A heavily-deflected Giselle Ansley goal took some of the wind out of the Irish women’s sails but the upshot of their 1-0 loss to England at Lee Valley has probably provided the perfect scenario for Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final.

Megan Frazer has been included in Graham Shaw’s squad of 18 players for next month’s World Cup in London despite concerns over her fitness.

Cliodhna Sargent is set to return to action for the first time since January following the birth of her first son, Dylan, in August with a World Cup spot very much the long-term aim.

Cork Harlequins ended UCD’s incredible 20-game unbeaten run in Belfield as Roisin Upton and Naomi Carroll struck for an excellent 2-1 win to open up the delayed women’s EY Hockey League.

With the détente between the Irish Hockey Umpires Association and Hockey Ireland in place, the EY Hockey League will tip off this weekend after two weeks of cancellations.

The Irish club season has been put on hold with the blanket cancellation of the first series of EY Hockey League matches — the sport’s marquee competition — due to a dispute over umpire remuneration.

Ireland’s women were left hugely frustrated as a last-second German goal denied them the scalp of the Olympic bronze medallists at the Hockey World League semi-finals in Johannesburg.

Women’s hockey international: Germany 3 ( Keibel, Huse, Schroder) - Ireland 1 (Russell)

Graham Shaw has his sights set on World Cup qualification after his Ireland side cruised to a World League 2 title in Kuala Lumpur.

Some unusual names will adorn hockey’s St Stephen’s Day trophies around Ireland after a quartet of entertaining finals produced a glut of goals.

HOCKEY: Ireland’s U21 sides are both safely through to the promotion pool of the EuroHockey Junior Championships II, but not without a couple of scares.