Penalty shootout hero Lizzie Murphy says losing simply wasn't an option for her and her Irish team-mates after securing FIH Hockey World Cup qualification in dramatic circumstances.
Defeat to Australia on Saturday sent the Green Army into Sunday’s third place play-off and last chance saloon against Japan in Santiago.
In a tense outing, the sides were level 0-0 in regulation time before Sarah Hawkshaw, Hannah McLoughlin and Jessica McMaster scored en route to a 3-1 shootout success, with goalkeeper Murphy showcasing her talent between the sticks.
A jubilant Murphy said the win is just rewards for all the effort put in by the squad in their quest to reach the World Cup.
"It’s an unbelievable feeling," she said. "This group have worked so hard to get there. It’s not only the 20 players here, it’s the 30 in the squad. We had a tough year, but we just kept building.
"We had a bit of a blip (against Australia), but the girls just fought until the end. It’s hard to describe the feeling. We’ve had a good few downs and been on the wrong end of those results a few too many times.
"Losing just wasn’t an option. Everyone just dug their heels in to the very end and I couldn’t be more proud of the team."
Ireland will now turn their attention to their remaining FIH Pro League stages in June where they will continue their fight to remain in the competition, followed by their trip to the Netherlands and Belgium for the World Cup.
Captain Sarah Hawkshaw says the result lifts the ceiling for the playing group.
"I think we showed a lot of consistency in the tournament, made huge progress, even since the Europeans last year," she said.
"To be able to come through this tournament and finish on such a high, we’re absolutely thrilled and excited to see how far this group can go."
