Men’s EuroHockey Championship II (Lousada, Portugal) -– day three round-up
Ireland advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s EuroHockey Championship II while Czechia’s dramatic win over Portugal means they have a big Wednesday showdown with Italy.
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Pool A
Ireland 1 Italy 0
Jeremy Duncan’s second minute goal was all that separated Ireland and Italy in a result which puts the Green Machine through to the final four phase of the competition.
He followed up a Lee Cole penalty corner shot for what proved the crucial goal in a first half of few chances. Through Q3, Ireland were initially awarded a stroke but it was overturned on umpire consultation, making for a nervous endgame in which Italy forced Jaime Carr into a strong corner save and bounced a ball off the post in the last play but could not find the equaliser.
The result is enough for Ireland to be sure of a top two spot.
Czechia 2 Portugal 1
Jakub Homolka’s volley 22 seconds from the final whistle sets Czechia up for a big showdown with Italy for the second semi-final spot on offer as they won a dramatic battle to close day three in Lousada.
František Toms had given the Czechs an early lead when he plucked a rebound out of the air and then thrashed in a powerful shot.
Rodrigo Castro equalised with a lovely piece of work low to the ground in the 21st minute, whipping in from inside the seven-metre zone after David Franco’s pass.
But they were stung late in the game, a result which leaves them out of contention for a semi-final spot.
Wednesday schedule
