WOMEN'S HOCKEY OLYMPIC QUALIFIER Ireland 2 Canada 1NORMAL SERVICE was resumed by the Irish team as they signed off with a win over Canada to capture the bronze medals at the Olympic hockey qualifier in Vancouver.
With thoughts of Beijing consigned to the bin by the disastrous showing against Italy on Saturday, Ireland were playing for little more than a consolation prize and a couple of world ranking points.
They required just over five minutes to take the lead, converting a penalty corner won by the irrepressible Jenny McDonagh and rolled over the line by the same player off a Ciara O'Brien hit. On 26 minutes they struck from open play, Cathy McKean knocking in a cross from Emma Stewart who was given an acre of room to manoeuvre by the defence.
However, the home attack cancelled out McKean's effort when Stephanie Hume forced a save and a foul from Irish goalkeeper Mary Goode, with Stephanie Jameson thumping in the penalty corner at the close of the first half.
The Canadians were kept on the tightest of tight reins throughout the second period and they were unable to work the ball out of their own half for protracted periods.
Ireland's woes of Saturday were replaced by effortless defence, in which Ciara O'Brien and Shirley McCay were unflappable. The anonymous midfield of the Italian debacle was reincarnated as the fulcrum of an operation that was tigerish and perceptive.
Coach Gene Muller constantly rotated his front line and UCC's Julia O'Halloran made an impression during her brief appearances, forcing keeper-of-the-tournament Sarah Forbes into a couple of blocks. Captain Eimear Cregan struck the outside of Forbes' post but it was Nikki Symmons who spurned the best of a stack of chances.
Symmons stepped up to the spot when Alex Speers earned a penalty stroke on 59 minutes but the midfielder fluffed her effort and Forbes had only a token save to make. Ireland rarely looked like being forced into extra time, though Goode had to put a firm boot on a late Canadian corner.
Afterwards, the Irish team could hardly bear to watch as the Koreans mowed down Italy with five goals in the opening 25 minutes of the final before taking the foot off the gas.
IRELAND: M Goode, C Parkhill, C O'Brien, B McKeever, S McCay, E Cregan, E Clarke, N Symmons, J O'Halloran, C McKean, J McDonagh. Subs: E Stewart, A Speers, H Moffett, L Jacob.
CANADA: S Forbes, C O'Hara, S Jameson, K Rushton, C DePape, S Hume, H Linton, K Buker, A Rushton, T Michaluk, C Linton. Subs: M Anderson, P Kedgley, K Baker, K Gillis.
Umpires: L Miao (China), L Roach (Australia).
OLYMPIC QUALIFIER: Final day: Fifth place play-off: Malaysia 2, Uruguay 2 (Malaysia won 3-2 on penalties); bronze medal play-off: Ireland 2 (J McDonagh, C McKean), Canada 1 (S Jameson); final: Korea 5, Italy 0.
