Women's Hockey KT Cup: Ireland are through to a bronze medal play-off against China in Seoul today after a 4-0 win over Malaysia gave them a fourth place finish in the group stage of the KT Cup. Eimear Cregan scored her fourth and fifth goals of the tournament in a comfortable victory over a team ranked 12 places below Ireland in the world list.
Jenny Burke set up Cregan's opening score after 14 minutes. But, despite putting the Malaysians under intense pressure and winning four short corners in an eight minute spell, it wasn't until two minutes before the break that Ireland doubled their lead.
Caitriona Carey picked out the unmarked Cregan with a superb cross-field pass, one the University of Limerick player drilled past the goalkeeper from the edge of the circle.
It was 3-0 just two minutes into the second half, Lynsey McVicker and Linda Caulfield - winning her 99th cap - combining to create a chance for Burke who fired home.
Malaysia, who had conceded 31 goals in their first four KT Cup matches, managed to keep Ireland out until the final minute when Caulfield set up McVicker, the captain marking her 140th cap with a goal to make it 4-0.
At the other end goalkeeper Mary Goode, starting a senior international for the first time, was rarely troubled.
"We deserved the win and were never in any danger of losing," said coach Riet Kuper. "Our objective was to keep a clean sheet, which we did. We did not concede any corners which is also encouraging. We had more goal scoring opportunities but failed to capitalise on them."
Kuper's first choice 11 for the European Championships would appear to be taking shape, with Caulfield, Carey, Burke, McVicker, Ciara O'Brien and Bridget McKeever her "ever-presents" in Korea - Cregan, who did not start the game against China, Jill Orbinson, when fit again, and goalkeeper Angela Platt would seem to be assured of their places, leaving a spot in defence and attack for the rest of the squad to compete for.
Katharine Maybin, unavailable for the trip to Korea, will give Kuper another defensive option when she returns.
So, Ireland play China in the bronze play-off today, six days after drawing 0-0 with the fourth ranked side in the world. Yesterday's 2-1 win over India assured China of a third place finish in the group, their hopes of reaching the final ended by England's defeat of Korea, who topped the group.
England and Korea meet again today in the gold medal game, with India and Malaysia playing off for fifth place.
IRELAND: M Goode, J Hodgins, B McKeever, C O'Brien, F Connery, C Carey, L Caulfield, J Burke, N Symmons, E Cregan, L McVicker. Subs: S Beaney, J McDonough, D Casey, L O'Neill, C Parkhill.
KT CUP (at Seoul, Korea) - Yesterday: Ireland 4 (E Cregan 2, J Burke, L McVicker), Malaysia 0; England 2, Korea 1; India 1, China 2. Today: Play-offs (local times) - Fifth-sixth: India v Malaysia, 9.30; Third-fourth: Ireland v China, 12.0; First-second: England v Korea, 2.30.
