Maguire returns while Butler set for personal milestone

Phelie Maguire will be given a late chance to break back into the Irish team for the European championships as he was named as one of Paul Revington's three changes from the Champion's Challenge II side for a two-match series with Belgium – currently world number nine.

Maguire has been out of hockey since relocating to Palestine in the Spring to carry out humanitarian work but has been back in training with the national squad in the past three weeks.

He joins the squad along with Reading’s Chris Cargo and Annadale striker Peter Caruth. Andy McConnell (exams), Mikey Watt (fractured thumb) and John Jermyn (rested) are the players to make way from last week’s Champion’s Challenge II panel.

Conor Harte, meanwhile, will undergo a late fitness test with Karl Burns standing by. The series could also see Stephen Butler close in on another personal record in the Irish jersey to add to his record goals haul. He is set to reach 150 international caps, should he play both games, and move within one of current all-time record holder Paddy Brown.

Butler is currently third on the all-time list with Marty Sloan second, the Cookstown man gaining 149 caps in his career.

Meanwhile, a similar amount of switches affect Gene Muller’s women’s panel ahead of a three matches against the world number seven side, Spain, in Valencia this weekend.

Louisa Healy, Cliodhna Sargent and Rachel Mulligan come back in for the injured Mary Goode, Alex Speers and Lauren Barr. Both coaches are expected to announce their European squads next week.

Irish men’s squad (club/caps)
David Harte (GK, Pembroke/37), Iain Walker (GK, YMCA/15), Ronan Gormley (Capt, Pembroke/80), Tim Lewis (Pembroke/46), Joe Brennan (Glenanne/22), Conor Harte (Pembroke/24), John Jackson (Loughborough/22), Graham Shaw (Vice-capt, Glenanne/134), Stephen Butler (Glenanne/148), David Hobbs (vice-capt, Cork C of I/133), Geoff McCabe (Banbridge/45), Phelie Maguire (KHC Leuven/74), Alan Sothern (Pembroke/21), Eugene Magee (Banbridge/86), Timmy Cockram (Lisnagarvey/79), Mitch Darling (TRR/24), Chris Cargo (Reading/3), Peter Caruth (Annadale/5)

Irish women’s squad (club/caps)
Lizzie Colvin (Loreto/ 15), Emma Clarke (Ulster Elks/73), Bridget Cleland (Ballymoney/129), Eimear Cregan (Capt, Cork Harlequins/151), Roisin Flinn (UCD/57), Megan Frazer (Ballymoney/13), Michelle Harvey (Pegasus/15), Louisa Healy (Loreto/42), Lisa Jacob (UCD/51), Shirley McCay (Ulster Elks/68), Cathy McKean (Loreto/123), Rachel Mulligan (Armagh/19), Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins/43), Niamh Small ( Loreto/ 18), Emma Smyth (Railway Union/9), Emma Stewart (Armagh/75), Nikki Symmons (Loreto/119), Emma Gray (Hermes/8)

Men’s match schedule (Irish time):
Saturday, July 18 (2pm) Ireland v Belgium
Sunday, July 19 (12pm) Ireland v Belgium

Women’s match schedule (Irish time)
Friday, July 17 (11am) Ireland v Spain
Saturday, July 18 (11am) Ireland v Spain
Sunday, July 19 (9am) Ireland v Spain

Weston appoint Browne while Filgas to coach Hermes

Weston have pulled off one of the most eye-catching appointments of the summer as Alan Browne takes over the men's first team coaching reins.

Browne brings with him an incredible record from his 14 years as a senior player with Glenanne in which he won every honour in the domestic game during the Tallaght club's golden era.

Apart from ISC, club championships, Leinster senior league, Neville and Mills cup success, he was a central cog in the Glens 2008's European gold-medal success in Paris and captained Leinster to Interpro glory.

Browne said of the new challenge: "I have obviously enjoyed my time at Glenanne but I now look forward to the new challenge of coaching Weston HC."

For Weston, the signing represents a big part in their process of reinvigorating the club. The club opened the doors to their own astroturf pitch in the past 18 months which has helped grow their colts section.

The ladies section recently appointed Brian Scully as first team coach and the ex-Fingal and Dublin University first team captain also joins the Lucan-based club as a player.

Elsewhere, Simon Filgas makes the short move from Blackrock to Booterstown as he takes on the coaching role at Hermes following his recent spell at Avoca. Filgas brings a wealth of experience having coached Pembroke and Three Rock Rovers' men's first teams among other appointments.

Ciara O'Brien forced to retire

Irish vice-captain Ciara O’Brien has been forced to announce her retirement from international hockey due to injury after amassing 156 caps in the green shirt over the past nine years.

