Another Olympic dream dies

Ireland saw a second Olympic dream go up in smoke in seven days after the women went down 4-1 to Belgium in their Athlon FIH Road to London playoff final yesterday. As the players took to social networks to thank friends and family for their support, many apologised for the side’s sub-par performance and that unfortunately was the tale of their day as Belgium won out comfortably. “The girls said after it was like living a nightmare,” said Audrey O’Flynn, the tournament’s top scorer with eight. “The match just flew by. They were just winning every 50-50 ball, I don’t know, we just never got in to it, never got going. Ah, it’s just so disappointing.

“We said before the match that we’ve put in two years of hard work for this but we have to show that on the pitch – and we didn’t show it today. We just didn’t perform in any area of the pitch,” she added. Like their male counterparts, Ireland can nonetheless be justifiably proud of their efforts. They kicked the top-ranked side Spain to the kerb en route to a final few expected them to reach, and the unkind run-in which gave them their three toughest games in succession didn’t help their final chances. Belgium, easily the fatest-improving side in international women’s hockey, proved to be inspired rather than intimidated by the 4,000-strong crowd that packed every available vantage point in sun-drenched Kontich, effectively wrapping the result up inside 19 minutes. That’s how long it took Sofie Gierts to bag a hat-trick that owed equal parts to individual brilliance, a bizarre umpiring decision and poor Irish short corner defence. Ireland were given a boost when O’Flynn – who shipped a heavy blow to the jaw against Spain that ruled her out of Friday night’s pool clash with Belgium – was passed fit to start, although Chloe Watkins missed out on making the 16 for the game meaning Ireland were without arguably their most skilful forward. A nervy start saw both sides turn over the ball regularly but Belgium won the first corner of the game – a tame switch cleared bu Sinead McCarthy – while Ireland had a let-off when Charlotte de Vos, the hosts’ skipper, touched wide at the back post when seeming certain to score. A diving Emma Clarke was too far behind Emma Smyth’s cross after an excellent right-wing raid from the Railway Union woman – Ireland’s best player on the day by a distance. But that was as good as it got for the green army, as Gierts’ 14th-minute opener sparked her 10-minute hat-trick that changed the game. This one was worth of any final. A right-side cross looped high into the Irish circle without danger, Gierts controlled it at waist height and cracked a first-time half-volley past Emma Gray from the top of the circle.

Just a few minutes later, McCarthy was turned over trying to run out of defence and Jill Boon hit the Irish circle. Three Irish defenders surrounded her with Gray well positioned, but Nikki Symmons swept her stick into Boon’s from the reverse side. It was an ill-advised tackle that deserved a corner, but somehow a stroke was given and Gierts needed no second invitation, firing a top-quality effort high to the left. Ireland had every right to feel hard done by at this stage but the killer third goal was all too preventable. Belgium worked the ball back to Gierts in the injector spot and with postwoman McCarthy unable either to intercept the pass or block the shot, the Belgian has an easy finish. Despite this flurry of goals, Ireland had six corners in the first half but two switches failed to come off while the hosts sent suicide runners right down O’Flynn’s throat. She got one flick away with Nadine Khouzam saved, and Cliodhna Sargent battered the rebound over the bar. The second half was a near non-event as Belgium played the numbers game to protect their lead and Ireland didn’t seem to have the tools to unlock the defence. The best chance fell to Nikki Evans, whose good baseline work saw her flick goalwards; a Belgian defender cleared it off the line and back towards her with danger, and althoug Evans popped it in, the corner had been given. That was until 56 minutes when from Ireland’s seventh corner O’Flynn – who had earlier been in the wars yet again after making a superb diving tackle to block a reverse-stick shot – found the bottom corner despite not fully getting hold of her drag-flick. Any hopes of an unlikely Irish comeback evaporated just 30 seconds later, when a loose ball in the circle fell to Erica Coppey, who volleyed home. Cruelly, replays suggested her shot was heading wide but Gray got a glove to it and that touch redirected it to the net. That started the party for the Belgians – the 11th side to qualify for London 2012 – with the fight dying somewhat from the Irish, the final whistle likely coming as a relief on a frustrating end to a good week. Coach Muller pulled no punches afterwards, admitting this had been a game too far for his charges.

“Technically, we were not good enough today, didn’t score on our corners and couldn’t get back into the game and whenever we had a sight of it, we’d let in another one,” he said “They were the better team, they were technically better, they scored at moments of ascendancy, we just couldn’t get a foothold in the game. We had moments, but it wasn’t enough. In the end you just haemorrhage energy, it’s very difficult to turn it around. “There were one or two controversial decisions that went against us, the stroke was a big moment – no one would have complained if that was given as a penalty corner, there was surprise everywhere – and their last goal came off a player’s body. But they still deserved to win, they have been the best team at this event, and deserve to go to London. I congratulate them.” “This Irish team has improved enormously to get to this stage but there wasn’t enough in us; not technically, not physically so we could never create that tension.” With the conclusion of this Olympic cycle, Muller’s contract with the IHA has now expired and will subject to review in the coming months. He brought about the introduction of the CPP which had helped elevate the training time and methods employed. It is quite the undertaking, changing methods in order to achieve the Olympic dream but one which he praised his charges for taking on. “My word, the players have been unbelievable, the amount they have put into this programme has been exceptional – I’m really appreciative and respectful of their efforts,” he said. “As a group of people they decided they wanted to chase something, it’s so commendable, they put everything they had in to it. It’s just a pity they didn’t get what they came for. But we can have no regrets, we gave it everything.” IRELAND: Emma Gray (GK), Nikki Symmons, Sinead McCarthy, Cliodhna Sargent, Emma Smyth, Lizzie Colvin, Emma Clarke, Lisa Jacob, Alex Speers, Aine Connery, Audrey O’Flynn. Reserves: Michelle Harvey, Shirley McCay, Nikki Daly, Nikki Evans, Miriam Crowley