Ireland hockey team ‘still right in this’

“Bloody delighted!” That was David Harte’s simple assessment as Ireland claimed their first win in an Olympic hockey tournament since 1908 in helter-skelter fashion, seeing off Canada 4-2.

More than that, it keeps them hanging onto hopes of a quarter-final berth with tonight’s tie against Argentina (11.30pm, Irish time) now an all-or-nothing date where an Irish win would secure progression to the last eight.

Against Canada, from the dreamland of 3-0 at half-time thanks to two Shane O’Donoghue piledrivers and a sliding effort from Peter Caruth, Harte and his defence were living on tenterhooks by the closing stages.