O’Brien has suffered from a degenerative, arthritic condition in both knees over the past year and her decision has been based on medical advice.

She said of her decision: “I was determined to overcome my injuries and play a role within the squad at the upcoming Europeans in August. However, I have had to consider the long term implications of continuing to train and compete at international level and have unfortunately been forced to make the decision to retire.”

O'Brien has been a stalwart of the Irish defence in recent year, playing in the 2002 World Cup in Australia as well as three European Championships, including a fifth place finish in front of a home crowd in Dublin in 2005.

Following a glittering underage career where she captained the Irish U-16, 18 and 21 teams, she earned her first cap under Riet Kuper against England in 2001 and racked up 50 caps within two years. Her 100th cap came against Italy in 2006 and 150th against Korea in 2008.

Current national coach Gene Muller led the tributes to one of Ireland's great: “Her 156 international appearances make her one of the most capped players in Irish hockey history.

"She has been enormously influential in our team, and was a very consistent and effective international performer. Her attitude and approach was always professional and her service to Irish hockey is greatly valued. I wish her well for the future.”

Irish manager Sally Ann Fanagan added: “Ciara has had a fantastic international career over the past 9 years. During all that time she has been a model professional, setting herself very high standards in both her preparation and her application to international duty. She will be sorely missed within the squad.”

Champion's Challenge II: Ireland denied on strokes

Poland 3 (Marcin Strykowski 2, Dariusz Rachwalski) Ireland 3 (Mikey Watt 2, John Jermyn); Poland win 5-4 on penalties
Ireland let the inaugural Champion’s Challenge II title slip through their fingers at Belfield this afternoon as they let a commanding lead and performance come unstuck in the closing stages of a pulsating final battle against Poland.

Having led from the third minute, Marcin Strykowski struck with just 12 seconds left of normal time to force extra-time and ultimately the lottery of penalty strokes.

It was a cruel end to what was a well-judged performance for much of the game. Unlike Thursday’s fixture, Ireland played a lot more to their own tempo rather than being dictated by the Poles with much more control of the game’s flow in evidence to break up the opponent’s commitment to counter-attack.

In saying that, Poland did have the first clear opening as Kryzysztof Kmiec miscued a reverse.

But Ireland were settled my a neatly taken Mikey Watt goal after Graham Shaw’s through ball was not dealt with by the Polish defence as the Belgian-bound striker rolled under Marcin Trzaskawka.

It was Watt’s third goal of the tournament and was the only Irish striker to score throughout the tournament from play. However, his combination work with Eugene Magee, Timmy Cockram and the more advanced John Jermyn posed serious menace with multiple reverse-stick efforts the upshot.

Jermyn secured his place as tournament top scorer with his seventh drag-flick of the competition, nut-megging the Polish goalkeeper in the 15th minute for 2-0. It came from a superb break-out via Stephen Butler, Jermyn and Cockram.

Indeed, the Cork C of I man’s lethal strike rate of seven goals from ten corners is a major boon for Paul Revington ahead of the European Championships. When he was off field, the strike rate lowered to around 25pc.

Ireland were in reasonable control though the one corner they did concede ended Conor Harte’s involvement for the day as Tomasz Duktiewicz’s drag left him with a dead leg but the lead comfortably remained in tact until the interval.

The second half, however, opened with a more dithering approach and it was no surprise Poland capitalised following a four minute spell camped in Irish territory, Strykowski getting his first of the game.

It awoke the hosts from their slumber with Jermyn flying down the right. A slight bobble cleared a way for Andy McConnell – seeing his first action of the tournament – but he snatched at the golden chance.

Another Jermyn shot rebounded Cockram’s way but his quick reaction could only guide over the bar. The goal was coming and it was Watt who secured it though Cockram deserves the greater part of the plaudits.

An overcooked through-ball looked simple for Trzaskawka to deal with but the ’Garvey man persevered to block the keeper’s kick, spin and lay on a top cross. Both Watt and Jermyn slid and got touches but it was the former who got the final deflection for 3-1 in the 50th minute.

But the wheels began to wobble thereafter as Ireland dropped deeper and Poland enjoyed more of the ball.

Strykowski’s raw power drove him through two tackles and while David Harte did well to smother, Dariusz Rachwalski rolled in the rebound to set up a grandstand finish with 13 minutes to go.

Several chances went Ireland’s way on the counter as Alan Sothern was unable to wrap his stick around Ronan Gormley’s cross; Eugene Magee magic earned a corner while McConnell twice found himself in around the back.

But Poland were holding the lion’s share of territory, pinning Ireland back and eventually got their break when Slawomir Choczaj was left all alone on the left wing. He slammed in a cross which Strykowski guided spectacularly netwards and there was no time to take the restart.

