Ireland 3-2 Uruguay
Aine Connery’s 55th-minute winner ensured Ireland guaranteed their place in the quarter-finals of the World League semi-finals as they survived a second-half onslaught from Uruguay to prevail 3-2.
Ireland still have to face USA but this win, in addition to their earlier win over South Africa, sees them through to the knock-out stages.
Ireland had built a 2-0 lead by the early stages of the second half.
Emma Smyth provided the impetus for the first, pushing the ball to Kate Dillon, whose touch lifted the ball away from two defenders. It bounced into the path of Nikki Evans, who selflessly played it around Rosanna Paselle to the sliding Anna O’Flanagan to finish.
The second goal arrived in the 36th minute as Lizzie Colvin hoovered up a loose clearance and whipped the ball right to Chloe Watkins. She lined up a perfect diagonal cross into the path of O’Flanagan and Evans, the latter got the key touch for her fourth goal of the competition.
But Uruguay began to punish the Irish indiscipline – they ended with four yellow cards and two green, totalling 24 minutes of sin-binnings – and got a lifeline when Janine Stanley showed some audacious skills down the right wing before flipping the ball over Emma Gray for her side’s first goal of the tournament.
In the 44th minute, Manuela Vilar dragged home a penalty corner to make it 2-2.
But Ireland got back to basics with a solid final quarter and won a couple of penalty corners. The first resulted in a mix-up but the other saw Cliodhna Sargent sweep to Connery to guide home for the victory.
“With the amount of cards we got, it was disappointing from our point of view in terms of game management,” Connery said afterwards.
“But we showed good character at the end and were very focused in what we had to do. I’m delighted we got the three points.
“We’re so excited with getting a quarter-final place. It was our aim when we started and we have achieved it and can start building towards it.”
Ireland: E Gray, C Sargent, E Smyth, N Evans, K Mullan, S McCay, M Frazer, L Colvin, N Daly, H Matthews, A O’Flanagan
Subs: Y O’Byrne, G Pinder, A Connery, C Watkins, K Dillon, A Meeke, A McFerran
