Ben Walker bags a brace as Ireland record another win over Austria

Ireland 3-1 Austria 1

Ireland secured a second successive victory over Austria this weekend at the Sport Ireland Campus as Ben Walker’s first quarter double continued their strong run of form.

Walker opened the scoring just two minutes in when John McKee’s shot was never fully cleared, with Jeremy Duncan robbing possession on the left edge of the D. He spun the ball into the danger zone where the Dubliner gave it a little nudge to deceive Matuesz Szymczyk.

They rode their luck a little bit after that, with Mark Ingram making a couple of important saves from penalty corners while Oliver Binder’s shot clipped the base of the post.

But Mark Tumilty’s side were two up before the end of the first quarter when McKee’s drag was saved high, allowing Johnny Lynch to brilliantly take the ball out of the air and clip it across for Walker to tip in.

Ireland were the side on top in the second quarter, but the visitors bounced back in the third period to make more of the game and were on the scoreboard when Josef Winkler’s first-time shot bounced the way of Moritz Frey. He cleverly lifted his effort over Ingram.

Austria were close to an equaliser when a fifth corner shot was deflected high, with goalkeeper Ingram using his face protection to nod away the shot.

However, the hosts finished stronger and were rewarded with a clinching goal with five minutes left. Mark McNellis’s raking pass from right to left found Duncan on the circle’s perimeter and he angled a ball to the back post where Conor Empey was on hand to gobble up a simple chance.

Ireland are back in action on Tuesday evening against a Chile outfit they beat twice last week.

Ireland: M Ingram, T Cross, J McKee, D Walsh, K Marshall, S Murray, M McNellis, J Duncan, B Walker, S Hyland,