David Hobbs went closest in the first period of extra-time, skimming a post from a near impossible angle while in the second period; Magee produced one incredible effort, flipping himself from open side to reverse while lying flat on the ground.

One last goal-mouth scramble yielded an 84th minute penalty corner but with Jermyn primed, the switch went left and Cockram’s drag was cleared to safety.

David Harte’s save from Duktiewicz gave Ireland the early initiative in the stroke competition but when Joe Brennan’s effort was saved in the third series, the sides were back on level terms.

His stroke was shrouded in controversy, though, as the crowd hushed. One of the two Polish reserve players called out as Brennan shaped to shoot in an attempt to put the player off. Upon the miss, the Pole turned to the now booing crowd, raised his finger to his lips, leading to even louder cat-calls ahead of Szymon Hutek’s stroke.

He held his nerve as the Polish player was admonished by an official though it remains to be seen whether the issue will be taken further. Poland’s management were given an official warning over their conduct on the sideline by the tournament director in the semi-final win over France with possible penalties carrying into the European championships.

Penalties progressed to the sudden-death round where player-of-the-tournament Duktiewicz bounced back from his earlier miss to score. Butler fired left and wide and the title was gone.

In terms of workd rankings, the result makes a small dent in Ireland's deficit to France, Japan and Malaysia above them. However, missing out on the single promotion place to the more lucrative Champion's Challenge I means Ireland's chances of closing the gap are somewhat limited in the near future, especially with only a European B division campaign this year.

Ireland gained 10 points more than France, 15 than Malaysia and 20 on Japan but with 120 points to make up, moving up a tier will be a difficult proposition in the near future.

* Adrian Boehm photos from Ireland vs Poland can be found here while Lindie Naughton's set of pictures can be see here...

Champion's Challenge II: 3rd/4th playoff

France 4 (Freddie Soyez 2, Martin Genestet, Sebastian Jean-Jean) Malaysia 3 (Hafiz Hanifi, Selvaraju Sandrakasi, Abd Rahim) after golden goal
France withstood a second half barrage to eventually take the bronze medal at the inaugural Champion's Challenge II with Freddie Soyez holding his nerve to net a three-times respotted penalty corner in the sixth minute of golden goal extra-time.

Hir brace of drag-flicks bookended a lively affair that Malaysia should have led inside five minutes. The Asian side produced three gilt-edge chances in quick succession with Azlan Misron and Selva Sandrakasi cutting the French in ribbons for two one-on-one chances but had not the composure to finish. Indeed, Selva was the games star man, producing a world of breathtaking individual skills.

As it was, Martin Genestet clattered in a bouncing ball in the 15th minute before Soyez slung in a high drag-flick for 2-0 in the 21st minute. Malaysia got back into the game three minutes before the break from Kevinder Singh's spectacular reverse, helped on its way by Hafiz Hanifi.

Sebastian Jean-Jean's tap in in the 44th minute restored the two-goal difference but from then on, Malaysia bossed affairs. Matthias Dierckens' string of saves kept it that way for ten minutes until Selva smashed in a corner rebound from a tight angle - though the French had a case for a free out.

Three corners went awry while Malaysia could have had a stroke when Arnaud Becuwe unceremoniously prevented Tengku's shot from six yards. But the equaliser finally came four minutes from time when Selva ghosted past three players, fed Tengku who laid across for Abd Rahim's simple finish.

The fightback, though, proved all in vain as France won a corner five minutes into golden goal. Charun Singh blocked out Soyez' first two efforts with his body from first runner but the third winged its way into the roof of the net.

Champion's Challenge II: Classification matches

5th - 6th playoff: Japan 9 (Yoshihiro Anai 3, Ryuji Nagasawa 2, Ryuji Furusato, Tomori Ono, Kazuhiro Tsubouchi, Hikroke Watanabe) Russia 2 (Alexandre Platonov, Dimitriy Azarov)
Japan struck eight times in the second half to turn a first half deficit into a comprehensive victory to claim fifth place in the Champion’s Challenge II this afternoon.

The turning point came early in the 38th minute when Evgeny Mokrousov was sin-binned with the score at 2-1. Ryuji Nagasawa fired in a low drag-flick to level and Hiroki Watanabe batted home from close range to make it 3-2.

Russia had a series of corner chances - six in total - but they were unable to net, Alexander Likov going closest when he rebounded onto the post.

Nagasawa got his second in the 48th minute and from there the Russians appeared to lose heart. Kazuhiro Tsubouchi, Ryuji Furusato, Tomori Ono and a Yoshihiro Anai completed his hat-trick in quick time to rack up the comfortable scoreline.

Earlier, Russia had hit the front when Alexandre Platonov struck a superb first time strike high and Dimitry Azarov roofed a corner in response to Anai's early opener.

