Unibet EuroHockey Championships – Final

ENG v NED 2-2 (3-1 after shoot-out)

England produced an incredible late comeback, surviving a huge and sustained Dutch barrage to land their second EuroHockey Championships with Maddie Hinch producing one of the performances for the ages.

They eventually prevailed in a shoot-out 3-1 coming back from 2-0 down with eight minutes to go in regular time to win in the most dramatic of fashion.

Asked to put the feeling into words, Hinch said: “That’s impossible! Literally, the best, best feeling in the world and God do we deserve it. We’ve had some lows but this has been one hell of a summer and this has been coming.

I’m just in a state of shock. I don’t know what to say. It just shows the level of belief in our team at the moment to come from two goals down, to say ‘we’re not giving up on this’ and that’s exactly what we did.”

Caia van Maasakker’s third quarter penalty corner double looked to have won the tie for the Dutch as they eventually broke through a blood and guts English defence. She found her range from the eighth and ninth Dutch penalty corners, finally finding a route past the superb defences of Hinch who kept out 22 shots on target overall.

But England produced a rousing comeback in front of the capacity crowd at Lee Valley with Sophie Bray and Lily Owsley’s corner rebounds in the closing eight minutes, earning their shoot-out chance.

Bronze medal match

GER v ESP 5-1 (4-0)

A hat trick for Germany’s newest superstar Charlotte Stapenhorst was the icing on the cake for Germany in the Unibet EuroHockey Championships bronze medal match. Germany’s hold on the EuroHockey title might have disappeared in the semi-finals, but the team was determined to leave the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre with a medal round their necks and their dismantling of the Spanish team was a study in structure and discipline.

The game was won in the first half as the German team moved the ball at a tremendous pace to create gaps in the hard-working Spanish defence. The first 15 minutes of the game saw a pattern of play emerging that would set the tone for the match. A German defensive platform, mostly involving Janne Muller-Weiland and Nina Hasselmann swung the ball around the back, sapping the energy of the Spain forwards and gradually, inexorably, the ball was moved up the pitch, with the midfield, led by Franzisca Hauke, seeking to release the forwards. In response, Spain sat back and soaked up the pressure, making occasional forays into the German half of the pitch.

Stapenhorst was joined on the scoresheet by Lisa Altenberg and Eileen Hoffmann. Carlota Petchame scored a consolation goal for Spain.

“We played a really good first half.with a really consistent way of attacking and pressing, as well as outletting. That was reflected on the score-sheet, which is not always the case with us,” said head coach Jamilon Mulders. “The team’s reaction after the loss to the Netherlands was good and this is a really good finish to the tournament.”

In the earlier games, Belgium beat Italy to finish fifth, while Scotland finished sixth after beating Poland. The results mean Italy and Poland will be playing in the second tier of European hockey in two years time.

Gold – England
Silver – Netherlands
Bronze – Germany

4th – Spain
5th – Belgium
6th – Scotland
7th – Italy
8th – Poland

Player of the Tournament Alex Danson – ENG

Goalkeeper of the Tournament Yvonne Frank – GER

Top goal scorer Caia van Maasakker – NED

England produced an incredible late comeback, surviving a huge and sustained Dutch barrage to land their second EuroHockey Championships with Maddie Hinch producing one of the performances for the ages.

They eventually prevailed in a shoot-out 3-1 coming back from 2-0 down  with eight minutes to go in regular time to win in the most dramatic of fashion.

Asked to put the feeling into words, Hinch said: “That’s impossible! Literally, the best, best feeling in the world and God do we deserve it. We’ve had some lows but this has been one hell of a summer and this has been coming.

I’m just in a state of shock. I don’t know what to say. It just shows the level of belief in our team at the moment to come from two goals down, to say ‘we’re not giving up on this’ and that’s exactly what we did.”

Caia van Maasakker’s third quarter penalty corner double looked to have won the tie for the Dutch as they eventually broke through a blood and guts English defence. She found her range from the eighth and ninth Dutch penalty corners, finally finding a route past the superb defences of Hinch who kept out 22 shots on target overall.

But England produced a rousing comeback in front of the capacity crowd at Lee Valley with Sophie Bray and Lily Owsley’s corner rebounds in the closing eight minutes, earning their shoot-out chance.

