Hockey World League Antwerp

It was always going to be a mighty task to defeat the world number 1 Australia but the Green Machine put in a dogged performance in the 32 degree heat in Antwerp. The game finished up at 4-1 to the Kookaburas, meaning Ireland will head into the 5th-8th place playoffs on Friday with a 5th place finish likely to earn them a spot at the Olympics.

It was the Aussie's who got on the scoresheet first in the 22nd minute but it would take them another 23 minutes before they could add to their tally. The low score in the first 3 quarters is a testament to the composure and commitment of Ireland's defence. Davey Harte was called into action to make several athletic saves but the men in green remained patient and held their structure.

The main chance of the game for Ireland fell to Alan Sothern after a pin perfect aerial ball from Shane O'Donoghue. Sothern received the ball at the top of the circle but credit the Australian GK, Charter, for his speed and agility to guide the shot wide. The Australians scored 3 goals in the space of 10 minutes and Shane O'Donoghue's drag flick meant the match finished 4-1.

After the match, coach Craig Fulton expressed mixed emotions at the final result "I'm incredibly proud of the performance today, at the same time we're all very disappointed because we believed we could get a result. We won 4 corners at crucial times and we played well to get those but we weren't clinical enough. That said, it was a fantastic effort on everyone's part in the heat today against the world number 1's. We look forward to the next game and finishing as high as we possibly can in this tournament".

Ireland's next match will be on Friday against the winner of GB vs Pakistan, time to be confirmed.