Jeremy Duncan seals win for Ireland over Italy in EuroHockey Championship
Chances were few and far between for the remainder of the first half, with Italy sitting deep and crowding their circle to make things difficult for the Irish attackers. The tactic served them well, with Ireland unable to add to their one-goal lead before half-time.
Despite an energetic start and a number of early circle penetrations, efforts on goal remained elusive.
Two late penalty corners proved the best chances for Ireland, the first of which was deflected wide, and the second initially resulting in a penalty stroke for Ireland, which was eventually overturned.
The close scoreline set up a nervy final quarter for Ireland, with Italy winning a penalty corner that forced Jamie Carr into a good save. Italy continued to enjoy prolonged phases in the Irish half, but Ireland were alive to any efforts to manufacture a chance on goal.
In a last-ditch effort to salvage a draw, Italy substituted their keeper in favour of an additional outfield player with three minutes remaining. Ireland, held out to secure the points and extend their lead at the top of Pool A.
Ireland will play their third and final pool match against Portugal tomorrow at 6.0pm.
A draw would be enough to see Ireland secure top spot and a place in the semi-finals.
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The 42
27 minutes ago
- The 42
Dublin's first-half storm, Meath regret, and what next after one-sided All-Ireland final?
1. Dublin's first-half storm Niamh Hetherton rifled into the Canal End goal in the 22nd minute to move Dublin 2-8 to 0-2 ahead. They turned over Robyn Bulger's kick out, Éilish O'Dowd carried at pace and Hetherton side-stepped Mary Kate Lynch before sending a rocket into the roof of the net. Two minutes later, Dublin secured their biggest lead of the game, Kate Sullivan's latest effort confirmed by HawkEye and putting them 13 points clear. Dublin targetted a fast start, and executed it to perfection. They had 1-3 on the board before Meath opened their account in the 10th minute, Nicole Owens raising their other green flag. They hit an unanswered 1-5 between Emma Duggan's second free in the 13th minute and her third in the 26th. By the time Hetherton wheeled away after after her goal — almost immediately after seeing one chalked off — all six of Dublin's forwards had scored from play. They were fast, furious and direct, picking Meath off time and time again on the counter and taking 11 of 14 scoring chances in the opening half. Hannah Tyrrell, Carla Rowe and Kate Sullivan finished with a combined 0-13, Sullivan's four points coming from play and some of Rowe's efforts dazzling. The platform for this success was laid in a first-half blitz. 2. Orlagh Nolan brilliance and the last to quit Several times on TG4′s commentary, Brian Tyers referred to Orlagh Nolan having 'saoirse an páirc'. Like Paudie Clifford in Kerry's win over Donegal last week, Nolan got on a world of ball and enjoyed the freedom of the pitch. On her first start since returning from an ACL injury, she finished with the Player of the Match award and a fourth All-Ireland medal. Having impressed through a semi-final cameo, the two-time All-Star got the nod for the injured Caoimhe O'Connor. Nolan was hugely influential again, scoring a point and orchestrating much of Dublin's attacking play from the half-forward line as she hugged the left sideline and made darting runs. Advertisement She was involved in the build-up to both goals; more so defensively for Owens' as she gathered a fisted clearance from goalkeeper Abby Shiels and kick-passed it on, while she fed O'Dowd for Hetherton's. Nolan in action against Marion Farrelly. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO The former Women's National League soccer player was a composed, controlled presence on the ball, often using one hand to solo and the other to dictate with her head always up. After registering Dublin's first wide in the 17th minute, she made no mistake with her next effort from a similar position just afterwards. As confirmed to The 42 by the brilliant X account Gaelic Statsman, Nolan had around 26 possessions between kick outs won, scores assisted, turnovers and general ownership of the ball. 'I just wanted to hold wide and hopefully drag people out and create the space in there for the guys,' Nolan told TG4 afterwards. 'I don't know, maybe they gave me a bit too much time on the ball and then I was able to cut in. 'That's the thing about our forwards: if one of us is having a bad day, the next person will step up.' They all did on Sunday, in an ultimate team performance. Defensive stalwarts Sinéad Goldrick, Leah Caffrey and Martha Byrne were others to encapsulate the words printed on a team flag behind the scenes: 'The last to quit. Always.' 