In normal time, the Dutch will wonder how they took so long to break the deadlock. The tone was set early on with a volley of four shots inside the first four minutes before two green cards stalled the Netherlands momentum.

Ginella Zerbo was somehow denied by Hinch’s in-step when she raced onto an Ellen Hoog passed that was miscontrolled into the winger’s path.

Six penalty corners, primarily from van Maasakker’s stick, were also either charged down or tipped away by Hinch’s athleticism with good support from number one runner Ashleigh Ball. Hollie Webb, meanwhile, was a bullish presence both in defence and clearing the lines.

For England, Alex Danson was the one lighting the touch paper while Sam Quek won one corner though the set-up was slow and charged down without a shot of note. Nonetheless, they were grateful for the half-time breather after less than 30% possession.

The flow continued into the second half with Naomi van As drawing a block at the near post while Hoog miscued when the goal beckoned, allowing Kate Richardson-Walsh time to clear off the line.

When Hinch wasn’t saving, Quek made some huge blocks, the pick from Marloes Keetels. But the corners kept coming and van Maasakker eventually obliged with a deflected corner flick which lobbed over Hinch into the top corner.

Two minutes later, she made it two with a cleaner route to goal to make it 2-0 and that looked to be the tie done and dusted.

After all the dominance, however, their composure was shaken in the final quarter and England stormed back into action. Danson had served notice of their danger when she drew a fine reaction save from Joyce Sombroek.

And, in the closing quarter, England forged their way back into the game from their second corner from Sophie Bray’s quick-thinking, pulling the ball out from under Sombroek after MacLeod’s deflection got stuck.

That was with eight minutes to go. Hinch then produced the pick of her saves, denying van Maasakker’s tenth drag-flick before scrambling across the goal line to deny Lidewij Welten.

The value of the save was exponential when, in the next attack, Wilemijn Bos miscontrolled to concede a corner. Again, it went to the second phase and Lily Owsley was the woman to finish from close range for 2-2, earning them the shoot-out decider for the second successive championships.

England lost the final shoot-out two years ago in Boom against Germany but they had the momentum all the way through this time around. Hinch saved from both Willemijn Bos and Welten while Helen Richardson-Walsh, Alex Danson and Sophie Bray put them in a 3-0 position.

Speaking about the shoot-out, Hinch said she had done her research and it paid dividends: “I’m known to be a bit of a geek on this kind of stuff and it was my turn to step up and do it.”

Ellen Hoog got one back but Hinch subsequently saved from Eva de Goede for a famous victory, their second European title and first since 1991.

The first 15 minutes of the game saw a pattern of play emerging that would set the tone for the match. A German defensive platform, mostly involving Janne Muller-Weiland and Nina Hasselmann swung the ball around the back, sapping the energy of the Spain forwards and gradually, inexorably, the ball was moved up the pitch, with the midfield seeking to release the forwards. In response, Spain sat back and soaked up the pressure, making occasional forays into the German half of the pitch.

The warning signs were there early, Eileen Hoffmann, Marie Mavers and the excellent Stapenhorst hovered menacingly near the Spanish circle, looking for the breaks. Maria Ruiz was Spain’s saviour on a number of occasions in those opening minutes, but there was nothing the ‘keeper could do when Player of the Match Stapenhorst used the most sublime of touches to turn Franzisca Hauke’s penetrating pass into the goal.

It was Stapenhorst (19′) again just after the first quarter break. Germany’s penalty corner was charged down but the ball flew to Anne Schroder. Her pass found Stapenhorst who again showed great technique to double her tally.

Continuous pressure, largely instigated by the effective Hauke, led to more pressure on the Spain circle. After a sustained period of attack, Germany won a penalty stroke, which Lisa Altenberg (22′) duly converted. Her heart would momentarily have been in her mouth as replacement goalkeeper Maria Lopez got a glove to her who, but pace carried it in.

As the half drew to a close, Spain made inroads, with Beatriz Perez playing a beautifully placed and paced cross, but there was no-one on the end of it and the ball flew harmlessly off the pitch.

