Ireland run riot as France floored

Madness reigned in Rotterdam on Saturday night as Ireland hit six unanswered goals in half an hour to retrieve a four-goal deficit against France and salvage the wreckage of their World League 3 campaign with an unlikely 6-4 victory.

A narrow defeat to Spain on Friday had ended their hopes of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup through this route, but the green machine still had to beat the French to confirm seventh place — their pre-tournament seeding.

They looked like a side who had left it all out there against the Spanish, as a listless first 40 minutes saw them go four goals down.