‘The 50 Saves of Gray’ earn Ireland bronze

Ireland were left thankful for what one wag termed “The 50 Saves of Gray” as they claimed a brilliant bronze at the Champions Challenge I tournament in Dublin yesterday.

Goalkeeper Emma Gray enhanced her reputation as one of the fastest improving netminders in the world as Ireland went down fighting 2-1 against the USA in the semi-finals.

That set up a grudge game against regular nemesis Scotland in the bronze medal game, with the girls in green twice coming from behind through Emma Smyth and Niamh Atcheler to draw 2-2 after extra-time.

Gray saved twice in the ensuring penalty one-on-ones before Ireland’s most capped player of the all time, Nikki Symmons, finished the job in a 4-3 shoot-out win.

It means there are plenty of positives for whoever comes in to take the coaching reins on a full-time basis, though interim coach Denis Pritchard will have strengthened his own case with these performances. Ireland finished above Olympians South Africa and Belgium here while tyros Katie Mullan, Brenda Flannery, Nicola Gray and Atcheler haven’t been found wanting in a high-stakes environment.

In Munster, captains led by example as the skippers of UCC, Cork C of I and Cork Harlequins all scored twice in comfortable wins.

Aine Curran’s brace was matched by Olivia Roycroft as College won 5-1 away to Limerick, while Quins skipper Yvonne O’Byrne made it eight in three games as her side swept aside Ashton 5-1, Katie O’Neill notching her first senior goal for the Farmer’s Cross club.

C of I captain Amy Roberts notched two, including a solo run straight from the push-back after Sorcha Carey’s strike for UL, in her side’s 4-1 defeat of the Limerick students.

Stephen Sweetnam tucked away a hat-trick to give C of I men a 3-1 win at home to UCC while Cork Harlequins almost dropped points against their own second team, David Lombard scoring the winner with the game’s last play to win 3-2 and save their blushes.