No complaints, no excuses, Ireland were simply outclassed in Cologne yesterday, losing 5-0 to an inform England side in their second game at the European Nations' Cup finals. The defeat now leaves them needing to win two of their remaining three pool games - against Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic - if they are to retain any hope of reaching the play-offs for a top six finish.
It was Ireland's worst defeat by England since they lost 6-1 in Manchester 16 years ago. There was no lack of effort from Riet Kuper's side, just a complete absence of inspiration that left them incapable of turning their ample possession in to goal-scoring opportunities - in the course of the 70 minutes they had just two shots on goal and won only one short corner.
Carolyn Reid was a virtual spectator in the England goal but her counterpart, Tara Browne, was forced in to action on several occasions and was powerless to prevent Mandy Nicholson's deflected shot sailing over her head in to the goal in the 22nd minute.
Reid finally saw action a minute later when Lynsey McVicker intercepted a poor clearance from the back and fired a fierce shot high to the goalkeeper's right but her effort was saved magnificently. Ireland briefly thought they had levelled the game on the stroke of half-time when Arlene Thompson's strike from her team's only short corner of the game found the net but her shot was raised and the `goal' was disallowed. It should have been 2-0 in the 38th minute when Cullen was wrongly adjudged to have touched the ball with her foot before converting a short corner. In the final 17 minutes England scored four more goals, capitalising on an increasingly exhausted and over-worked Irish defence. Sixsmith got the first two (in the 53rd and 58th minutes), the first from a narrow angle on the right after she was put through by Cullen, the second from England's eighth and penultimate short corner. The scoreline and the torrential rain seemed to get the better of Sarah Kelleher's temper 10 minutes from time when she was `sin-binned' for seven minutes after hitting Helen Richardson across the legs with her stick and while she was off the pitch Kirsty Bowden made it 4-0. A minute from time Cullen converted a penalty stroke, making it 5-0. "I cannot say I am disappointed because we were beaten by a team that outclassed us," admitted Kuper after the game. "That happens in sport and that's okay, because there is nothing you can do about it. Yes, we made mistakes and gave them too much space but they are a very fast, skilful team and they forced us in to making most of those mistakes. They gave us a hard time today."
IRELAND: T Browne, L Caulfield, A Thompson, D Sixsmith, C O'Kelly, M Logue (capt), S Kelleher, R Kohler, C McMahon, J Burke, L McVicker. Subs: C Carey, K Mills, J Orbinson, K Humphreys.
ENGLAND: C Reid, J Smith, M Clewlow, T Cullen, K Bowden, M Nicholson, J Sixsmith, L Wright, F Greenham, S Chandler, K Walsh. Subs: K Brown (capt), J Empson, H Richardson, A Bennett.
Umpires: A Dale and I Kluyskens.
