WOMEN'S HOCKEY: They will, they'll trust, play significantly better as these European Championships wind their way towards the decisive games at the weekend, but really all that mattered against France at Belfield yesterday was that Ireland avoided the kind of slip-up, against a lower-ranked side, that has proved so costly in the past.
Well, mission accomplished, a fifth-minute goal from Linda Caulfield was sufficient for Ireland to take the points and set the team up for tomorrow's key pool game against Spain.
The Spanish lost 3-0 to Holland yesterday so, assuming Ireland also lose to the European champions on Wednesday and Spain beat France on the same day, tomorrow's meeting between the teams (7.0) should determine who joins the Dutch in the semi-finals.
Irish coach Riet Kuper might hope it doesn't all come down to goal difference, in the event of a draw with Spain, having watched her side miss several opportunities to increase their victory margin over the French.
While they converted the first of their short corners they did little to trouble France from the next four, but Kuper insisted much of that lack of threat was down to the fact they were saving their most effective corner routines for the Spanish game.
Nerves were greatly in evidence in the early stages yesterday, with several Irish players misplacing or over-hitting passes. Surprisingly, even after taking such an early lead, those nerves never fully settled. Indeed when French sweeper Peggy Bergere stepped up to strike her team's only short corner of the game there was a déjà vu feel to it all - Bergere has scored against Ireland before, usually against the run of play. Angela Platt dealt with this effort, though, the only time over the 70 minutes she was called in to action.
By then Ireland were a goal up, reward for fine work by Eimear Cregan and Jenny McDonough, the team's most effective attacking players throughout. Both injected energy and pace in to the play.
Cregan dropped deep to collect the ball inside her own half, burst forward past two French players, picked out McDonough on the right and her charge in to the circle was impeded by a defender, resulting in the first short corner of the game. Marion Rheby saved Cregan's initial shot but the rebound fell to Caulfield who lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to give her team the lead - and, ultimately, the points.
Caitriona Carey had the next chance after 24 minutes when found by Jenny Burke in the circle, but Rheby saved, while Lynsey McVicker, six minutes later, came close to doubling the score, the rebound from Burke's corner strike just evading her.
The move of the game came just before the break when McVicker flicked the ball through to Burke, whose pass to Cregan was slipped in to McDonough's path, her shot just going wide on the left.
Aurelie Noel denied Burke with a goal-saving tackle following another short corner, and McDonough put Nikki Symmons through on a one on one with the goalkeeper only for the Loreto forward to miscontrol at the edge of the circle.
"We know we can't miss chances like that against Spain," said Kuper. "We need to be calmer when the chances come our way . . . We can play better, and we will need to but I think we can do it."
Earlier in the day Germany and England cruised to emphatic victories in Pool B, the Germans trouncing Scotland 8-0 and England beating Ukraine 4-0.
IRELAND: A Platt, F Connery, C O'Brien, B McKeever, K Maybin, L Caulfield, J Orbinson, J Burke, J McDonough, E Cregan, L McVicker (capt). Subs: C Carey, N Symmons, C McKean.
