Ireland 4 Czech Republic 0Shirley McCay’s trademark “skipper” strike set Ireland on course for a big 4-0 win over the Czech Republic in their semi-final of the FIH Series in Banbridge, putting the Green Army a significant distance down the road to Tokyo. It came after a sticky enough start as the drenched conditions favoured the Czechs whose robust approached stymied Ireland’s more intricate style initially. It guarantees Ireland a direct Olympic showdown in October, achieving their target from this tournament in some style. Subs: R Upton, C Brown, S McCay, C Watkins, N Daly, S Hawkshaw, E Buckley. CZECH REPUBLIC: B Cechakova, K Lacina, J Reichlova, A Koziskova, T Mejzlikova, V Novakova, A Lehovcova, A Kolarova, V Decsyova, A Vorlova, N NovakovaSubs: T Holubcova, N Hajkova, K Jelinkova, R Capouchova, N Babicka, M Hlavata, B Brizova.

Source: The Irish Times June 15, 2019 14:37 UTC