Determined Ireland clinch bronze

Ireland bounced back from the disappointment of their semi-final exit at the Champions Challenge II in Kazan to defeat Ukraine 2-1 and claim third place overall. Searing 30-degree heat didn’t help their cause, but Roisin Flinn’s work up front in tandem with Eimear Cregan was enough to get the desired result for Gene Muller’s side.

Cregan played in Flinn for the only goal of the first half in the 11th minute as Ireland were reasonably in control. They were pegged back, though, against the run of play in the 45th minute when Maryna Vynohradova gave Mary Goode no chance. Ireland pushed on for the winning goal and it came in the 64th minute from a penalty corner with Flinn getting the vital touch. Gene Muller was pleased with the week’s work which saw his side win three, draw one and lose one: “We played very well throughout and deserved victory. I am very happy with the way we played over the course of the competition and overall this was a very beneficial tournament for our preparations for the European Championships in August.” Nikki Symmons was awarded the tournament’s Most Useful Player prize while India won the tournament with a 6-3 win over Belgium.