Men's Hockey: The Irish senior men will take on China later this month in a two-series Test match, played over the weekend of the September 23rd and 24th. The men's senior coach and director of high performance, Dave Passmore, has selected a 23-man extended squad, from which he will choose a final team to compete in the capped matches on the Saturday and Sunday.
A number of players will be under pressure to perform for the development squad in two games prior to the weekend, the first against China on Thursday, September 21st at Serpentine Avenue and again on the Friday evening, also in Pembroke's ground. Places in the weekend Tests are up for grabs in the absence of several notable regulars.
"These matches give us an ideal opportunity to develop this young group of players," said Passmore.
"It will be interesting to see how the young guard develop against the speed and fast attacking style of this up and coming Asian team. There is a lot of competition for places and some of our more experienced players will be under pressure to perform."
The warm-up matches are expected to give a chance to some of the younger players, who played in the summer's Celtic Cup in the absence of some more notable absentees. The Test games could see both Mark Gleghorne and Iain Lewers winning their 50th caps, Gleghorne could also add to his impressive goal-to-match ratio having scored nine goals out of his last six international games for Ireland.
MATCH SCHEDULE: Thursday, September 21st - Development Irish Squad v China - 20.00, Serpentine Avenue; Friday, September 22nd (Friendly match) - Senior Squad v China - 20.00, Serpentine Avenue.
TEST MATCH SCHEDULE: Saturday, September 23rd, First Test Match - Ireland V China - 17.30, Serpentine Avenue; Sunday, September 24th, Second Test Match - Ireland v China - 11.00am, Grange Road.
IRELAND: I Walker (YMCA), C Henderson (Corinthians), R Gormley (Pembroke), I Lewers (Annadale), P Brown (Capt, Instonians), C Harte (Harlequins), S Butler (Glenanne), G Lennox (Banbridge), D Hobbs (C of I), M Black (Harlequins), J Jermyn (C of I), G McCabe (Banbridge), A Barbour (Cookstown), G Shaw (Glenanne), S Redpath (Annadale), M Gleghorn (Loughborough), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Irwin (Instonians), M Watt (Grange, Scotland), E Magee (Banbridge), S Nicholson (Harlequins), A Prichard (C of I), J Quigley (Annadale).
