Two goals of breathtaking quality in the last quarter of an absorbing contest enabled Germany to open their European Junior Nations Cup defence with a 3-1 win over their Irish hosts at Upper Malone in Belfast yesterday.
Before the tournament got underway, the Dutch coach had risked ruffling feathers in the German camp by claiming that Ireland were the better side. Her comments were justified, in the first half at least, as a penalty corner equaliser from Anya Bowers which arrived in the final minute was no more than the Irish deserved.
Midway through the second half, Czech umpire Yana Halamova despatched Claire Redpath and Caitriona Carey to the sin-bin in quick succession for relatively innocuous offences with the result that the Irish lost their shape in the face of sustained German pressure. Having survived with only eight outfield players, the killer blow was dealt while Carey was off the pitch but even at 2-1 down, the hosts displayed commendable courage and with better fortune could easily have poached an equaliser before the third goal arrived.
"I thought the girls were magnificent in the first half. We outran the Germans and looked the fitter team. I didn't think we deserved to be a goal down at that stage," reflected Irish coach Adele Sloan. "But the tournament is not over by a long shot and I genuinely believe that if we continue to play like that, we are capable of getting favourable results against both Spain and England".
German captain Caroline Casaretto was magnanimous in victory and the sight of her players hugging and kissing at the final whistle was probably more a sign of relief than affection. "We were the lucky ones today. Ireland were very strong and we had to handle a lot of pressure," said the 20-year-old. The defending champions went ahead after just nine minutes when Cornelia Reiter swept the ball past Avril Copeland at a penalty corner, which had been initially dummied and then switched into her path. Jill Orbinson thought she had equalised from another set piece eight minutes later, the ball appearing to hit the top of the backboard but the umpire was correct in disallowing the goal as it had been raised while on its way to the net. With Carey performing magnificently in midfield, Ireland were rewarded on the stroke of half time when Bowers delivered a dipping shot from her side's fifth penalty corner for the equaliser.
After the umpire's intervention, the Germans almost capitalised on their numerical superiority in the 53rd minute when Alexandra Kollman's reverse sweep soared narrowly over the crossbar. Two minutes later, a darting run by Reiter created the opportunity for Anneke Boehmert to score from close range. Orbinson and Shauna Parkhill were then prevented from putting Ireland back on terms by the athleticism of German goalkeeper Louisa Walter who was called upon to show her alertness at a brace of penalty corners.
However, it was Germany who went further ahead in the 58th minute when Boehmert turned provider, her long pass skilfully picking out Reiter, who won the chase against Copeland and planted the ball into the net with a marvellous reverse stick shot.
European Junior Nations Cup - Pool A: Ireland 1 Germany 3; Spain 1 England 0; Pool B: Holland 8 Ukraine 1; Czech Republic 0 Belarus 0.
