Goals boost for Irish but bigger tests await

Six points and a goal difference of plus 17 from two games represents a decent weekend’s work for Ireland’s senior men at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier, but they will get a first real test of their mettle against Korea tomorrow night (6pm).

Paul Revington’s charges started slowly in both their opening encounters against lower-ranked Russia and Ukraine this weekend, but the floodgates eventually opened as they claimed 6-1 and 12-0 wins respectively. The latter was their second biggest win of all time — eclipsed only by the 13-0 defeat of Malta in 2002 — but this was against a higher calibre of opposition who looked lost in a dominant Irish performance.

Hitting double figures against the Ukrainians yesterday was a big boost given Ireland have been stung by goal difference issues before; they missed out on the final of the 2008 Olympic qualifier in New Zealand by a single goal.