3. Meath regret in one-sided contest The lack of a contest and one-sided nature of the game is an obvious talking point. It kept with the trend of this year's All-Ireland finals to date, with Tipperary, Kerry and Dublin all winning easily. It made for another rather disappointing ladies football final too, games generally put to bed at half time in recent years. Dublin's scoreboard dominance doesn't tell the full story of Sunday's first half. Meath were incredibly wasteful, converting just four of 10 scoring opportunities and seeing several other attacks break down. They had more possession in the opening half (56% versus 44%) but were sloppy and made uncharacteristic mistakes. While Dublin were direct and often used width well, Meath were ponderous in possession and repeatedly tried, and failed, to go down the middle. The Dubs were masterfully cynical, Meath were one-dimensional and couldn't get their intensity levels. Emma Duggan dejected. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Emma Duggan's frees were their only source of scoring in the first half, their first from play not arriving until five minutes after the restart amidst five unanswered points either side of the break. Interestingly, Meath actually outscored Dublin 0-8 to 0-7 from that Hawkeye-confirmed point in the 24th minute. While Duggan and Vikki Wall will rue poor shooting and decision making, they had their moments. Goalkeeper Robyn Murray was a real bright spark, and Aoibhín Cleary and Ciara Smyth grew into the game. The regrets from their first All-Ireland defeat will linger. 4. A festival of football at Croke Park The 42 stumbled across a colourful scene on the way to Croke Park on Sunday afternoon. A group of young Dublin fans – primary school kids, perhaps a team – congregated for a picture at The Five Lamps. As they hung onto the city landmark, they spotted a Meath family, and began booing in unison. 'Up the Dubs, up the Dubs,' they chanted as the Royal kids took shelter behind their parents. They were all part of the 48,089 attendance at HQ, a healthy turnout on a Bank Holiday Sunday amidst a costly condensed season. The crowd fell short of the 2019 record of 56,114, but was a notable increase on last year's 30,340. The proximity of Dublin and Meath helps of course. 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The game was nearly over at half time' - Meath boss McCormack 'She's given everything. This is a cherry on the top' - Dublin's retiring multi-sport star 5. What next? Hannah Tyrrell and Nicole Owens confirmed their retirements on the Croke Park turf after Dublin's win. A fitting stage to call it a day after glittering careers. Tyrrell and Goldrick shared a beer in the middle of the pitch when just the lawn mowers remained, two Irish sporting legends savouring the moment. Goldrick, at 35, is set for another AFLW season with Melbourne, but must be weighing up her inter-county future after winning her fifth All-Ireland title. Byrne, Caffrey, Rowe and Nolan are all over 30: similarly, they are at the peak of the powers, but have serious miles on the clock. Wall is the big name in focus for Meath, the multi-sport star recently signing a new, three-year deal with North Melbourne. Her AFLW commitments could again limit her inter-county involvement going forward. Captain Aoibhín Cleary is also Australia bound. Sub goalkeeper Monica McGuirk and former captains Shauna Ennis and Máire O'Shaughnessy are the only panellists over 30, and Shane McCormack was already looking to a 'positive' future on Sunday. Paul Casey and Derek Murray's side is also littered with young talent. Dublin may not dominate like before in a more open championship, Kerry and Galway among many who will be gunning for glory in 2026. Between now and then, the rules are sure to remain in the spotlight. *****
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Dan Sheehan won't lose sleep over ban as it rules him out of games he was unlikely to play in
Ireland and Lions hooker Dan Sheehan may not agree with the suspension he received following his illegal clearout of Australia's Tom Lynagh during last Saturday's third Test in Sydney. However, the reality is the four-week suspension handed down by World Rugby's independent review committee is unlikely to damage his or Leinster 's start to the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season. If Sheehan attends 'tackle school' and one match is deducted – making it a three-game ban – he will be unavailable for Leinster's pre-season clash with Cardiff on September 13th, as well as away URC fixtures in South Africa against Stormers on September 26th and the Bulls on October 4th. Leinster then play against the Sharks at home on October 11th before meeting Munster in Croke Park on October 18th. The latter match will be new Munster coach Clayton McMillan's first taste of derby rugby in Ireland. The strong likelihood is that Sheehan would not have played the pre-season friendly against the Welsh side or have undertaken another long-haul flight to face the two South African teams given the gruelling Lions tour and physical nature of the