Ireland edge closer to spot at Olympic Qualifiers

Spain 2-2 Ireland

Ireland drew 2-2 with Spain at the EuroHockey Championship in Moenchengladbach on Thursday to boost their hopes of making the Olympic Qualifiers.

Sean Dancer's team failed to make the semi-finals of the tournament after they were beaten 5-0 by Germany on Tuesday, a result that left them third in Pool B behind the host nation and England.

That meant they went into the fifth-to-eighth-placed Pool C alongside Spain, the Scots and Italy.

Having carried over the points they earned when defeating Scotland in Pool B, Ireland are now on four points, meaning they will finish sixth at worst. That ensures their spot at the next EuroHockey Championships in two years' time and also leaves them on the cusp of making Olympic Qualifiers which start in January.

It was another good performance from the Green Army.

Sarah McAuley converted a penalty corner in the 14th minute to put them ahead, and they led at the end of the first quarter.

Spain equalised from a penalty corner converted by Candela Meijas in the 33rd minute. Caitlin Sherin was green carded for Ireland in the 34th minute but there was no further scoring in the quarter and it was 1-1 at half-time.

Spain took the lead from a penalty corner by Belén Iglesias in the 38th minute. Spain were temporarily reduced to 10 players when Alejandra Torres-Quevedo was yellow carded in the 49th minute. And Ireland were quick to capitalise as Roisín Upton came to the rescue by grabbing the leveller from another penalty corner in the 49th minute to make it 2-2.

Spain were back down to 10 players temporarily when Lucia Jiminez was green-carded in the 57th minute, while Ireland finished the game with 10 players when Ellen Curran was yellow-carded in the 59th minute.

The game finished 2-2