Ireland turned on the style to blitz Russia 4-0 and top their pool on goal difference from hosts France at the Champions Challenge II in Lille yesterday.
Having left it very late to equalise after a flurry of chances against the French on Sunday, Paul Revington’s charges may again regret some missed opportunities here but the South African is happy his side have generated momentum to take into the quarter-finals.
“It’s good form to take into the next round, in essence that’s the most important thing. It was a good
professional performance,” he said.
“We’re reasonably satisfied. If we keep improving day by day, then we’ll be happy. We can take quite a bit from a game like this. There are areas we need to tidy up but we’re a good way towards doing that.”
While the Irish women’s team came a cropper against the USA in the last eight of a tournament in Dublin last month, the men will be hoping the same fate does not befall them here when they meet the Americans
tomorrow (4.30pm Irish time).
A high, aggressive press has given Ireland plenty of joy thus far this week and it yielded the first goal in the seventh minute. Central to this has been David Ames and it was he who robbed the Russian defence and played in Mikey Watt to hand Ireland a seventh- minute lead. Alan Giles, Geoff McCabe and Stu Loughrey all scuppered good opportunities as Ireland dominated but the second goal was well worth waiting for.
A cleverly disguised pass from skipper Ronan Gormley gave Peter Caruth time to lay on a perfectly-weighted diagonal ball to Chris Cargo, who arrived at the back post to touch home.
Three sin-binnings helped snuff out any potential threat from the Russians and Ireland all but made it safe in the 44th minute with another goal of high aesthetic quality. Ames jinked past two would-be tacklers and laid off for Eugene Magee, who first-timed the ball to the roof of the Russian net from the circle’s perimeter.
And Peter Blakeney completed the rout in the 63rd minute from the first penalty corner of the game, zipping past Roman Rogov’s diving stick.