THE IRISH WOMEN’S hockey team are “gutted” following their relegation from the FIH Hockey Pro League.
Gareth Grundie’s side were beaten 1-0 by China in Berlin on Saturday.
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Ireland needed at least a bonus point draw to avoid the drop at the end of their debut season, but Zhang Ying’s deflected goal was ultimately the difference.
The Green Army battled gamely in a end-to-end encounter, though couldn’t find the necessary breakthrough against the world number four in extreme heat.
“It’s a huge disappointment for us today,” Ireland defender Caoimhe Perdue told Channel 4 Sport.
“I thought we battled really, really hard and conditions were severe, definitely in that first half. It’s been a huge learning for us, this Pro League. It just shows how disappointed we are, that we’re gutted in our performance. We can learn from this.”
“We think we deserve to be here,” Perdue added. “We were so close in all of our games. We can compete with the top teams, and you’ll see us back in the World Cup.”
Ireland will compete in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, the global second tier, next season, but their attention quickly turns to the upcoming World Cup.
Grundie’s side open their campaign against Spain on 16 August in Belgium, where they will also face the co-hosts and New Zealand in their pool.
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'Huge disappointment': Ireland relegated from FIH Hockey Pro League
THE IRISH WOMEN’S hockey team are “gutted” following their relegation from the FIH Hockey Pro League.
Gareth Grundie’s side were beaten 1-0 by China in Berlin on Saturday.
Ireland needed at least a bonus point draw to avoid the drop at the end of their debut season, but Zhang Ying’s deflected goal was ultimately the difference.
The Green Army battled gamely in a end-to-end encounter, though couldn’t find the necessary breakthrough against the world number four in extreme heat.
“It’s a huge disappointment for us today,” Ireland defender Caoimhe Perdue told Channel 4 Sport.
“I thought we battled really, really hard and conditions were severe, definitely in that first half. It’s been a huge learning for us, this Pro League. It just shows how disappointed we are, that we’re gutted in our performance. We can learn from this.”
“We think we deserve to be here,” Perdue added. “We were so close in all of our games. We can compete with the top teams, and you’ll see us back in the World Cup.”
Ireland will compete in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, the global second tier, next season, but their attention quickly turns to the upcoming World Cup.
Grundie’s side open their campaign against Spain on 16 August in Belgium, where they will also face the co-hosts and New Zealand in their pool.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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