Ireland end FIH Pro League campaign with defeat

Great Britain 3-0 Ireland

Ireland suffered a disappointing defeat to rivals Great Britain in their final FIH Pro League match of the 2023–24 season.

Already relegated to the FIH Nations Cup for the campaign following Spain’s victory over Germany earlier in the day, the hope was that The Green Machine could bow out of the competition with a victory.

However a poor start saw Great Britain race into a 2-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and thanks to goals from Sam Ward and Phil Roper. Ward added his second of the game from open play in the 23rd minute to put Great Britain 3-0 up for a lead they held until full-time.

Great Britain had the first penalty corner of the match in the opening minutes but Gareth Furlong’s drag flick was blocked by Jamie Carr. Ireland then won their first penalty corner of the match and Shane O’Donoghue’s drag flick was deflected off a GB defender and Toby Reynolds-Cotterill reacted using his stick to deflect the ball on to the crossbar.

In the 11th minute Alistair Empey saw a shot saved by Reynolds-Cotterill. Soon after Great Britain scored from their second penalty corner of the game. Gareth Furlong’s drag flick was saved by Carr but the ball rebounded to Ward who drove it into the Irish goal to make it 1-0 to Great Britain.

Three minutes later and they were 2-0 up. This time Great Britain made a mess of their penalty corner but Thomas Sorsby recovered from failing to trap it properly, regathered the ball and found Roper with a precise pass inside the Irish semi-circle. Roper turned and fired the shot home off Jamie Carr’s leg pad to make it 2-0 to Great Britain.

James Mazaralo replaced Reynolds-Cotterill in the British goal for the second quarter and returned midway through the second half.

In the 23nd minute Ward added his second of the game for Great Britain with a field goal and they led 3-0 at half -time.

David Harte replaced Carr in the Irish goal for the second half. Ireland forced numerous chances and Mazaralo was able to block Ireland’s best efforts from penalty corners and open play.

Reynolds-Cotterill also proved unbeatable when called upon. Great Britain forced numerous penalty corners in the second half and Ireland were able to keep them at bay.

In the 45th minute Peter McKibbin broke out of defence and passed to Matthew Nelson inside the Great Britain half. Nelson found Johnny McKee in the circle but his lofted shot went high over the bar.

Harte made two good saves within a minute from Stuart Rushmere in the 47th minute. McKibbin then had the ball in the back of the Great Britain net in the 59th minute when he appeared to have scored a tap-in at the near post from a penalty corner.

The ball had hit Murray in the head, having been deflected by a British player’s stick. The decision was a second penalty corner for Ireland but the goal was disallowed. From the second penalty corner O’Donoghue made Mazaralo save twice. It finished 3-0 to Great Britain.