Ireland keep World Cup hopes alive with 3-2 win over New Zealand in Wavre
Ireland beat New Zealand 3-2 in Wavre, Belgium on Tuesday in the Hockey World Cup, recording their first pool win since 2018 with goals from Sarah Hawkshaw, Roisin Upton and Katie Mullan.
Ireland drew inspiration from recent successes by the country’s athletes and swimmers as they prepared for the tournament, with squad members following the European Athletics and Swimming Championships and cheering on medal winners including Kate O’Connor, Mark English, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe. “It's been unbelievable. This squad is sports-mad, so we've been cheering on every evening, watching how unbelievable it's been,” explained Upton. “Even out here, all the fans must have come from the athletics in Birmingham over here because the place is packed with green again, and the Irish support has been fantastic. “I think Irish sport is pretty unique. We're able to compete across so many different sports at such a high level, and you always take a lot from it.”
Tuesday's 3-2 victory was Ireland's first World Cup pool win since a 1-0 success over India at the 2018 tournament in which they reached the final and won silver. After opening with a narrow defeat to Spain on Sunday, Ireland went into the match knowing a result was imperative, as New Zealand had also been beaten by co-hosts Belgium.
The deadlock was broken in the second quarter when Niamh Carey’s cross was deflected in by captain Sarah Hawkshaw. Emelia Surridge equalised for the Black Sticks Women from a penalty corner after half-time, setting up a decisive final 15 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Roisin Upton converted a penalty stroke to give Ireland a 2-1 lead. Upton then produced a drag flick from a penalty corner that allowed Katie Mullan to extend the advantage, and Katie Doar scored a last-minute consolation for New Zealand. Sarah McAuley was voted player of the match.
Eight members of the current Ireland squad played their club hockey in Belgium last season, and the team have recently pushed highly ranked opponents close; they lost a pair of Pro League games 2-1 in Dublin last December to the world number three side. "It doesn't get much better. As soon as the groups were announced, my first thought, you want to be in the same group as the host nation," explained Mullan. "We got to experience it four years ago in Holland with our opening game against them, and now we get to experience it on Thursday night, it's why we play the game. "The last place you would want to be is sitting at home on the sofa watching that kind of a fixture. "You want to be out there in a packed-out stadium under lights against the host nation, and something really to play for as well. So we'll go out and we'll prepare now for the next 48 hours, and then we'll fight really hard on Thursday, and I can't wait."
Ireland will face hosts Belgium on Thursday evening in front of a full house in Wavre, and to progress in the tournament they most likely will need something from that game.
