Ireland fail to reach EuroHockey Championship semis after scoreless draw with Germany
'We knew it was a tall order coming in and another day we could have got the 2-0 over them,' said Ireland captain Sarah Hawkshaw.
'We have to look at our penalty corner as we need to be converting more. That could have changed the tournament for us. As a nation we need to be producing performances where we are matching opposition sides throughout the entire game, not just through corners.'
In a match of few outright chances, Ireland will rue their penalty stroke opportunity.
It came with six minutes left of the first quarter when Emily Kealy was illegally tackled as she lined up her shot after a swift break into the German circle. Hannah McLoughlin stepped up but Julia Sonntag saved with ease with her left glove.
Conceding only three goals in their three pool games, following a stoic defeat to the Netherlands and a poor display against France, they now head into the race for fifth place having equalled their best defensive display at a EuroHockey Championships.
Ireland will aim to finish fifth for a third time in their last four EuroHockey campaigns.
However, this time there is no jeopardy of relegation from Europe's top A Division. The 2027 championships in London will be reformatted with more nations competing, meaning no relegation at the current tournament.
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Irish Times
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an hour ago
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