7th-8th playoff: Austria 4 (Michael Korper, Manuel Grandits, Benjamin Stanzl Tobias Hubner) Chile 3 (Jan Richter, Esteban Krainz)
Austria avoided the wooden spoon as they got the better of Chile in the first of today's classification matches at Belfield.

Michael Korper set them on their way with a ninth minute penalty corner but Chile responded quickly, again from a set piece, through Jan Richter.

Austria, though, upped their tempo to dominate the rest of the half with goals from Manuel Grandits and Benjamin Stanzl for a 3-1 advantage. Tobias Hubner increased the lead just after the break.

For a third game running, Chile played their best hockey when when the game looked to be over. Esteban Krainz zipped in a corner in the 47th minute but too late to cause a fightback.

Ireland line up Polish revenge mission

Ireland's dramatic win over Malaysia last night has set up a near instant chance for revenge over Poland following the 3-2 defeat on Thursday as the home nation compete in their first ever world ranking final to be played on home soil.

Billed pre-match as somewhat of a non-event with both countries already semi-final bound, Thursday's battle was the most intense battle of the group stages with neither side giving an inch.

Skipper Ronan Gormley said as much after the game saying "we certainly didn't see as a dead rubber" as the two sides served up a frantic, counter-attack game with scarcely a pause for breath.

For Ireland, one primary objective has been acheived as they are guaranteed to finish above Malaysia, France and Japan - the three sides above them in the world ranking - and so begin to make inroads to closing the gap on those countries. For today, though, silverware remains the target at Belfield.

Match schedule (all at Belfield):

Final: (5pm) Ireland vs Poland

Classification matches: (9.30am) 7th/8th playoff - Chile vs Austria; (12pm) 5th/6th playoff - Japan vs Russia; (2.30pm) 3rd/4th playoff - Malaysia vs France

Champion's Challenge II: Ireland reach final - semi-final reports

Ireland 2 (John Jermyn , David Hobbs) Malaysia 1 (Tengku Tajuddin)
Ireland held out for a famous victory at Belfield this afternoon amid the pouring rain, edging out a lively Malaysia to set up a revenge mission in tomorrow’s final against Poland.

They were made to live on their nerves, though, as a corner conceded 15 seconds from time could have proved a costly error.

David Harte, though, stood tall and when the rebound did not fall Tengku Tajuddin’s way, Ireland celebrated wildly with each player joining the embrace before saluting the sizable crowd in the grandstand.

It was a game of serious swings in momentum as first Malaysia and latterly Ireland enjoyed long periods of dominance. John Jermyn once again got Ireland off to the perfect start, firing his sixth goal of the tournament with a low drag in the fourth minute.

But the Asian side controlled possession and Ireland’s deep press played into the Malaysian’s hands, given their superior skills in tight situations.

Harte did well to smother Ismail Abu’s effort while Tajuddin’s beautiful ball was deflected onto the post by Selvaraju Sandrakasi. But they did not have to wait long for their just reward when Tengku pounced on a corner rebound - following Amin Rahim’s drag - to finish adroitly from three yards midway through the half.

During this period, Eugene Magee was providing a decent outlet and his exchange with Mitch Darling showed an Irish threat still existed. Jermyn’s next corner drew a top save from Kumar Subramaniam as well as denying Graham Shaw in the aftermath.

Indeed, Ireland almost took the lead just three seconds before the half-time hooter when Stephen Butler’s raking overhead found the unlikely target of Ronan Gormley as the furthest man forward but the right-back flashed across the goal.

And the hosts took that momentum into the second period, winning their third corner inside 50 seconds of the turnaround, Mikey Watt reversed while Tim Lewis - Ireland’s stand-out defender in the tournament to date - produced an amazing 70-metre pass to play in Magee.

John Jermyn’s yellow card - for an off-the-ball barge on Sukri Abd Mutalib - barely broke their stride. On his return to the field, he would later receive a green card for not retreating.

Tajuddin did pop one past Harte on the end-line but Joe Brennan cleared the raised ball well to safety before Magee provided the game’s best solo action; racing 40-metres in between five defenders to win a corner. From it, Ireland got the crucial score, using a first switch routine of the competition.

Butler’s one-two with Magee created space at the flick-spot but his drag was saved. Lewis’ follow-up hit the post but the third phase fell to David Hobbs to slide under Subramaniam.

The volume of rain saw numerous slips and misjudgements, adding to the excitement of the game. A massive overhead created havoc between Johnny Jackson and David Harte, bouncing over the goalkeeper’s head at the top of the circle.

Sandrakasi, though, was not tall enough to guide the ball into the net as he snuck in around the back. And Ireland continued to live on their wits as they sank back deeper and deeper, giving away cheap possession with endless overheads.

