IRELAND 1
GREAT BRITAIN 2
THEY COULD NOT have started better – going a goal up after seven minutes – but Ireland rediscovered the cold reality of top level hockey this afternoon when Great Britain, the Olympic champions, came from behind to win the opening game of this three-match series.
Of course there is no disgrace in that but still, when you start as positively as Ireland did – Roisin Upton’s penalty stroke coming just four minutes after Naoimi Carroll had a goal disallowed – you allow yourself to dream.
Still ahead at half-time, Ireland faced a renewed effort from Great Britain after the break, Lily Owsley equalising on 35 minutes before Sarah Robertson got the winner in the final quarter.
Nonetheless, this was a useful outing for Ireland ahead of this year’s EuroHockey Championships and the Tokyo Olympics, Carroll coming close to an opening goal before her goal was ruled out.
Then came the stroke, Maddie Hinch fouling Anna O’Flanagan, Upton converting impressively. On it went, Owsley looking increasingly threatening, Giselle Ansley missing a penalty stroke for the visitors, Owsley finally getting Great Britain level on 35 minutes, with an effort from close range after some tidy build up play by Sarah Evans and Sarah Robertson.
It was Robertson who got the winner – Ansley the creator with a brilliant long pass, Robertson cleverly shifting the ball to her reverse side, before putting it in. The teams meet again tomorrow and then, for a third time, on Tuesday.
