Ireland on cloud nine with big pool win over Portugal in EuroHockey Championship
The win secures top spot in Pool A, setting up a semi-final against Scotland on Friday August 1 at 5pm Irish time.
Aware of their opportunity to top their pool with maximum points, Ireland began the game brightly, continuing their domination of possession from previous games.
Two great chances fell for Jeremy Duncan early on, with Portuguese goalkeeper alive to both to keep the game scoreless.
Ireland broke the deadlock in the tenth minute from a penalty corner won by Matthew Nelson. Louis Rowe's initial effort was saved, but Mark McNellis met the rebound to fire into the net to score his first senior international goal.
Ben Nelson almost added a second for Ireland as he tried to deflect the ball under Carlos Pedro after an excellent counter-attack, but the keeper was again alive to the effort to clear.
Ireland almost made the perfect start to the second quarter when Lee Cole won the ball on the left flank and threw an aerial to Matthew Nelson who was free in the circle, but the Lisnagarvey forward's shot was just wide of the post.
Fergus Gibson added Ireland's second with six minutes left in the first-half, getting on the end of an excellent delivery from Ben Nelson to extend Ireland's lead to 2-0.
Ireland added two more goals in the minutes that followed, Ben Nelson firing in on his reverse, followed by a tidy Louis Rowe finish to extend the lead to four goals, a lead Ireland held going into the break.
Ireland picked up from where they left off with Jonny Lynch weaving his way along the baseline and finding the net from a tight angle for Ireland's fifth.
Louis Rowe got his second of the game, and Ireland's sixth not long after when he was found in acres of space on the penalty spot, giving him the time to calmly flick into the net.
Lee Cole added a seventh from a penalty corner before the end of the third quarter, scoring his third of the competition.
Ireland closed out the game with two more goals. Seán Murray grabbed Ireland's eighth from a penalty corner, before Jeremy Duncan added the team's ninth, finishing off a great attacking move down the right-hand side.
Speaking after the match, Ireland head coach Mark Tumilty said: 'We set the team the task of improving the standard of play with the ball. They got off to an early start with a goal. It was great to see some good team goals being scored.
Discussing their semi-final opposition, Tumilty said: 'It's going to be tough, and there is still lots to come in order for us to achieve our goals of reaching the final of this tournament and making the 2027 EuroHockey Championships, and getting a place in the FIH World Cup Qualifiers. We'll pay Scotland the utmost respect.'
Ireland end the pool stages of the EuroHockey Championship II top of Pool A with the maximum of nine points.
The side will progress to the semi-finals on Friday August 1 at 5pm Irish time where they will face Scotland.
A win would see the side guarantee promotion to the EuroHockey Championships in 2027 and a place at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup qualifiers.
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