Ireland vow to improve after tough German lesson

It was a seven-goal hammering in London for the Irish on Sunday. 

Ireland endured a 5-1 defeat to Great Britain less than 24 hours before the Germany encounter. Pic: Worldsportpics/ Will Palmer

Facing three Olympic favourites in succession has given Ireland men plenty of food for thought ahead of next month’s Paris Games.

On Sunday, world champions Germany served up a seven-goal romp over Mark Tumilty’s side at Lee Valley, Ireland enduring a trying FIH Pro League weekend following a 5-1 defeat to Great Britain less than 24 hours earlier.

Yet for Tumilty to even be in this position, his Olympic hopefuls earning crucial pitch and physical learnings against the world’s best, would have been unthinkable without their participation in their debut global league campaign.

“The Pro League has been significant for us,” said Tumilty. “We learned a lot in India and the physical demands and conditions of the other nations, we’ve tried to make progress in that area and we’ve adopted our playing style.

“We made progress in Belgium but we haven’t carried that through in the first two games here and we hope to finish our last two games in a better manner.” 

This match saw a goalless opening quarter before Germany carved Ireland apart with their ball handling and tight possession skills, Marco Miltkau and Malte Hellwig both scoring two goals apiece in a 7-0 victory.

Jamie Carr, who replaced David Harte in goal, was in the thick of the action. Having been forced to save a Timm Herzbruch shot off his helmet, Ireland were guilty of defensive errors to set up Germany’s penchant for goal.

After first blocking a crash ball into the D with his boot, Carr was left searching for the ball behind him, while Elian Mazkour was quick enough to slot home from close range in front of the Irish stopper.

Shane O'Donoghue had to make a full stretch stick dive on the line to keep out Germany's second. But they doubled the lead with an incisive turnover as Hellwig flicked easily past Carr two minutes from half-time. Thirty seconds later, from another possession gift to Germany, Miltkau angled expertly into the net with Carr advancing.

Unrelenting German circle skills led to a fourth after half-time, their third in four minutes of open play, when Miltkau swept home his second after fine baseline play.

A fifth arrived from a German high press as Ireland attempted to clear their lines from the baseline, with O'Donoghue at fault. Two late goals from Hellwig and Thies Prinz added gloss.

“We are doubling the amount of matches we are playing and gaining experience with this young team is really important in the approach to Paris,” said Waterford product Ben Johsnon. “The top five teams are so clinical and giving them chances they don’t deserve is our worst nightmare at the moment."

Ireland will play Germany and GB on Wednesday and Thursday and Johnson admitted that Olympic selection was in the back of their minds.

He added: “There is that looming Olympic selection process. But if you are still thinking about that at this stage it’s a bit selfish in my opinion. When it comes to these formats you put that behind you and put the jersey on.

“We are coming to a very intense period of the summer so niggles are creeping in and trying to keep them at bay is really important. You can be punished if your recovery isn’t spot on.”