Seconds later, in a move that summed up the two teams, Spain’s Maria Tost found herself in a one-on-one with Yvonne Frank. The striker panicked and the ensuing clearance went route one to Hoffmann (29′), who slotted it calmly past Ruiz to make it 4-0.

Two minutes into the second half and Stapenhorst registered her hat trick. Altenberg supplied the pass that the young player was able to convert over a desperately diving Ruiz.

Spain were rewarded for their persistence when Carlota Petchame (44′) was able to lift the ball over Kristina Reynolds, who had replaced Frank in the German goal. The quick break highlighted the work that Germany still need to do as team as they continue to rebuild.

With 15 minutes left, Spain continued to press. Captain Rocio Ybarra was instrumental in setting up a series of Spanish attacks, but the experience and control of the German defence was enough to take the momentum out of the attack and normal German domination resumed.

There was one more scoring opportunity, but Lopez made a great save to deny Hoffmann. This was the last significant action in a match in which Germany were deserved winners.

“That victory was really important for us,” said Kristina Hillmann. “We were so disappointed at our performance against the Dutch.”

In an insight into the tactics used, Hillmann added: “We played a great defence, swinging the ball around the back at a high pace and creating spaces through to our forwards.”

This was a point upon which Spain’s Georgina Oliva agreed: “They moved the ball so quickly, we chased it and got tired, so when we came to attack, we were too tired to be effective.”

Scotland warded off any danger of potential relegation to EuroHockey Nations Championship II with a composed 2-0 win over Poland, ending the tournament in sixth place overall.

The Poles had a chance of leap-frogging the Scots in the Pool C rankings if they could summon their first victory at this elevated level of competition.

But Gordon Shepherd’s side showed the greater know-how and produced some slick, flowing hockey at times to pick through their opponent’s defence and earn their second win of the campaign.

Scotland entered the competition as the only side not to have played an Olympic qualifier prior to the Euros and Kareena Marshall said it took a little while to grow into the competition but they definitely showed they belong at this level.

“We do feel that we don’t always get the same competition as everyone else. We have to do most of our preparation at home and make sure we get some good games in before.

“But it was a really great week for us. We achieved our minimum  target to maintain our place in this division and, you know what, in two years time, we want to step up. We definitely want to make the semi-finals; that would be phenomenal. Ireland have done it [in the men’s competition] so why not?”

Nikki Kidd opened the scoring in the 15^th minute after a flurry of chances, firing home on her reverse-stick from mid-circle after Becky Merchant’s pass broke her way.

It came mere seconds after Vikki Bunce had clipped the inside of the post while Nikki Kidd’s followed effort was only denied by an incredible stop by the sprawling Marta Kucharska.

The goalkeeper did well to keep out a Kidd drag-flick, too, while Poland’s best chances of getting back on terms were limited to crash balls from Marlena Rybacha and Joanna Wieloch.

Two nil arrived six minutes into the second half via a superb interchange down the right channel that set Kidd free and she picked out the waiting Bunce in front of goal to sweep in.

Poland did push on in the final quarter but to no avail and they finish their EuroHockey Championships tournament overall in eighth place.

Speaking about their debut in the tournament, captain Rybacha was concerned about the impact that relegation will have.

“The last two games we played much better, but we still didn’t take our opportunities and we made a few small mistakes. At this level if you make small mistakes, you get punished.

“This is bad for Polish hockey, we didn’t have many funds anyway and we will have less now. The other problem is that we will now not play such good international fixtures, so our standard will fall.”

“If we had got to the Olympics in Rio then I would have retired after that,” she says smiling ruefully. “But that was not to be, so for the next two years there is very little significant international competition for us; it just seemed a good time to call it a day.”

Van Lindt has seen the Belgium team raise its standards over the past four years. “When we went to the London Olympics, that was a catalyst for us,” she says. “We began to train harder, play smarter, and really raise our levels.”

But now, how does the midfielder feel the Red Panthers are performing? In the past 18 months they finished 12th in the 2014 World Cup, seventh at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals and at this latest event, where they hoped to make the semi-finals, the team finished in fifth place.

Van Lindt reflects on the past few days. “We under-performed here, definitely, and then other results didn’t go our way,” she says. “We certainly didn’t expect Spain to have such an amazing game against Poland.” By beating Poland 10-0, Spain booked a place in the EuroHockey Championship semi-final, beating Belgium to the spot on superior goal difference.

