On a challenging day for the Irish squad, Ireland suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Germany in the penultimate game of their Hockey Pro League campaign in London. This loss followed a 7-0 defeat to the same German team just days prior. However, despite the scoreline, Ireland demonstrated resilience and put up a commendable fight throughout the game.
Although the match remained scoreless in the first half, the deadlock was eventually broken in the third quarter, as Germany’s Timm Herzbruch and Gonzalo Peillat found the back of the net. The German team secured their victory with a third goal in the final minute of the game, courtesy of Thies Prinz.
Reflecting on the game, Ireland’s coach Mark Tumilty commended his team’s improved performance in comparison to their previous matches against Germany and Great Britain.
“I thought the performance was significantly better than the weekend performances against both GB and Germany,” Tumilty stated.
He also acknowledged the team’s missed opportunities, noting, “We probably left a few chances out there, and that’s something we need to work on during the next six to eight weeks as we head towards Paris.”
Despite the defeat, Ireland did demonstrate moments of promise, creating scoring opportunities early on in the match, with Matthew Nelson and Ben Walker both coming close to finding the net.
Defensively, the Irish team made Germany work harder for their chances, with goalkeeper Davy Harte making crucial saves when called upon. However, as the game progressed, the German team’s pressure intensified, ultimately leading to the breakthrough in the third quarter.
Ireland continued to battle hard in the final quarter, earning four penalty corners, but were unable to convert them into goals. Tumilty acknowledged the need for greater clinical finishing, especially against top-tier teams like Germany.
“We don’t get many chances against teams of this calibre. In the first half, we created enough chances to score a couple of goals. But that’s probably been the difference between the top sides, they are more clinical,” Tumilty explained.
Looking ahead, Ireland will now focus on their final Pro League match against Great Britain before preparations for the Paris Olympics begin in earnest.
“We have to recover, reset, and prepare to face Great Britain. We always look forward to playing against Great Britain, they are always excellent games and it’s a good challenge for ourselves,” Tumilty stated.
As Ireland’s inaugural Pro League campaign draws to a close, the team will be drawing on the lessons learned from their matches against top-quality opposition, in the hope of making a strong showing at the upcoming Olympics.