If proof were needed that the gap between Ireland and the elite of European hockey is widening with every passing season, the results from the weekend's four-nations' tournament in Barcelona provided yet more sobering evidence to confirm the theory. Not unexpectedly, Ireland finished bottom of the table, behind winners Spain, Britain and Germany, but it was the margin and manner of their defeats that left the Irish camp despondent yesterday afternoon.
"It has really shaken us up," admitted coach Riet Kuper, who had seen her team lose 3-1 to Germany, 6-1 to Spain and, in their final match, 4-0 to Britain. While Tara Browne's award as goalkeeper of the tournament provided some much needed cheer, it also served as a reminder that without some of her heroics through the three games the defeats could have been so much worse.
However, even if it seemed like a straw-clutching exercise, Kuper was entitled to point out that all three of Ireland's opponents are at least two months into their build-ups to March's Olympic qualifier in Milton Keynes and, consequently, are infinitely fitter and sharper. In contrast, Kuper bemoaned the physical condition of some of her players, and stressed that if Ireland are to have any hope of qualifying for the Olympics much work needs to be done between now and March. "They must work every single day on their game, otherwise we can forget about it," she said.
On the evidence of their form over the weekend, Spain - whose players are full-time and heavily funded in an all-out attempt to get them to Sydney - should prove strong enough to take one of the five available qualifying spots at Milton Keynes, along with Britain and Germany.
Having already beaten Britain, the Spaniards trounced Ireland on Saturday, scoring four second-half goals to add to their two earlier efforts (Laura Brown got Ireland's consolation goal), and then clinched the tournament with a scoreless draw against Germany yesterday.
Britain, who beat the Germans 3-2 on Saturday (with Jane Sixsmith scoring her 100th international goal), finished runners-up thanks to their their 4-0 win over Ireland. Tina Cullen converted a fourth-minute penalty stroke, awarded after Linda Caulfield upended Sixsmith in the circle, and Lucilla Wright doubled the lead 60 seconds later when she was first to a rebound from the post after Browne had saved a Cullen shot.
Ireland failed to force a single penalty corner in the game, which was secured for Britain early in the second half when Jane Smith and Sixsmith added two more goals.
Ireland stay on in Barcelona for a week's training camp, during which they will play Britain (on Tuesday) and Spain (on Thursday and Friday) in practice matches. Loreto replaced Hermes, who didn't play, at the top of the Leinster Senior A table on Saturday when they beat UCD 4-0 at Belfield. An early goal from Fiona Sweeney gave third-placed Old Alexandra a 1-0 win over Pembroke Wanderers at Serpentine Avenue, while South African Terrilee Chelin got the goal that gave Railway Union a crucial 2-1 win over fellow relegation strugglers Muckross.