“We used to make the excuse that we had a young team, but over half this team played in London 2012, so it is not a particularly young team. And every team has to accommodate new players. We cannot use the excuse of a lack of experience anymore, we just have to work harder, train harder.”

“The thing is, we play some really nice hockey. We have good structure and, even if I say it myself, our defence is strong. Our biggest problem is the lack of firepower up front. We just can’t score the goals, we create the opportunities but, as you have seen all tournament, we can’t finish it off. Until we get that right we will never compete with the top teams.”

Will van Lindt miss the international set-up? “Of course, but I will still be playing club hockey, I just won’t be training with the national squad two days a week, every week. That is a big commitment and I don’t think I can justify that anymore. Many of our players are students so it is not so much pressure on them. I work, so that makes it difficult.”

Van Lindt, who is 26-years-old, works with her parents in the family opticians. “My parents have sacrificed a lot for me. Whenever I am training or competing they cover for me in the opticians – it is time for me to pay them back. And I am also looking forwards to taking a holiday – that is something I haven’t done for a long, long time.”

In a celebration taking place during this year’s Unibet EuroHockey Championship, the Spanish winger and the Irish legend were additions to a small but impressive roll of honour that includes German superstar Natascha Keller, Spain’s talisman Santi Freixa and Netherlands legend Teun de Nooijer, who were named on the inaugural honour’s list in 2013 in Boom.

A half-time presentation during the men’s final saw Freixa and de Nooijer welcome Symmons and Amat into the Hall of Fame.

Amat was one of the leading lights of a golden generation of Spanish players, amassing 304 caps and scoring 150 goals. In his glittering career, he played in an incredible five Olympic Games, winning silver in both Atlanta and Beijing, along with nine European Championships with gold arriving in 2005 in Leipzig.

Paying tribute to Amat, Great Britain and England goalkeeper Simon Mason said: “When Pol played well, Spain played well. He had incredible hand-eye co-ordination and when he carried the ball one-handed outside his left, he was virtually impossible to tackle.”

Admirers of Amat are spoilt for choices when it comes to ‘best moments’ but the final of the 2005 European Nations Cup ranks highly as the Spaniard scored two goals in less than a minute to turn around a 2-1 deficit and inspire his team to gold.

Symmons, meanwhile, is honoured as a record-breaker in Irish hockey, becoming the first player to pass the 200-cap mark and an inspiration for the sport in her country.

Reflecting on an international career that spanned 13 years and 208 caps – including six European championships – the Dubliner said: “Every time I put on the Irish shirt gave me great memories, not always good, but the bad also served as good memories to make me who I am today.”

“I guess I gave my life to hockey for the love of the sport. There were many sacrifices I had to make and I think I inspired people by the way I went about giving it all I had on the pitch, especially near the end of my career. I was always striving to be the best I could be and to be a role model.”

And the 33-year-old is continuing to help inspire new hockey fans through her work with the FIH as a digital co-ordinator, promoting the sport to a whole new generation.

Italy ran themselves ragged as they chased three points and a slim chance of avoiding relegation. As they have done in every match of this championship, they had moments of brilliance and moments when the opposition was able to make them pay. Belgium, whose status at the top table of European competition is safe, began slowly, but steadily grew into the game and were in control by the final quarter.

It was a dream start for Belgium and their long-serving captain Lieselotte van Lindt (4′) when she was on hand to slot home the opener after Anouk Raes smartly slipped the ball left. Van Lindt, who won the Player of the Match award and was playing in her final international match for Belgium, made no mistake as she lifted the ball past Martina Chirico in the Italy goal.

The Red Panthers’ joy was short-lived as Italy quickly got back on even terms through Aidana Lovagnini. The forward deflected a penalty corner shot over the Belgium post player’s stick.

Italy took the lead through their second penalty corner, captain Chiara Tiddi was given licence to run straight into the Belgium circle unopposed. Head coach Pascal Kina looked on in disbelief as his team seemed to stop their run out, leaving the Italian to take the ball into the circle and fire home past Megane Simons in the Belgium goal.

