Forsyth hat-trick puts paid to Ireland’s final hopes

The Ireland men’s hockey team’s quest for a third EuroHockey Championship II title came to an end at Gniezno, Poland this afternoon as they fell to a 3-2 semi-final defeat at the hands of Scotland.

2-0 in front after 16 minutes of play thanks to goals from Kevin O’Dea and Three Rock Rovers star Ben Walker, The Green Machine looked set for a first decider appearance in this competition since 2009.

That was until Alan Forsyth fired back for Scotland just before the half-time break and with the Paisley native subsequently adding a second period brace, it is the 2017 champions who progress to face the winners of the last-four clash between Austria and host nation Poland in tomorrow’s final.

Ireland, on the other hand, will close out their tournament with a third place game against the loser of that penultimate round encounter.

While there will be obvious disappointment to have missed out on a shot at silverware, Mark Tumilty’s charges can take solace in the fact their performances to date in this Championship have already secured them a place in the European Qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup.

In addition to his Three Rock Rovers colleague Daragh Walsh, Walker is also joined in the current Irish set-up by Glenanne’s Shane O’Donoghue (who hails from Knocklyon) and Ian Stewart of Corinthians.

The vastly-experienced O’Donoghue offered an early threat to the Scottish defence, before O’Dea opened his international account with a smooth finish off a John McKee cross.

This was the perfect start for Ireland and it got even better for them on 16 minutes, when Walker rattled the Scotland net following excellent build-up work by Mark McNellis.

This put Ireland in a strong position, but Scotland reduced the gap to the bare minimum when Forsyth forced the ball home just shy of the interval.

Although Irish netminder James Milliken brilliantly denied Cameron Golden in the second-quarter, he was helpless to prevent Forsyth’s rebound strike in the 45th-minute.

Their tails now up, Scotland edged in front with nine minutes remaining on the clock as Forsyth completed his hat-trick in clinical style.

Ireland pushed hard in the closing moments with captain Sean Murray forcing excellent stops out of opposition custodian Thomas Alexander, but it wasn’t to be in the end.