Argentina end Ireland’s Olympic dreams but a lot still achieved

Ireland 2 (J Jermyn, S O’Donoghue) Argentina 3 (G Peillat 2, J Saladino)

Gonzalo Peillat’s dead-eye accuracy from penalty corners saw Argentina end Ireland’s Olympic dream of an Olympic, denying them the win they required to reach the quarter-finals in Deodoro.

In truth, as befitting their world number seven ranking, Los Leones always had the extra gear and stifled Ireland in midfield before scoring three set pieces to win the tie.

Ireland hung tough and were right in the hunt when Shane O’Donoghue scored his third goal in three games to level it at 2-2 with ten minutes to go.

Just 46 seconds later, however, Ireland conceded the crucial corner which Peillat punched into the backboard, an emphatic blow to turn out the lights.

For coach Craig Fulton, it was a hammer blow but, when the dust settles he can reflect on a tournament where Ireland made a statement of intent.

As the only not fully professional side in the field of 12, Fulton is hopeful the odyssey to qualify, the battle to raise funds to compete and ultimately their exposure to a much wider audience and have a lasting dividend.

“It’s just bigger than anything and you also want it to be bigger than anything. It’s the pinnacle of our sport.

“I just hope we have raised the profile of Irish hockey, especially in Ireland, because this team has sacrificed a lot to get to this point and to perform at this level. And it is a big stage to perform on. The guys have done Ireland proud.”

After Shane O’Donoghue’s first minute rasper was repelled by Juan Vivaldi, Ireland endured a torrid opening quarter, conceding five penalty corners.

But for David Harte’s utter brilliance, it would have been more than the Juan Saladino poke in the seventh minute in the difference, the striker snapping up the scraps after Harte and Jonny Bell stopped Gonzalo Peillat’s initial flick.

Argentina’s high-pressing game was yielding a glut of chances, rendering the Irish midfield inert for long periods.

From the green machine’s first sustained bit of control on the ball - with Chris Cargo at the heart of things - they managed to snatch an unlikely equaliser, though.

It came in the 24th minute when Peter Caruth and Eugene Magee’s willingness earned a penalty corner. Shane O’Donoghue’s first-up drag was charged down illegally - confirmed on video review - and John Jermyn whizzed home the reset corner, his 92nd international goal.

Parity lasted just three minutes, however, as a sixth corner was conceded. A mix-up at the left post left half the goal open for Peillat to fire home his fifth goal of the Games.

Agustin Mazzilli went close to killing off the tie in the third quarter following a brilliant move, orchestrated by Manu Brunet’s innovative lob out of defence.

The eventual shot cracked the post as Ireland hung tough, particularly when John Jackson served a five-minute sin-binning. They were not able to create much but were clinging on to their tournament lifeline.

That lifeline got a huge extra pump from the defibrillator with 10 minutes to go when Cargo’s driving run won a corner. This time, a spin-move was laid into the path of O’Donoghue and he fired low through Vivaldi’s legs for 2-2.

Just 46 seconds later, though, Argentina picked off yet another corner - their seventh - and Peillat knocked out the lights permanently.

Ireland: D Harte, J Jackson, R Gormley, M Watt, C Cargo, J Jermyn, S O'Donoghue, M Darling, K Good, P Gleghorne, C Harte

Subs: J Bell, A Sothern, E Magee, P Caruth, K Shimmins

Argentina: J Vivaldi, G Peillat, J Gilardi, P Ibarra, F Callioni, L Vila, I Ortiz, M Brunet, L Rossi, M Rey, M Paredes

Subs: L Rey, J Menini, J Lopez, J Saladino, A Mazzilli

Umpires: S Taylor, P Vazquez