As the first half counted down, both teams had chances to break the deadlock. Jill Boon came close, but her shot was taken off balance and for a few minutes the striker seemed to have done some serious damage to her knee. At the other end of the pitch, Italy had chances of their own, including one shot that rattled off the cross bar.

Fortunately for Belgium, Boon returned to the field after half-time and was instrumental in bringing Belgium back into the game. The Red Panthers reduced the deficit early in the second half when Boon hit a searching ball into the circle and Manon Simons (31′) touched the ball past Chirico. This was followed up seconds later by a thunderous shot from Judith Vandermeiren (33′), to put the higher ranked team ahead.

Giuliana Ruggieri (43′) brought Italy back on even terms after a jinking run by the inspirational Tiddi had left a trail of flailing Begium sticks in her wake. Tiddi took the ball to the back line then slipped to Ruggieri who gratefully pounced on it.

And so the scene was set for a great final quarter of action. Italy needed to win to put pressure on Scotland in the race to avoid relegation. But it was Belgium who put their foot on the accelerator. Alix Gerniers pounced on a loose ball and ran it to the Italy circle. Her pass found Emma Puvrez (47′) who made no mistake in slotting the ball home, effectively ending Italy’s EuroHockey Championship adventure.

The nature of the victory – building a five-goal lead in the first half – made for a unique experience and van der Horst said that being so far ahead so early allowed him to savour the special moments.

“When the score is like that, you start to enjoy it a little bit more,” he said. “You see things on the big screen that make you smile, people cheering, guys on the bench crying. You get that time to really enjoy it and the emotions. Normally, you play until the end and it’s like ‘oh, we won!’. Now, this was very different!

“Obviously, this is the best result ever for me in my career. It was a little bit more comfortable because you are so dominant. You win some and lose some but this one we really, really won.”

Talking about the key components to the game, the sweeper said that while the nature of the match was very different to the 1-0 semi-final win over Ireland, there was not a large difference in tactical set-up between the two games.

“We played with a lot of structure and discipline which is actually the story of the whole tournament where we don’t give away many chances and only one goal at the end of the game when it wasn’t important. It’s really delightful.

“We didn’t change that much from the other games. Germany is willing to come out and play a bit more. Other teams are playing more defensively so its harder to create as many chances. I believe that was key today.

“Normally, when you score against Germany you know they are going to come back and, even at 4-0, you know the game isn’t over and they can make life difficult. But we kept our focus and when it got to six, only then did you feel like they might give up.”

Robbert Kemperman, meanwhile, said the key phase was the opening quarter when the tone was set.

“Incredible final, we said we had to be awake in the first 15 minutes and I think we killed it from the moment we started the game. We were in fighting mode!

“It was so quick; 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 – from there, we can control the game and it was really good. We’ve lost several finals against the Germans so finally we got there and are really happy.”

German talisman Moritz Fuerste also pin-pointed the opening 15 minutes as the key battle which his side did not get a handle on.

“We started the game with the ball quite well and the first quarter could have ended with a 2-2 draw if things were different. But they out-countered us and it felt like it wasn’t meant to be. We had a few good opportunities but off the ball we were not good enough today and made too many mistakes.

“Today they are deserved winners. We’ve no explanations of the moment. Overall, it was a good tournament, we played quite good hockey. We struggled in the semi-finals against a good English side but still won.

“After all, we can be happy. We lost against a strong Dutch side. What can I say; sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t.”

Netherlands – Germany 6-1 (5-0)

The Netherlands produced a truly sensational first half display to win the Unibet EuroHockey Championships final, claiming their first title since 2007 – the last time the competition was played in England.

It was their fourth continental championship and also the biggest ever victory in the final match as they tore through the German defences in an uncharacteristically one-sided contest.

Each goal before the break was a thing of beauty as Billy Bakker’s sixth minute opener set the tone before a pair of Mink van der Weerden corner strikes were augmented by pitch-length counter-attack moves completed by Jeroen Hertzberger and Rogier Hofman. Possibly the best was left until last when Mirco Pruijser ran the length of the pitch and crashed his shot past Jacobi.