It was always likely to give up one major chance for the Malaysians to equalise and it came with 15 seconds on the scoreboard when Joe Brennan was penalised wide on the right flank.

But Harte filled his goal well and Paul Revington had victory in the most meaningful match of his embryonic career as Irish national coach.

* For more of Adrian Boehm's excellent photos from Ireland vs Malaysia, click here

Poland 3 (Marcin Strykowski, Szymon Oszjczyk, Tomasz Duktiewicz) France 1 (Freddie Soyez)
Poland became the first semi-finalist after their counter-attack game proved too much for France at Belfield this afternoon.

The French had started the strongest, taking the lead through Freddie Soyez’ drag-flick. But two beautifully conceived Polish goals before half-time switched the lead.

Marcin Strykowski got the first response in the tenth minute, profiting from some top skills down the left wing to squeeze the ball past Max Wilson.

And the turnaround continued with a brilliant move, completed with Tomasz Choczaj’s superb in to out run creating the space for Szymon Oszjczyk to tap in.

Choczaj proved a livewire throughout and was unlucky to be denied in the preceding play to the second goal with a diving reverse and hit the sideboard with the first shot of the second half.

Poland’s speedy attacks continued to bear fruit - especially when Lucas Sevestre was sin-binned - with Slawomir Choczaj pulling across the goal from yet another break-out. Their reward came in the 53rd minute from their second corner when Tomasz Duktiewicz powered a drag-flick through Wilson.

With a healthy lead in tact, the wheels fell off somewhat with both Miroslaw Juszczak and Duktiewicz put in the bin for over-zealous tackles in the 58th minute.

But France were unable to take advantage, with Arkadiusz Matuszak pulling off a sensational double-save as Poland played out the match in untidy but effective fashion.

* For more of Adrian Boehm's pictures from Poland vs France, click here

Champion's Challenge II: 5th-8th playoffs

5th-8th place playoffs: Russia 2 (Alexander Likov, Alexandre Platonov) Chile 1 (Thomas Kannegiesser)Russia’s greater proficiency in both circles proved the vital factor as Chile created much but threatened little except in the closing four minutes.

Alexander Likov’s 14th minute reverse-stick effort was the sole highlight of the first half as the South American side let four penalty corners slip through their fingers.

Their fifth and sixth corners were comfortably dealt with by Roman Rogov just after the break, too, before Chile goalkeeper Mauro Scaff produced the save of the day.

Diving the opposite direction, he got a strong glove to Sergey Kostarev’s point-blank deflection from the Russian’s first corner of the game in the 44th minute.

And with Alexis Berzcely in the sin-bin, Russia began to turn the screw, winning three corners. The game-winning goal eventually came with seven minutes to go from a pitch-length move.

Felipe Montegu appeared to be heftily fouled but no free ensued. A superb break-out ended with skipper Alexandre Platonov and Alexey Mamoshkin exchanging three passes to round Scaff, the former roll into the open net.

Chile pulled one back with two minutes to left - Thomas Kanegiesser snapping up at the third attempt from Sebastian Kapsch’s wriggle down the left touch-line.

And they had a chance to force extra-time seconds later from their seventh corner but - after a lengthy discussion at the top of the circle - the move broke down at the switch phase.

Russia, therefore, qualify for Sunday's 5th place playoff against Japan while Chile play Austria for the 7th place ranking points.

Japan 4 (Ryuji Furusato, Yoshihiro Anai, Genki Mitani 2)Austria 2 (Benjamin Stanzl, Wolfgang Laminger)
Japan qualified for the fifth place play-off, taking the spoils from a lively opener to the fourth day of the Champion’s Challenge II in Belfield.

Benji Stanzl broke the deadlock from Austria’s second serious break-out of the day in the 18th minute, bashing home first time Michael Korper’s right wing pull-back.

Japan, though, turned the game on its head with two goals in two minutes when Ryuji Fukushiro deflected in a well-worked auto-pass move and Yoshihiro Anai spectacularly clattered in a bouncing backhand shot after his initial drag-flick was blocked down.

The lead was extended out to 4-1 in the second half thanks to Genki Mitani’s double strike from close range - the second showing a neat first touch to escape goalkeeper Lukas Graser and roll into the ensuing open goal.

Wolfgang Laminger cut through the centre to the Japanese defence for a consolation, though Japan should have concluded the game with a three-goal advantage when a beautifully worked corner found only Ryuji Furusato’s foot mere inches from the goal.

* Live streaming of the games will be available online at www.bwin.com throughout the day.

European U-18 Championships: Day Five

Ireland U-18 girls 3 (Chloe Watkins, Brenda Flannery, Katie Codyre) Russia 2
Ireland's U-18s survived relegation from the A division, scoring three minutes from time against Russia to end their EuroHockey Youth Championships in fifth place courtesy of their 3-2 win over Russia this morning.

