Germany 4

Ireland 2

THE IRISH WOMEN’S hockey team produced a big second-half comeback but ultimately fell short against Germany, setting up a showdown on Friday with India where a victory would likely bring a quarter-final spot. 

After a slow start, Germany led 3-0 early in the second courtesy of a double from Lisa Altenburg and one from Cecile Pieper. 

Two corner strikes from Lena Tice and Hannah McLoughlin brought Sean Dancer’s outfit back into contention before Francisca Hauke settled the tie. 

“Games against Germany are always quite physical and they’re quite fun too, so I think we enjoyed that game,” Chloe Watkins reflected.

“I think 4-2 is probably not really a fair reflection. We probably deserved a point if I’m honest. One or two things didn’t go our way but I think we played really well, we came up to it, they’re world number 3 and I think it was a really good battle. We matched them in a lot of areas.”

“We could have rolled over in the fourth quarter and let them come in but we didn’t. We fought hard and we knew goal difference is really important. They were really good goals, really well worked and it just showed our fighting spirit to give us confidence going into the next game.”

Ireland sit fourth in the group with two games to go and four teams advancing to the quarter-finals. India, who fell to a 4-1 loss against Great Britain, are next up for the Green Army. 

Ireland: A McFerran, S McAuley, H McLoughlin, R Upton, L Tice, C Watkins, K Mullan, A O’Flanagan, S Hawkshaw, D Duke, Z Malseed

Subs: S McCay, H Matthews, L Holden, M Carey, N Daly

Germany: J Sonntag, K Horn, A Wortmann, S Oruz, A Schröder, L Altenburg, F Hauke, C Pieper, P Maertens, V Huse

Subs: C Stapenhorst, S Zimmerman, P Heinz, J Fleschutz, H Granitzki