Ireland’s Olympic hopes dashed by Netherlands

IRELAND continue to be European hockey’s great entertainers but ultimately saw their slim Olympic qualification hopes dashed by the Netherlands, who claimed a 7-4 victory in a topsy-turvy EuroHockey Nations Championship tie in Germany yesterday.

Needing an unlikely five-goal margin of victory — or a win of any kind combined with an unlikely French victory over England — Ireland got off to a shocker with Bob de Voogd putting the Dutch in front.

But Ireland equalised with a route one goal of real quality, Ronan Gormley’s overhead taking out the entire Dutch defence and midfield, with Eugene Magee supplying a stunning low finish on the half-volley.