Tom Boon hat-trick condemns Ireland to defeat in Belgium
Boon, the Pro League's top scorer, broke the deadlock with a fine volley in the first quarter.
Thibeau Stockbroekx added a second in the next quarter, reacting quickest after a save from Jaime Carr to find the back of the net.
A penalty corner late in the first half resulted in a third for Belgium, Boon getting his second of the match and sixteenth of the competition.
An ideal start to the second half for Ireland saw them find the back of the net, when Banbridge's Louis Rowe reacted quickest to lift the ball over Loic Van Doren in net.
Boon saw his penalty stroke saved by Carr. A fourth, though did eventually come for Belgium, with Roman Duvekot finishing off a slick attacking move to restore the three-goal lead in the closing stages of the third quarter.
Boon finally completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute, condemning Ireland to their 10th Pro League loss in 11 games.
Ireland will play Belgium on Sunday with pushback at 2.30pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Foyle Pride kicks off with annual football tournament
A football tournament that encourages LGBT people to get involved with the sport has kicked off Londonderry's annual Foyle Pride in its 32nd year, Foyle Pride officially opens on Thursday and runs until its closing city centre parade on 23 ahead of the official opening, 18 teams from across the north west ran out at the Ryan McBride Brandywell stadium on Wednesday night for Football v organiser Meabh O'Neill said it was a "special and unique" event which provided "a safe space for LGBT people to try sport and enjoy sport". Football v Homophobia is now in its 10th year. Boxing coach Daran McCann has played - along with a team from his boxing club - in the last three tournaments."I am one of the few out male athletes in the city and in the sport of boxing," he told BBC News NI."It's been tough trying to challenge the stigma so this is a powerful tournament where a lot of people will engage with other people."The tournament helps raise awareness around inclusion in sport at a local level, he said."We are really challenging people to get out and take part, and we have spectators who are really showing that they're supportive," he added. Eimear Willis is a member of the LGBT advocacy group, the Rainbow have played in the tournament every year since it began."These kind of opportunities, we either exclude ourselves from or we are excluded from," she said."So it is really nice to see the stadium full of people of all ages and from all backgrounds."The tournament, she added, shows LGBT people of all ages that they do not have to give up sports."We are really hoping to reignite people and give them an opportunity to connect with sports" she added. Other events over the festival's 10-day run include theatre performances, workshops and a family fun afternoon. Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show, Foyle Pride's chairperson Jason Dunne said this year's festival had Existence is Resistance as its theme."That's just like a statement to say, look, we're here. We've always existed. We will continue to exist," he said."We need our allies and everyone else to stand up with us and kind of stop this thing that seems to be snowballing in terms of the rhetoric around the community."
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Ireland fail to make Euro semis with Germany draw
Ireland produced their best performance of EuroHockey 2025, but a scoreless draw against Germany wasn't nearly enough to claim a semi-final Grundie's squad were markedly better than in defeat by France on Monday, but that is where the damage was done and needing to beat Germany by two goals to make the knockout stages was always going to be a tough had an early opportunity to take the lead but Hannah McLoughlin saw her penalty stroke saved and although they created other chances in an evenly fought contest, they never looked like gaining the two-goal deficit they required. Germany started the game brightly but Irish goalkeeper Lizzie Murphy and her penalty corner defence kept them at the opening quarter wore on, Ireland gradually began to control possession and they were gifted an opportunity to take the lead when Emily Kealy was fouled in the process of Hannah McLoughlin saw her penalty stroke effort comfortably saved by Julia was a pivotal moment so early in the were playing much better than at any stage against France but once again struggled in the attacking third to create clear cut chances as the game remained scoreless at the McAuley's intervention set up Katie Mullan for a shot early in the second half as Ireland continued to push forward but the former captain's effort went they pushed harder, so their discipline slipped and Ireland ended the third quarter down to nine players with Roisin Upton and Niamh Carey serving two-minute suspensions. Mikayla Power's strong shot was well saved as Ireland threw the kitchen sink at Germany in the final 15 their penalty corner routine would fail to fire again. In the three Pool matches they didn't score from 22 short corners and you simply have to be better at this also failed to score from open play despite only conceding three will now face Scotland and England in the competition for 5-8 places.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Ireland squad named for Women's T20 Euro qualifier
Ireland have named their 14-strong squad for the Women's T20 World Cup European Qualifier in Rotterdam, which runs from 20-27 Netherlands, Italy, and Germany will provide the opposition with Ireland playing each nation twice in a round robin format. The top two will progress to the Global Qualifier in Nepal which will contain 10 Lewis, who was nominated for the ICC Women's player of the Month for July, will captain the side with Orla Prendergast named vice captain, having recently risen to sixth position in the T20 all-rounders swept a three-game series against Zimbabwe in July before a 2-1 series win against Pakistan with the only change from the latter squad seeing Alana Dalzell replacing Louise squad contains plenty of experience as Lewis and Laura Delany have already reached the 100 cap mark, while Prendergast, Rebecca Stockell, Leah Paul, Cara Murray and Arlene Kelly have surpassed 50. Amy Hunter will join this club should she start the opening game against Germany on 20 members of the squad have the chance to become the first Irish woman to achieve the double of 1500 runs and 50 wickets in the T20 format with Delany 21 runs away and Predergast 54 short."Qualifier campaigns are notoriously tough, with fixtures coming thick and fast," said Ireland selector, Ciara O'Brien."The squad we have chosen, while relatively young in age, have almost 650 caps collectively in the T20I format, so have plenty of experience to draw upon. This experience, as well as a recent hard-fought series win over Pakistan, have the players in a good place and eager to take the first steps towards World Cup qualification." T20 World Cup European Qualifier squad Gaby Lewis (captain), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell Ireland's fixtures 20 August: Ireland v Germany (14.45 BST)21 August: Ireland v Netherlands (10:00 BST)23 August: Ireland v Italy (10:00 BST)24 August: Ireland v Germany (10:00 BST)26 August: Ireland v Netherlands (14.45 BST)27 August: Ireland v Italy (14.45 BST)
