Sunday, April 28, 2024

Great Britain women oust Ireland to qualify for Paris Olympic hockey

Valencia — Great Britain’s players attested to nerves as the women’s side bid for the final women’s ticket on offer for Paris 2024. But they summoned the big game mentality to beat Ireland 2-1, who threw everything they could muster at David Ralph’s side. Two telling circle touches up front, a dominant midfield and Sabbie Heesh without any notable save at the back kept up GB’s record of qualifying for every Olympics missing out in 2004.

Goals in either half from Sarah Jones and Katie Robertson – their Welsh and Scottish internationals – proved the difference here. Irish stopper Ayeisha McFerran was forced into a number of saves to keep this win or bust game within sight of the Green Army but just when they needed it most, they couldn’t find a way past Heesh. For GB, it was their best performance of this tournament.

“It was a cagey affair. I was quite nervous to be honest and tentative,” said Izzy Petter. “In the second half I was like ‘you’ve got show up for the team and your team-mates’.

Continue reading...

Unlock our ad-free, premium content and get use of our subscriber-only app. Use coupon 3FOR1 to get 3 months for only £1!

Already a subscriber to our website? Login

Total Hockey

spot_img

Most Popular

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More from Author

EuroHockey revamps to knock-out format from 2027

Future winners of the EuroHockey Championships will face just four matches...

Charity hockey event set to remember Grace O’Malley-Kumar

A hockey tournament to commemorate the life of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, one...

Playing hockey aged 88: ‘To play and see our English friends again – that’s a gift for us’

We speak to Netherlands’ 88-year-old captain Walter Hagedoorn, a doctor in...

Mark Pearn leaves Surbiton men’s coaching role

Mark Pearn has ended his eight-year tenure as Surbiton Hockey Club...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img