Spain too good for Ireland in FIH Nations Cup opener

Spain 5-1 Ireland

Ireland’s opening match if the FIH Nations Cup ended in an emphatic 5-1 loss to hosts Spain in Terrassa.

Ireland took the lead in this Pool A clash as a Naomi Carroll field goal put them ahead in the 13th minute against a side ranked eighth in the world.

Lola Riera converted a penalty stroke in the 14th minute to equalise for the hosts and her 29th-minute penalty corner gave them a 2-1 lead at the end of the first half.

In the third quarter Marta Segu scored from open play in the 39th minute and only four minutes later it was 4-1 with Bélen Iglesias sending a rebound off Liz Murphy into the back of the net for another field goal.

Segu, again, was on target to make it 5-1 in the final quarter.

When these two sides met in the Olympic Qualifier in Valencia earlier this year it was 0-0 after 60 minutes and Ireland only lost their semi-final in a penalty shoot-out. They went on to lose narrowly to Great Britain and won’t be in Paris this summer on the back of that defeat in the third place match.

With little between them in their recent meetings, it was perhaps not a major surprise when Ireland took the lead through Carroll after good combination play between Michelle Carey and Niamh Carey on the wing.

It was a lead that didn’t last very long, however. Spain went up the other end and forced a succession of penalty corners. From the third in the series Ireland goalkeeper Murphy blocked a shot on the line. Unfortunately, she used her back stick to do so and had a penalty stroke awarded against her with Riera making no mistake.

Carroll missed a good chance to put Ireland back in front in the 22nd minute after a long aerial pass from Róisín Upton opened things up, and Spain made them pay when Riera converted a penalty corner in off the left-hand post guarded by Upton.

Ireland could have equalised in the 37th minute when Carroll was put through in the Spanish semi-circle but her effort was blocked by Spanish goalkeeper Clara Perez and Spain eventually launched a counter-attack and Segu grabbed Spain’s third.

Iglesias and Segu wrapped up the scoring.

Ireland take on Italy on Tuesday at 4pm Irish time.

“Tomorrow is a new day for us, we’ll learn a lot of valuable lessons from that game, especially from the second half,” said Irish captain Katie Mullan.

“I think it was tight in the first half. Very proud of the girls and I know that there’s serious character in this group and that will prove to come to fruition tomorrow.”

Spain: Clara Perez (GK); Lucia Jiminez; Maria Lopez; Marta Segu; Constanza Amundson; Blanca Perez; Begona Garcia; Xantal Gine (C); Lala Vidosa; Alejanadra Torres – Quevedo; Patricia Alvarez.

Subs: Laura Barrios (5 mins); Sara Barrios (4); Julia Strappato (5); Bélen Iglesias (4); Lola Riera (6); Beatriz Perez (3).

Ireland: Liz Murphy (GK); Sarah McAuley; Elena Neill; Róisín Upton; Ellen Curran; Katie McKee; Sarah Hawkshaw; Michelle Carey; Niamh Carey; Naomi Carroll.

Subs: Hannah McLoughlin (3 mins); Sarah Torrans (4); Caoimhe Perdue (4); Charlotte Beggs (3); Christina Hamill (6); Síofra O’Brien (6).