Ireland are just hours away from securing a spot at Tokyo 2020 after a claiming a 5-3 advantage over Canada in the first leg of their Olympic qualifier in Vancouver on Saturday night.
The stadium announcer at Rutledge Field was deeply concerned on Ireland's behalf by the enforced absence through injury of first-choice keeper David Harte, repeating the news over the over the speakers on a number of occasions.
It turned out that he needn’t have been as replacement David Fitzgerald made a number of fine saves as Ireland secured a two-goal cushion for the second leg.
Join Darragh Maloney and Sarah Scott from 9pm tonight as Ireland bid to seal a place at Tokyo 2020. You can follow all the action on the @RTEplayer, on @RTENewsNow and on our live blog on the website.https://t.co/U6vw4FRAaR
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Despite the lead, Ireland captain Jonathan Bell maintains that Ireland still have a big job ahead of them, and said: "It’s a dangerous scoreline, a two-goal lead. So we’re going to need to be on the money again."
Ireland dominated the first game for lengthy periods and Bell feels that more of the same should get them the rest of the way.
"If we just do the things we did again but just up them a level, then I’ve every confidence that we can get the result.
"I think we will be disappointed relative to the amount of circle entries they had, they probably scored a couple too many for our liking. But we can look at the video and we can improve on a couple of areas to make sure we close them down better."
Head coach Mark Tumilty agreed that there were minor areas for improvement, but that things went largely to plan in the first leg.
"I’m pleased with the result," he said. "To come from a goal down at one stage to then get ahead and get a two-goal lead, I’m delighted with that.
"I still think we can be better. I think the players identified that straight after the game."
Ireland outshone the hosts in most statistics, but Canada converted a higher percentage of their chances.
"We probably had a lot more possession", Tumilty admitted.
"We had a lot more circle entries. We had more corners. But they’ve got three goals out of the circle entries that they had. We just need to be better at defending that. But I’ve no doubt we will be better at defending.
"If you’d offered me a two-goal lead before the game started, I’d definitely have taken it."
Follow Canada v Ireland via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport, watch live on the RTÉ Player and on the RTÉ News Now app from 9pm on Sunday.