France's 3-0 defeat of Lithuania meant only a win would see Ireland advance, leading to a frenetic opening which saw the scoreboard up to 2-2 within eight minutes before the game settled down.

Chloe Watkins broke the deadlock in the first minute, striking home first time from Deirdre Duke's (pictured, left) cross. Russia levelled but Brenda Flannery's straight strike from Ireland's first corner five minutes in. A diving deflection completed the early exchanges

A tense, end-to-end battle followed thereafter with the stalemate, which would have suited Russia, eventually broken when Hannah Matthews' 67th minute pass was finished off by Katie Codyre at the near post. Watkins, Gillian Pinder and Ali Meeke subsequently played keep-ball to run down the clock and complete the win.

Coach Mary Logue saidd afterwards: "I am delighted to win today after the dissappointment of yesterday's defeat to Lithuania. The girls showed tremendous character to get the win we needed to secure 5th position and the A Division for 2011.”

5th-8th playoff pool (points/goal difference): 5. Ireland 6pts (+1) 6. France 4pts (+2) 7. Russia 4pts (0) 8. Lithuania 3pts (-3)

* For more pictures from Ireland vs Russia, click here

Ireland U-18 boys 5 (Steven Dowds 3, Kyle Good 2) France 3
Ireland took first place in the EuroHockey Youth Trophy with this final win over France to go with the promotion they earned the previous day in Vienna.

Steven Dowds' impressive hat-trick - featuring two reverses and a forehand slap - combined with Kyle Good's double did the damage as Ireland outlasted the French.

France took an early lead but Dowds' and Good's first turned the game around and they were never to trail again. France pulled back from 2-1 and 3-2 down to level twice but two goals in the final 20 minutes saw Ireland pull clear, aided by a couple of decent Stephen West saves.
*

Anthoni to face old friends for first time

Given the spectator numbers to date, Ireland's match with Malaysia should prove the biggest draw of the Champion's Challenge II to date with the South-East Asian side adorning the crowd with bodhrans and plenty of noise (seen talking to players post-match, below right).

Some may have hoped for the fixture to have been the final but, after Pakistan last year at the Setanta Trophy, the influx of an Asian side to Belfield has brought a distinct extra bit of magic to the tournament and so having the glamour tie against the hosts needed to happen at some stage.

Like Pakistan, Malaysia have shown a 100pc commitment to attacking hockey - fittingly throwing nine men forward with 45 seconds to go of their tie with Russia despite holding a 4-3 lead.

A 70-metre Russian overhead almost caught them out but the Malaysians tend to give sides a chance to play and express themselves, making this afternoon's semi-final Ireland top billing.

For Ireland assistant coach Arul Anthoni, the game will be his first against his country of origin having missed out on that occurrence during his time in South Africa when he was unable to travel to a tournament.

However, he is confident he has the inside track, saying he knows the opposition 'inside-out'. His direct opposite number - Noor Zaiful - was one of his team-mates during his 83-cap career as was current forward Chua Boon Huat (left) while Anthoni has encountered all bar Malaysia's two U-21 players in club action.

Whether that knowledge can lead Ireland to victory tonight remains to be seen but it should be the highlight of what has been a high-scoring tournament to date.

Elsewhere, Ireland's U-18 girls start Saturday's action at 10am (Irish time) against Russia needing a win to secure their A division status in Nivelles. A draw could be enough but only if France win by a single goal against Lithuania though the Irish have the benefit of playing second and knowing the exact equation.

Finally, after two last-gasp results, the U-18 boys have achieved the primary objective of promotion to the A division and can now add the cherry of some silverware should they beat France in the EuroHockey Championships Trophy final.

Saturday match schedule:

Champion's Challenge II:

5th to 8th playoffs:(9.30am) Japan vs Austria; (12pm) Russia vs Chile

Semi-finals: (2.30pm) Poland vs France; (5pm) Malaysia vs Ireland

EuroHockey Girl's Youth Championships: (8am) Lithuania vs France; (10am) Ireland vs Russia

EuroHockey Boy's Youth Trophy final: (4pm) Ireland vs France

European U-18 Championships: Day Four

Ireland U-18 Boys 1 (Stu Loughrey) Wales 0
Andy Smyth's side showed their steely determination for a second successive game as they struck late to beat Wales in an extremely tight-fought battle in Vienna.

Stu Loughrey finished off fellow Leinster man Kyle Good's brilliant cross with just four minutes to go of their semi-final for the game's only goal - coming off the back of a late goal against Switzerland to earn the last four spot in the first place.

