Ireland claim World Cup place with shootout win

Ireland clinched a place in the Hockey World Cup finals with a dramatic shootout win over Japan to finish in third place at the qualification tournament in Santiago.

After the game finished scoreless, Sarah Hawkshaw, Hannah McLoughlin and Jessica McMaster scored in the shootout with goalkeeper Elizabeth Murphy making three saves as Ireland won 3-1.

It wouldn’t be Ireland without a shootout in a major qualifying tournament.

They missed out on the Rio and Paris Olympics but qualified for the Tokyo Games by winning one and now they can add the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium in August to that list.

Ireland dominated possession and territory in the first half but couldn’t turn their advantage into goals.

Niamh Carey came within inches of setting up Emily Kealy for a tap-in, while Jessica McMaster saw her shot saved and Charlotte Beggs hit the outside of the post.

The Irish high-press was causing Japan to turn the ball over but a couple of other scrambles in the circle just didn’t fall their way.

Japan had only a few minutes of sustained pressure when they won four penalty corners in quick succession but they came to nothing.

There was more frustration for Ireland in the third quarter as Kealy saw another effort go wide and then from a deflection off the Japanese goalkeeper, somehow the ball came off Michelle Carey and over the crossbar.

With two minutes remaining, Ireland thought they’d scored. From a scramble in front of the goal, Katie Mullen poked the ball into the net from close range,

Irish celebrations were short lived when from an umpire’s referral, it was adjudged the ball hit the back stick of Mia Jennings.

Penalties were required and it was Ireland who held their nerve to advance in dramatic fashion.

Ireland men take gold after beating France

Ireland’s men completed the perfect week by coming from behind with two goals from Gregory Williams to beat France 2-1 in the tournament final.

With both sides having qualified for the World Cup, this became a battle for ranking points and ninth place in the world.

If the game didn’t matter that much, neither side showed it as it became an intense battle.

The French took the lead early in the second quarter with a well-worked goal from Noe Jouin from a penalty corner.

Ireland struck back before half-time when Williams’ shot from a corner was too hot to handle for French goalkeeper Corentin Saunier.

Given another opportunity just after half-time, Williams’s effort was even more powerful, leaving Saunier grasping at air.

In their five victories in the tournament, Ireland scored 21 goals but it has been their work defensively that has been the cornerstone for their success and they needed to show that again in the final quarter.

Goalkeeper Jamie Carr made three world-class saves to deny France, while the penalty corner defence thwarted their opponents three times in the last 90 seconds of the game.

“It was amazing to qualify for the World Cup this week, that put to bed some demons,” explained Carr.

“While this game may not have counted for much on paper, obviously playing a nation like France it was always going to be a difficult game in a rivalry like this one so it was nice to go out and make a bit of a statement.

“They pushed us right to the very end but we knuckled down and defended really hard. [We’re] really happy with the win and it’s a great way to end the week in Chile.”

The team will turn their attention to the FIH Hockey Nations Cup this summer before the World Cup in August.

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