28-10-19 field hockey
IRELAND DUMPED OUT
IN CRUEL CIRCUMSTANCES
Ireland are in the driving seat in their bid to secure
a place at Tokyo 2020 after a topsy-turvy 5-3 victory over Canada in an
entertaining first leg of the sides' Olympic hockey play-off in Vancouver
on Saturday night.
Ireland took the lead but trailed 2-1 at half-time before
hitting their stride after the restart as Sean Murray and Shane O'Donoghue both
finished with two goals apiece.
The visitors started well and struck first through
Chris Cargo after eight minutes. Matthew Nelson won possession and fed Cargo
for a composed finish.
Canada hit back, however, as Gordon Johnston and Keegan
Pereira both scored from penalty corners to give the hosts a 2-1 lead going
into the break.
The Green Machine had been the better side in the first two
quarters, even if that wasn't reflected on the scoreboard, but they
started to make their possession count after the half-time break.
On 32 minutes, O'Donoghue met a penalty corner with a
perfect drag shot into the top corner to level it up.
Sean Murray put Ireland ahead 10 minutes later after Canada
goalkeeper Antoni Kindler rushed off his line and left the net unguarded.
David Fitzgerald, in for the injured David Harte, made a
couple of excellent saves but couldn't keep out a superb shot from
Pereira, who somehow managed to make room for himself in the scoring circle.
In the final quarter though, Ireland really hit their
stride. First, Murray lunged to give them the lead with his second before
O'Donoghue bagged his double, again from a penalty corner.
Ireland got off to the perfect start and took the lead after
just six minutes. Playing a back court game and working off counter attacks, it
was Johnny McKee who made the early breakthrough. Sweeping down the left, McKee
penetrated the circle and his slap to the goalkeeper’s left foot found the net.
Canada were pressing and earned four short corners in the
first quarter, twice goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald pulling off fine saves to keep
Ireland three goals ahead on the aggregate score. The quarter closed with
Ireland one up on the day and braced for an all-or-nothing Canadian offensive.
Michael Robinson went to the bin early after resumption but
Ireland weathered it without conceding. Canada by then were doing most of the
attacking and held possession, with Ireland looking at times like they were
prepared to try and hold their lead rather than go out and win the match.
A crash ball from Canada earned them their fifth penalty
corner after 21 minutes. This time Gordon Johnston found his target low and
hard to Fitzgerald’s right for the home side to draw level 1-1.
While Ireland remained Ireland two goals ahead on the
aggregate scores the penalty corner count mounted, the Canadians reaching seven
to Ireland’s two by half-time. But it was Canada who scored next a long ball
from Johnston picking out Oliver Scholfield unmarked just in front of the goal.
His deflection gave Canada a 2-1 lead.
Needing a score Canada took off their goalkeeper in the
dying minutes and when Ireland believed they had earned their place next year,
a referral for a penalty corner handed them a hugely controversial penalty
decision. Scott Tupper converted with the last play of the match for a 3-1
scoreline and 6-6 on aggregate before the shootout went the home side’s way.
MY
OPINION
I think that there were so many
things here that went wrong for the Irish and one of the main things was when
they got their shootout they lost knowing they only needed one from two shots
and after that happened you knew it was Canadas day. I think that there is a
lot here that they need to learn from. I do hope that they get another shot
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