The win guarantees Ireland's place in the A division for 2011 and they now have a shot at outright glory when they face France in the final on Saturday afternoon at 5pm.

Ireland U-18 girls 1 (Gillian Pinder) Lithuania 2
Ireland face a testing final day of the EuroHockey Youth Championships after they again struggled to make the best of their chances against Lithuania.

They dominated play for long periods but could not convert any of their four corners while enjoying the lion's share of possession.

All the goals came in the closing ten minutes with Gillian Pinder latching onto Chloe Watkins ball to give Ireland the lead in the 60th minute. However, Lithuania struck twice in the closing minutes to turn the game on its head and raise the importance of Ireland's battle with Russia - the current table-toppers in the relegation pool.

The bottom two sides in the group face the drop to the Trophy level of competition in 2011.

Results: Ireland 1 Lithuania 2; Russia 1 France 1
Relegation pool standings (points/goal difference): 1. Russia 4pts (+1) 2. Lithuania 3pts (0) 3. Ireland 3pts (0) 4. France 1pt (-1)

* For more pictures from Ireland vs Lithuania, click here

Potential club v country tug of war as EHL and WCQ dates named

The announcement of the dates for the first round of the EuroHockey League (EHL) and the 2010 World Cup qualifying (WCQ) tournaments has led to concerns over men's player availability for both club and country.

Just one week separates the EHL's round 1b from the first of three WCQ events with a very real possibility that, depending on the draw, Pembroke and Glenanne's international players - comprising eight of the current panel - could be double-booked.

Plenty of gaps remain to be filled in, the first of which happens next week when the EHL committee will announce the venues for the first round of their competition. Round one will be split into two weekends, running on October 9-11 and 23-25.

Two of the WCQ events have been announced already with Lille hosting on October 31 to November 8 followed by Invercargill, New Zealand on November 7-15. A third tournament will be announced in due course.

Should Ireland finish in the top 5 in their division of the European championships, they go into a WCQ tournament with their destination to be decided once all continental competitions are completed.

Whilst there currently seem a fair amount of variables, the recent convention has seen Irish players withdrawn from club action for well over a month ahead of major tournaments of this ilk.
As such, the proximity of the two tournaments is likely to cause problems for a number of the EHL's second tier countries.

Europe's top four countries in the European A-division in August qualify directly for the World Cup but the next four countries go into the WCQs while also supplying a minimum of six clubs to the EHL.

On the women's side, Ireland can qualify directly for the World Cup should they reach the semi-finals of next month's Europeans. Failing that they will go into a WCQ of their own with Seville, Spain and Santiago, Chile announced as two provisional venues. India and USA will vye for the third space though if Spain take one of the top places, both could be hosts to guarantee the IHA an expensive away trip.

Meanwhile, as reported by Southern Fried and the Examiner, Irish men’s hockey got a boost this week with news of a €70,000 grant from the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) in its campaign for qualification for the 2012 Games in London.

The OCI financial support aims to enhance the team’s effort at the Champions Challenge Cup in Dublin, the European Championships in Wales and a World Cup qualifying tournament later this year.

President of the OCI president Pat Hickey said: “The Olympic Council has negotiated this special team sport grant through an International Olympic Solidarity programme in order to assist the Irish Hockey Association’s goal of qualifying an Irish men’s team for the first time at an Olympic Games.”

Champion's Challenge: Ireland 2 Poland 3

Ireland 2 (Mikey Watt, Alan Sothern) Poland 3 (Tomasz Gorny, Maciej Janiszewski, Tomasz Dutkiewicz)
Despite the match being solely to decide semi-final pairings, Ireland and Poland played out the most intense battle of the Champion’s Challenge II to date.

Tomasz Dutkiewicz’s low corner strike early in the second half proved the vital moment of a helter-skelter battle with both sides taking the most direct route to goal.

Ireland led twice but could not hold onto the advantage in the face of the Polish onslaught.
Mikey Watt opened the scoring in the fifth minute just moments after Dariusz Rachwalski applied the pitching wedge over David Harte’s goal.

The Grange man dug the ball out from under his feet to reverse home after Eugene Magee’s baseline foraging pulled goalkeeper Marcin Trzaskawka. Tomasz Gorny levelled soon after as he burst two tackles before smashing home via a defensive stick.

Sothern restored the lead in the 24th minute from the first corner of the game - won after Tim Lewis’ sublime long ball reached Graham Shaw on the circle’s edge. But the sides were on level terms when Maciej Janiszewski’s snap-shot beat Harte in the 33rd minute.

Magee had a chance to restore the lead yet again when Timmy Cockram hared through but his lay-off was slipped across goal to leave the game 2-2 at the interval.

And Poland’s Tomasz Dutkiewicz put Ireland behind for the first time in the competition as he fired his side’s first corner low after Miroslaw Juszczak spun the ball into his path.

