Ireland 1-1 Germany
Ireland produced a gutsy, spirited performance to earn a fine draw with Germany in their EuroHockey Championships Pool B clash on Sunday.
Lukas Windfeder's penalty corner put the Germans ahead, but Sean Murray levelled with a terrific effort.
Head coach Craig Fulton was pleased with his side’s performance, a first ever positive result against the Germans in a ranking event.
"We could have won that game and we could have lost that game on the hooter so I think it was a fair result," he said.
"We’ve got some improvement to make but the belief is really growing, the morale is high and we need to keep that momentum going into tomorrow."
GER 1-1 IRL Ireland equalise through Murray with lovely move #EHC2017 pic.twitter.com/wtROhjix7P
— EuroHockey (@eurohockeyorg) August 20, 2017
The Green Machine are next in action tomorrow against Poland at 1.45pm (Irish time).
Skills abound in this clash with both goalkeepers called on in the opening half to make some important saves.
Alan Sothern drew the first of these from Tobias Walter in the German goal with a quick reverse shot.
David Harte got his first touch of the ball shortly after as he made a simple save but did well to see it in a crowded circle with Germans lining up for the shot.
Harte made another important save moments later as he cleared to the side lines in front of the outstretched Anton Boeckel.
Two quick passes from the Germans saw the ball move from one end of the pitch to the other and find Mats Grambusch in the circle who sent his shot into the side netting. Sothern was again spinning away from his marker and his snap shot drew another fine save.
The opening goal came in the 17th minute as Lukas Windfeder sent a penalty corner drag low into the right corner. Kirk Shimmins and Christopher Ruhr entertained the crowd with jaw-dropping skills as they left defenders in their wake while on route to goal.
GER 1-0 IRL Quick double save from Harte to deny Ruhr #EHC2017 pic.twitter.com/ERvs8qC1Lz
— EuroHockey (@eurohockeyorg) August 20, 2017
In the closing minutes of the half, Daragh Walsh sent a rasping reverse across the circle but Walter somehow managed to keep out Sothern’s deflection goal-ward.
The even nature of the game remained into the second half with both sides enjoying periods of dominance.
Harte made two phenomenal saves from Ruhr’s efforts early in the half while Walter was out quick to smother Matthew Nelson’s charging run.
The equaliser came in the 47th minute and it was one to remember for Sean Murray as he timed his slide at the back post perfectly to connect with Nelson’s pinpoint reverse pass across the circle.
The game came to a dramatic conclusion with two penalty corners for Germany in the final few seconds but Paul Gleghorne, personifying the Irish defensive effort, put his body in the way of the ball to earn his side a draw against the world No 3 side.
Ireland: D Harte (Captain), J Jackson, A Sothern, N Glassey, K Shimmins, S O’Donoghue, M Bell, M Robson, P Gleghorne, C Harte, S Loughrey
Subs: J Bell, M Nelson, S Murray, B Walker, D Walsh, L Cole, M Ingram
Germany: M Muller, M Grambusch, L Windfeder, M Haner (Captain), N Wellen, M Trompertz, T Hauke, C Ruhr, T Walter, M Miltkau, B Furk
Subs: M Appel, M Kapaun, J Meyer, C Staib, D Linnekogel, M Zwicker, A Boeckel