Test matches against Australia. READ MORE [ Owen Doyle: Dan Sheehan should have got a red card and a longer ban for dangerous strike Opens in new window ] His suspension calls into question the purpose of sanctions if friendly matches can be included. The 13 Leinster players who were involved in the Lions tour took their holidays after the final Test match last weekend and are unlikely to report back for pre-season training until the end of August or early September. It is the earliest Leinster have ever had to go to South Africa. Last season, coach Jacques Nienaber had to defend the squad-selection policy for the annual tour as Leinster dug deep into their panel of players. How will the 2025 Lions be remembered? Listen | 40:08 The timing of the fixtures came shortly after the 2025 Six Nations had concluded and in Ireland's final match in Rome against Italy, Leinster had 16 players involved. That ensured a travelling squad devoid of the international frontline names, although New Zealand back Jordie Barrett, Springbok secondrow RG Snyman and French prop Rabah Slimani were named. 'Since I've been here, the South African tour has always been in this slot between the Six Nations and the European games and that always makes it a little bit tough, especially since some of the squad played a big chunk of minutes over the Six Nations,' said Nienaber last March. The seasonal launch of the frontline players is likely to be in round three against the Sharks or the following week against Munster. Last season's home derby clash, which was also held at Croke Park, drew a crowd of over 80,000.
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Roscommon GAA club ‘shocked and heartbroken' at the loss of Don Connellan
Kilmore GAA have paid a lengthy and heartfelt tribute to Mr Connellan following his passing at the age of 51. Mr Connellan was a standout player for Roscommon throughout the 1900s and featured in their 2001 Connacht final victory over Mayo. He played primarily at midfielder or in the half-forward line and featured in three senior county finals (1998, 1999 and 2001) for Kilmore GAA. After he finished playing, he moved into management with Moycullen GAA in County Galway. After six seasons in charge of their senior team, he stood back from his position in 2023 due to health difficulties after leading them to two senior county titles and an All-Ireland club semi-final in 2022. He had been suffering with illness when he passed away earlier this week. In a statement, Kilmore GAA said: 'Our club and our community are shocked and heartbroken at the devastating news of the sudden passing of our great friend and true Kilmore legend, Don Connellan. 'No words can truly do justice to what Don meant to Kilmore GAA. He represented our club with distinction over many years — as a player, coach, and manager — showing immense pride, honesty, integrity, and leadership both on and off the pitch. Don was a key player for us on countless occasions and played a vital role in the senior team that reached three County Senior Finals in 1998, 1999, and 2001, narrowly missing out on claiming the Senior championship title.' As well as representing Roscommon at all age grades, Mr Connellan represented Connacht in the Railway Cup and won a Sigerson Cup medal with UCG in 1992. He was part of NUI Galway's All-Ireland winning Sigerson Cup team in 2022. 'Away from the GAA, Don was an exceptional person — a loyal friend to so many and someone who lived his life with the utmost integrity,' continued Kilmore GAA. 'His passing leaves a void that we, as friends and a community, will struggle to come to terms with in the days, months, and years ahead. 'But perhaps Don's greatest quality was the love he had for his family and home. From his childhood in Clooncoose to his life in Moycullen, home and family meant everything to him. Nothing brought him more joy than his regular visits back to Kilmore to see his parents — his late father Donal and his mother Nellie — his brothers Adrian and David, the wider Connellan family, and his many friends in Kilmore. 'Don loved Kilmore, and Kilmore loved Don.' The club paid tribute to his contribution to Moycullen GAA, where he lived with his wife Linda and sons Eoin and Conor for the past two decades. 'As a club and community, we are devastated by Don's loss. But our grief is nothing compared to the unimaginable pain that Linda, Eoin, Conor, Nellie, Adrian, David, and the extended Clancy and Connellan families are feeling. We extend our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to you all,' added Kilmore GAA 'In the days, weeks, and months ahead, we will do everything we can to bring some comfort and light during this dark time. 'Don, you will be deeply missed by all of us who were lucky enough to know you. 'Rest easy, Don - you were one of the best.' Moycullen GAA have also paid tribute to Mr Connellan, who was a member of An Garda Síochána. His funeral details have yet to be announced.