From there, a rip-roaring encounter saw plenty of circle penetrations but no more goals. Four Irish straight strikes from corners went by the wayside as Poland placed two men on the line with goalkeeper Trzaskawka.

Sothern hit the post with the third of those while Jermyn’s drive was saved on the final hooter. Dutkiewicz, for his part, drew a top drawer save from Harte to keep Ireland in contention.

Afterwards, Paul Revington felt his side came up second best in the game’s key battles. “We are disappointed that we lost the penalty corner battle and the counter attack battle. These two areas of the game must improve for the weekend.”

Final group standings (points/goal difference):
Group A: 1. Poland 9pts (+3) 2. Ireland 6pts (+5) 3. Japan 3pts (-3) 4. Chile 0pts (-5)

Fixtures (Saturday):
Semi-finals: 2.30pm France vs Poland; 5pm Malaysia vs Ireland

* For more of Adrian Boehm's photos from Ireland vs Poland, click here

Champion's Challenge II: Day three

Group A: Japan 4 (Genki Mitani, Ryuji Fukushiro, Kenji Kitazato, Naoto Shiokawa) Chile 3 (Felipe Montegu, Alexis Berzcely, Felipe Eggers)
With just seeding for the relegation play-offs at stake, Japan got a low-key tussle off to a decent start as Genki Mitani scrambled in from close range inside 100 seconds. Other than that, chances were at a premium though Kei Kawakami's sliding shot drifted wide as did Felipe Montegu's wild shot.

Ryuji Fukushiro doubled up in the 33rd minute after some pinball in the circle while Chile had their best chance on the final hooter but Matias Amoroso -after initial brilliant spadework saw his follow-up squeeze wide from four yards out.

A higher tempo second period saw Kenji Kitizato made it 3-0 with a neat finish 40 seconds into the second half before a brilliant exchange between Katsuyoshi Nagasawa and Naoto Shiokawa - the former superbly keeping the ball in play - saw the latter finish for a commanding lead in the 54th minute.

Chile, though, launched a thrilling fightback inside a minute when Felipe Montegu pulled one back and Alexis Berzcely made it a game with a spectacular reverse. Montegu had a great chance to put one in it but a lack of hurling skills meant he missed out on a high volley.

As it was, their third came with just over a minute to go when Felipe Eggers swept in but too late to nick a point.

Group B: Malaysia 4 (Ismail Abu, Hafifi Hafiz Hanafi, Tengku Abd, Faizal Saari) Russia 3 (Alexey Sergeev 2, Alexey Mamoshkin)
Malaysia - pictured, right, paying respect to the crowd pre-match - edged a thrill-fest to open the third day at the Champion's Challenge II, ending Russia's faint hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.

Malaysia made the best use of a non-stop, counter-attack battle in front of a vocal support to build up a 2-0 half-time lead through Ismail Abu's corner deflection and Hafifi Hafiz Hanifi's rebound.

Russia let three corners slip by before the break but Alexey Sergeev nailed the fourth six minutes into the second half and his side were level inside 30 seconds when Alexey Mamoshkin's reverse bobbled up and over Kumar Subramaniam.

Chances flew by at each end, with Leinster-based umpire Kris Cholewa letting the game flow well. Kelvinder Singh almost scoring one of the more outrageous 3d efforts before Tengku Abd stabbed home a corner rebound. Sergeev's drag-flick made it 3-3 in the 56th minute to raise Russian hopes once more but Faizal Saari smashed in from the top of the circle to kill the game and end Russia's chances. Malaysia top the group with three wins.

Austria and France now face a straight shoot-out for the second place.

Austria 1 (Michael Korper) France 5 (Freddie Soyez 2, Arnaud Becuwe, Mathieu Durchon 2)
France claimed the second semi-final place from Group A as they eased past Austria 5-1. The French took thew early initiative with two goals around the quarter-hour - a Freddie Soyez drag-flick and Arnaud Becuwe then spectacularly swept over Philippe Thiltges - a recent commenter on The Hook facebook page - after Mathieu Durchon brilliantly set him free.

Michael Korper's bullet corner made it a game three minutes after the break, creating a few nerves initially in the French camp before they soon got going a played some really decent hockey.

Soyez had one plucked off the line by Christian Minar before dragging in his second for 3-1 from his side's seventh corner. Mathieu Durchon (right) pulled out his box of tricks late on to add two of his own to complete the rout.

Final Group A standings (points/goal difference): 1. Malaysia 9pts (+4) 2. France 6pts (+4) 3. Russia 1pt (-3) 4. Austria 1pt (-4)

* Photos with thanks to Eleni Henry, for more pics click here (facebook link)