey World Cup – Pool A

Ireland 0 Chile 1 (D Krimerman Losada)

Ireland will have to produce one of their biggest wins yet on Wednesday if they are to continue their World Cup journey following a 1-0 defeat to debutantes Chile at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

It means they need to win against world number five side Germany on Wednesday (3.30pm, Irish time) and then hope goal difference works in their favour later when Chile meet the Netherlands.

It was a day in which Ireland could not get the best out of their penalty corner attack as 10 set pieces went unconverted while the South American side whipped home the winner with 12 minutes to go via Denise Krimerman Losada.

Coach Sean Dancer was left to lament 10 penalty corner chances as the crucial goal would not fall their way.

“Really disappointed,” he said afterwards. “We dominated the first half and couldn’t score; Chile had the best of the second half, particularly the third quarter so tough to concede and lose 1-0.

“Chile ran pretty good lines at the penalty corners and took away some of the things we wanted to do. We have to give them credit for closing it down. They did a good job.”

Hannah McLoughlin concurred, adding: “It is definitely a game we targeted for three points and obviously haven’t got them. We have a 24-hour turnaround to our game against Germany so we need to park this one quickly, learn from it and get ready for tomorrow as quick as possible.”

The first three quarters were scoreless with Ireland unable to make full use of six corners while Chile were indisciplined, spending a third of the first half short-handed due to cards.

Sarah Torrans deflected a first minute chance into the bottom corner but Katie Mullan’s cross from the left was deemed to have hit her back-stick.

Mullan then had a backhand shot test Claudia Schuler before the South American side endured their first sin-binnings with less than 10 minutes gone as passions threatened to boil over.

The first quarter break allowed things settle and Chile did pick off a few strong counters with Domenica Ananias’ cross almost turned in by a diving Paula Valdivia.

But Hannah McLoughlin went closest to breaking the deadlock before the first half when she turned on her reverse-side and clipped a shot that nicked the outside of the left post.

With so much at stake, the third quarter became scrappier and increasingly tense with the play more and more fractious. Chile had two corners fall their way but Ayeisha McFerran and her defensive numbers closed the angles while Francisca Tala’s mid-circle shot on the turn was just wide.

But the game turned with 12 minutes to go when Chile picked off yet another set piece and this time, Denise Krimerman Losada slapped hard and true down the left channel to hit the backboard.

The Green Army responded immediately, winning three more corners to no avail while Zara Malseed had a trio of shots on goal, all defended by desperate defensive sticks.

Life got harder still when Lena Tice was shown a yellow card for a foul on halfway and Róisín Upton took a blow to the head and, in the staccato finish, Chile held on.

It means the focus turns quickly to their game with Germany on Wednesday: “We do need to let it sink in for a while, take some lessons, look back on the video but two matches in 24 hours is pretty quick. There has to come a point where we do park this one mentally and put all our focus on Germany.”

“We have a moment of disappointment and then we have to look at tomorrow,” Sarah Hawkshaw added. “We have to switch our mind to recovery and we have a huge opportunity against the Germans who we always give a good game.

“It is a huge [all-or-nothing] opportunity for us to put something away against them and I really believe we can.”

Ireland: A McFerran, M Carey, R Upton, S Hawkshaw, K Mullan, H McLoughlin, S Torrans, L Tice, C Perdue, D Duke, E Curran

Subs: S McAuley, Z Malseed, N Carroll, C Beggs, K McKee, C Hamill, L Murphy

Chile: C Shuler, D Ananias, F Villagran, D Krimerman F Flores, M Urroz, C Caram, F Tala, A Solano, M Maldonado, J Khamis

Subs: S Filipek, J Salas, C Palma, F Parra, P Valdivia, F Arrieta, N Salvador

Umpires: W Venter (RSA), I Makar (CRO)