Ireland comfortable winners despite missed chances

Ireland wasted a slew of chances but nonetheless got the job done with a workmanlike 3-0 win over Chile at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier at Belfield tonight.

Having watched favorites Korea edge out Malaysia 3-2 earlier in the day to put themselves in pole position for a place in Sunday's final, Paul Revington's side knew three points here would leave them requiring just a draw from Saturday's encounter with the second-seeded Malaysians to also advance.

They came flying out of the traps with Michael Watt in particular looking lively, and he won the hosts' first short corner on four minutes, which Timmy Cockram dragged to the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

While denied the distribution skills of head-injury victim Conor Harte, Ireland's slick passing had Chile chasing shadows in the early exchanges.

Peter Caruth and Chris Cargo won more penalty corners for Ireland but the normally deadly Jermyn duffed one drag-flick and saw another improvised flick saved.

With Chile's press beginning in their own half, Ireland struggled to find a way through the massed bodies before the break, their best chance coming when McCabe tipped a volleyed rebound over after another Jermyn drag was saved.

But Ireland began to find the gaps after the break, and it was Watt who made the breakthrough nine minutes into the second half, drifting left to right across the top of the circle before turning sharply and smashing a forehand effort to the backboard.

The chances continued to come and go for the hosts but they made one count on the 54 minute mark, Jermyn doing well to keep Cockram's pass in play and squaring for Watt to find the gap at the near post.

Close to a dozen Irish chances came and went without further troubling the scoreboard as the game petered out, while Ireland netminder David Harte was a virtual spectator throughout as the result was never in doubt.

IRELAND: D Harte (GK); J Jackson (capt), R Gormley, P Gleghorne, S Loughrey; G McCabe, D Ames, E Magee; M Watt, M Darling, T Cockram.

Rolling subs: C Cargo, J Jermyn, P Caruth, A McConnell, I Sloan.

CHILE: M Anwandter (GK); A Fuenzalida, J Zirpel, JP Purcell, J Zarhi; C Rodriguez (capt), M Rodriguez, A Berzcely; S Richterm F Binder, J Richter.

Rolling subs: LF Montegu, I Gajardo, P Kohler, J Berzcely, R Achondo.

Umpires: G Uyttenhove (Belgium) & J Shaikh (India).

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Korea v Russia, 10am; Chile v Ukraine, 12.30pm; Ireland v Malaysia, 3pm.

Sunday: Classification games: 5th/6th playoff, 11am; 3rd/4th playoff, 1.30pm; Final, 4pm.