Ireland’s senior women got a taste of just how tough life could be at the forthcoming EuroHockey Nations Championships as they crashed to a 4-0 defeat in the first of a three-match series against Spain in Valencia today.
Spain, the world number seven, are in Ireland’s Pool B along with Germany and Scotland for the tournament in Amsterdam next month, and showed their class with first-half goals from Raquel Huertas and Julia Mendez before Nuria Camon and Ester Termens finished the job after the break. Coach Gene Muller nonetheless saw some positives in his side’s performance, but admitted he is looking for improvement in tomorrow’s clash (11am).
“Our structure was good, but we were off the pace of the game,” he said. “They got two of their goals from soft turnovers and that was disappointing as it deflates effort and tension. We will look to improve that part of the game in the remaining two matches.”
