Spirited fightback not enough to save Irish ladies

England 3 Ireland 1

Although expectations were high in the Irish camp that they could take something from the England game into today’s second Pool this match going into today’s joust with the US, it certainly looked a distinct possibility when Ireland stormed back with a tremendous second half effort which saw Arlene Boyles narrow the gap to 2-1 when converting a penalty stroke and England looking very much a jittery outfit at this stage.

“We came back very well in the second half and we came close on a few occasions of an equaliser which really would have put the pressure on England,” insisted Irish coach Riet Kuper afterwards.

Arlene Boyles the Irish central sweeper at the back who took her penalty stroke goal with great authority added: “For the first 15 or 20 minutes, we were just not up to England’s pace. But we played with great spirit in the second half after we got a few things sorted out at the break particularly at midfield. We came here to learn from this opening game so that we can keep building with every match we play here.”

Ireland’s last victory against England was in the 1990 Home Countries in Aberdeen and we have only beaten the ‘Ould Enemy’ on 13 occasions out of 113 meetings. That complex was clearly evident from the opening exchanges and while Kuper maintained that Ireland coped well with England’s pacy game it was this area of their play that opened up two gaping holes in the Irish defence early on.

On both occasions, Tara Browne in the Irish goal was left unprotected, the first England goal the result of quick and decisive inter-passing finished by a defence splitting pass from Lucilla Wright to Helen Grant who steered the ball home from close range.

The Irish midfield of Laura Lee, Daphne Sixsmith and Jill Orbinson spent an uncomfortable first half trying to gain parity with their opposite numbers with Mandy Nicholson and Denise Marston-Smith doing most of the damage for England in this sector in this opening half.

A second England goal on 15 minutes from Alex Danson after Grant had created the chance could have precipitated a capitulation on the Irish side. But the half time pep talk clearly had the desired effect and the game underwent a remarkable transformation with a gutsy fight back from the Irish.

When Nicholson conceded a penalty stroke for a foul on Lynsey McVicker which was duly converted by Boyles it was a case of ‘game on’. Ireland gradually forced England on to the back foot, with the exchanges around midfield now going Ireland’s way, Lee, Ciara O’Brien and Orbinson leading the charge as well as Eimear Cregan.

Claire McMahon on the Irish right wing blew a great chance of the long anticipated equaliser when from a deep position in the England circle she blasted the ball over the England goal.

The prospect of claiming a creditable draw still looked on the cards when England were reduced to 10 players in the 50th minute after Anne Panter was shown the yellow card and was benched for nine minutes.

Ironically, it was against this background and without doubt against the run of play that England sealed victory with fourteen minutes remaining Leisa King celebrating her 30th birthday with her side’s insurance goal.

America, who take on Ireland this evening (6.05 pm local time) finished 4-0 losers to host nation and world champions Australia. If Ireland are to hold out any chance of making a some degree of headway in their tough seven match Pool ‘B’ campaign here then victory over the Americans is a must.

Argentina took the points in a 1-0 victory over New Zealand, but may need to improve their finishing if they are to progress all the way to the final.

Five times world champions the Netherlands - beaten by Australia in the 1998 World Cup final - began their campaign with a sizzling 3-0 victory over South Africa.

IRELAND: T Browne, A Boyles, L Caulfield, K. Maybin, L. Lee, R. Kohler, J. Orbinson, D. Sixsmith, C. McMahon, J. Burke, L. McVicker. Subs: E. Cregan, K. Humphreys, C. O’Brien, L. O’Neill.

ENGLAND: C. Reid, M. Nicholson, M. Clewlow, F. Houslop, R. Walker, A. Panter, D. Marston-Smith, H. Grant, A. Bennett, L. Wright, L. King. Subs: H. Rose, J. Bimson, J. Smith, A. Danson, S. Blanks.