The two teams have met in the finals of the European Hockey Championships on six previous occasions with the German team recording six victories. But this finals weekend at the Unibet EuroHockey Championships at Lee Valley is a time for history to be made, and the Netherlands did not just break that record, they totally smashed it in a 6-1 win that began in the sixth minute and never really relented.

The opening encounters suggested that Nicolas Jacobi was going to be a nemesis for the Netherlands as he made some unbelievably athletic saves in the opening minutes of the match, but such was the attacking mindset of this Netherlands team that it was clear that the fortress set up by Jacobi would inevitably be breached. It was just a question of when, and how many times.

The first goal, when it came, was via a penalty corner. Oskar Deeke committed a clumsy foul on Mink van der Weerden. The initial penalty was chased down by Martin Haner, and in the ensuing sequence of play, the umpire held the whistle in a brilliant piece of officiating, allowing Billy Bakker (6′) to fire home past Jacobi with a reverse stick rifling shot.

Germany nearly hit straight back when some great stick work by Mats Grambusch set up the chance for Marco Miltkau, the striker took the ball too wide and was forced to shoot into the side netting.

Van der Weerden (14′) added the second Dutch goal from a penalty corner, after a sustained period of attacking play from the men in orange. They were helped by some uncharacteristic errors by the German players, but all the credit goes to the drag flick specialist who placed the ball low past Jacobi.

The second quarter saw Germany come back at the Netherlands. The ball fell to Christopher Wesley, but Jaap Stockmann held his ground and Wesley was forced to hit the ball too hard and too high in an effort to get round the ‘keeper.

The attacking quality of the Netherlands was no better exemplified than through their third goal. Jeroen Hertzberger (21′) took the ball around Haner and then shot into Jacobi’s far corner.

Seve van Ass joined the act, with a blistering run through the centre of the German defence. The stage was set for van der Weerden (22′) and the drag flick specialist made no mistake as he put his second and the Netherland’s fourth into the net.

Rogier Hofman (29′) made it five with a breath-taking counter-attack. A six second sequence of action saw Deecke shoot against Stockmann. The Dutch ‘keeper cleared wide and the resulting ball out of defence fell to Hofman who sprinted for the opposite goal and slammed the ball home.

Following a half time team talk that was probably one of the tougher discussions of Markus Weise’s coaching career, the teams took to the field for a 30 minutes session that would really see if the German reputation for turning matches around was warranted.

It seemed as if the Netherlands hadn’t read the same script, because rather than slowing down their attack and counter-attack, the Netherlands continued to force the pace. Player of the Match Robbert Kemperman was controlling the midfield and his players responded to his lead. Valentin Verga put in a 50 metre jinking run that cut through the German defence. Wesley took the ball to the other end of the pitch, but again the Dutch defence did its job and Verga was again released to create a chance for Hertzberger to add to his tally.

As the quarter wore down it just didn’t seem to be destined to go Germany’s way. Scuffed shots, mis-timed tackles and misplaced passes are all phrases rarely associated with the German team, but this was a far from classic German performance.

Two penalty corners from van der Weerden were well chased down by Haner, and Germany tried to build an attack from that point. As the game moved towards its conclusion, Christopher Ruhr (50′) found his way through the German defence and scored a goal that was as high class as any in the match.

The game drew to a close with both teams looking dead on their feet through exhaustion. A six match winning streak came to an end and the Netherlands can justifiably call themselves the champions of Europe.

Tournament Individual Awards:

Top goal scorer Tom Boon (BEL) 10 goals

Goalkeeper of the Tournament David Harte (IRL)

Player of the Tournament Florian Fuchs (GER)

History was made as the Irish team won the bronze medal at the Unibet EuroHockey Championships after a battling last quarter which saw all 11 men camped in their own half protecting a 3-2 lead against England. A breakaway run in the final 30 seconds saw the Green Machine put the game to bed and win their first major international medal. The final action saw Shane O’Donoghue slot home a penalty stroke past stand-in ‘keeper Mark Gleghorne, after the Ireland team had broken free from the England press around their circle.

The bronze medal match between Ireland and England was a typically competitive affair between two teams who know each other well, and whose rivalry extends through club, European and world-wide competitions. Ireland – ranked 14th in the world – came into the match never having beaten England in a top-ranking tournament.

