Ireland's match against the Czech Republic today in the European Junior Nations Cup women's hockey tournament at Upper Malone in Belfast will determine which side advances to the crucial play-off with either England or Belarus for the one remaining berth in the A division of the bi-annual tournament.

Czech captain Tereza Vanova was an inspiration in the face of adversity on Tuesday when she lifted her players literally and metaphorically as some of them lay on the pitch sobbing after a 2-1 defeat by Ukraine had banished hopes of a semi-final place. Yesterday she urged the Irish supporters to stay in their beds rather than set their alarm clocks for the 8 am start. "Playing at home is a big advantage for Ireland with their crowd behind them so I hope they have a good lie-in. We were disappointing in our first two games but I was happier with our performance against Holland. But Ireland are strong. We are good defensively, though scoring goals has been a problem for us."

Today: Classification matches, 5th-8th places (first phase): Ireland v Czech Republic (8 am); England v Belarus; semi-finals: Spain v Holland; Germany v Ukraine.