Craig Fulton hopes hockey performance will have impact on Irish team sports

Irish men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton is hopeful Ireland’s performances in qualifying for the Olympic Games can have a future dividend not just for hockey but for team sports in general on the island.

His side became the first Irish team of any denomination since 1948 to reach the Games and duly picked up a maiden 4-2 win against Canada on Thursday.

It set up an all-or-nothing tie for a quarter-final place with Argentina on Friday evening in which Ireland ultimately came up just short 3-2, conceding the killer goal with nine minutes remaining.