And yet, despite the weight of history and the nine world ranking points separating the teams, this was as closely fought and intriguing as any match played in this Unibet EuroHockey Championship.

England started the brighter, the red shirts pouring forwards down both flanks but unable to breach the Irish last line of defence. Nick Catlin was the first to test the goal, his hard shot saved by David Harte. Alastair Brogdon was next to make inroads into the Irish circle, but he ran into the flat stick of Kirk Shmmins, while Chris Griffiths found himself literally run off the back line by the hardworking and disciplined Irish defence – the game plan clearly to keep England out of the shooting zone.

Moving into the last minutes of the quarter, a high Irish press nearly paid off: Dan Shingles lost the ball on the edge of the circle. However this was dealt with by the ever-dependable Middleton. His interception led to a England counter-attack. Harry Martin self passed and waltzed past the Irish centre defence before slipping to Ashley Jackson who deftly touched it to Griffiths. Harry Martin (11′) had continued his run and was the recipient of Griffiths neat through ball. The England midfielder had no hesitation in slipping the ball over the prone form of Harte.

However, Ireland did not make the semi-finals by capitulating under pressure and the Green Machine were quickly back into the game forcing a penalty corner. Shane O’Donoghue (13′) made no mistake and his drag flick left Pinner with no chance of making a save.

The second quarter saw England cooking up a storm as they poured forth relentlessly in attempt to wear down the staunch Irish defence. A penalty corner was awarded to England following good play by Jackson on the edge of the circle. The subsequent flick by Sam Ward was just high over Davey Harte’s goal.

An off-the-ball incident at top of the circle saw Peter Caruth awarded a yellow card for impeding Nick Catlin, but Ireland had a lucky escape as the ensuing penalty corner shot by Jackson hit the post and the ball pinged side-ways behind the giant frame of Harte to safety.

The pressure paid off, despite some fantastic defensive work by the Irish, the England team took the lead when Adam Dixon (23′) was able to deflect Jackson’s penalty corner drag flick into the top of the net.

Six minutes later and momentum shifted the way of the Irish. An innovative penalty corner routine saw Alan Sothern benefit from some great skills at the top of the circle from Eugene Magee. The midfielder spun and slipped the ball out of the path of the defensive runners. Sothern dinked the ball over the defenders sticks and then wrong-footed Pinner in the goal to bring the scores level.

Going into half-time Craig Fulton would have been the happier coach. His side had amassed just three shots on goal, with a return of two, while England had managed nine shots with the same payback. This was the tone of the match – England taking a greater share of possession but, in the areas that matter – the two goal mouths – it was Ireland who were the better executioners.

Fulton’s pleasure at his team’s performance would have been even greater a few minutes later when Ireland stormed into the lead. Eugene Magee (39′) put a drag-flick corner decisively past Pinner. His initial passage into the England circle to win the corner was far too easy, with the England defence sloppy with their stick skills and discipline.

The final quarter was a do or die 15 minutes for all the players on the pitch. Ireland after their first ever medal in this competition, England trying to lose the title of ‘nearly men’. A defensive moment of sheer brilliance from player of the match Paul Gleghorne saw Middleton’s progress towards goal abruptly halted and the green clad Irish supporters breathed again. The default position for the Irish team became a tight 11-man wall as the whole team worked to get their bodies once more behind the ball.

England thought they had the equaliser when Ashley Jackson put the ball in the net from a penalty corner. His corner shot was judged illegal after it struck John Jackson on the thigh as he ran down the shot.

With three minutes to play Pinner left the field so that England could pour forward. With a minute left on the clock, England won a penalty corner, only to see it saved. The Irish team continued to defend their circle, but broke free with 30 seconds on the clock. The scrambling England defence fouled and O’Donoghue put the penalty  stroke away and sealed the match.

Speaking after the game John Jackson said: “We have achieved something it will be very hard to replicate – a medal at the European Championships. England are a quality side, so we knew we had to stop them attacking down the central channels. Everyone worked so hard.”

England’s Dan Shingles praised Ireland for their tenacity adding that he felt that England had enjoyed greater possession but had been unable to turn that to goals. “Where it mattered, the defence and the attacking circles, we let ourselves down. Overall, we have played well this tournament, but there is fine-tuning to be done.”