Great Britain 2-1 Ireland
THE IRISH WOMEN’S hockey team have missed out on a place at the 2024 Olympic Games after defeat to Great Britain this afternoon.
Hannah McLoughlin’s late goal wasn’t enough in the winner-takes-all third/fourth place play-off in Valencia, with Sarah Jones and Katie Robertson previously on target for Great Britain.
FT: Ireland 1-2 Great Britain
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) January 20, 2024
The Ireland women's hockey team scored a last-gasp consolation but have missed out on qualification for the Olympics after losing their third/fourth place play-off in Valencia pic.twitter.com/rIwj5x06bK
Sean Dancer’s side agonisingly lost out to Spain in a semi-final penalty shootout, but their Olympic qualification hopes remained alive.
Great Britain dashed them today, however, and they will play in Paris this summer.
After some early Ayeisha McFerren heroics, GB broke the deadlock three minutes into the second quarter with Jones finding the net off the back of a penalty corner.
They doubled their lead at the start of the fourth quarter, with Robertson turning home from close range.
McLoughlin hit back at the death, but it proved to be little consolation for the Green Army, who lost attacking threat Deirdre Duke for a period due to injury.
The Irish men’s team are tagetting Olympic qualification in their third/fourth-place play-off against Korea tomorrow.
Ireland: Ayeisha McFerren, Róisín Upton, Niamh Carey, Sarah Hawkshaw, Katie Mullan (captain), Hannah McLoughlin, Naomi Carroll, Ellen Curran, Charlotte Beggs, Katie McKee, Beth Harper.
Subs: Sarah McAuley, Michelle Carey, Sarah Torrans, Elena Neill, Chloe Watkins, Deirdre Duke, Liz Murphy.
