Ireland hit for six by deadly Dutch

Ireland 0 Netherlands 6

Consequently, the Netherlands did pretty much as was expected of a team ranked number one in the world right now when playing a team like Ireland who are currently 14th in the world standings.

With one eye on the final Pool A game against Italy today, coach Gene Muller was always going to have equivocal feelings about playing the Dutch and it was no surprise that a couple of regular starters were stood down, not least number one goalie Mary Goode.

Louisa Healy therefore had the thankless task of facing the awesome Dutch frontline, and that she was beaten five times in the first half was not so much a reflection on her, but an indication simply of how good Holland are as an attacking machine.

Muller and his side are now, therefore, exactly where they expected to be at this point in the tournament, and his pre-Manchester predictions have proved correct.

However, he said afterwards that the blame for the defeat should be solely attached to him and not to the players.

“While the defeat to England was a poke in the ribs, we knew having lost that we would not beat Holland and so we asked the players to try an approach which was novel to them — and it did not work,” the coach said.

“We did that in order to absolve the players of any feeling that they were to blame if it went wrong.”

Muller said that the idea was to try and double team some of the Dutch playmakers, but it didn’t come off and consequently he reverted back to the more normal 4-3-3 formation after half an hour.

That the Irish were down by four goals (each of which were scored by the magnificent Kim Lammers) by that point in the match illustrated that the experiment was not working, and when Ireland returned to a more familiar set up, it was worth noting that the Dutch scored only once more in the half — an unstoppable Naomi Van As blockbuster.

It was 5-0 at the break and looking bad for the Irish, but the players reacted favourably to the return to the normal tactical shape, and when Mary Goode, who replaced the unfortunate Healy at half-time, then produced a series of unbelievable saves throughout the second period, they grew in confidence and actually started playing reasonably well against an obviously superior opposition.

“Mary Goode was spectacular in the second half and I was delighted with her performance,” Muller commented. “But we are where we expected to be right now and the game against Italy will determine if we can maintain our European ‘A’ status.

“I don’t feel I have to lift the players right now because the Italian game was always going to be the big one and they will be up for it.’’

IRELAND: L. Healy, E, Harte, L. Caulfield, E. Cregan, E. Clarke, B. McKeever, J. McDonough, S. McCay, C. O’Brien, J. Orbinson, N. Symmons. Subs: M. Goode, E. Stewart, C. McKean, A. Speers, J. O’Halloran,

NETHERLANDS: L. De Roever, E. Mulder, F. Moreira de Melo, M. V Geenhuizen, M. Smabers, M. Booij, J. Schopman, M. Paumen, N. Van As, S. Polcamp, M. Agtliotti. Subs: K. Lammers, J. Snoeks, N. Kremers, W. Dijkstra, E. Hoog.