Ireland in World Cup as qualifiers descend into farce

Ireland have qualified for the Womens’s Hockey World Cup but their passage has been marred by another bizarre episode in their qualifying saga with Lithuania.

Ireland had been due to complete a rescheduled penalty shootout with the Lithuanians this morning but after their opponents failed to turn up, the match referee awarded the tie to the Irish, sending them to the World Cup for the first time.

The controversy began yesterday evening as, having finishing deadlocked, the Ireland v Lithuania play-off entered a penalty shootout. The first series of penalties finished level at five-apiece and the shootout went to sudden death.

Under the rules of the game, Lithuania should have shot first the second time around, a point Irish captain Rachael Kohler raised with the umpire who chose to ignore her advice. Instead, Ireland shot first and went on to ‘lose’ 6-5.

Immediately, the Irish team lodged an appeal and tournament director, Claire Peeters, ruled the sudden death part of the shootout should be replayed. It was due to be replayed yesterday evening, but a torrential downpour in southern France meant it was rescheduled for 10 a.m. local time today.

This morning, with the Irish team waiting, it became evident the Lithuanians were not going to show. At 9.55 a.m., the match referee contacted the Lithuanian team manager who made it clear his team would not be participating and the match was subsequently awarded to the Irish.

Barring further developments, and it’s hard to rule anything out, the result means Ireland will travel to Perth in Australia for the 2002 Women’s World Cup in November.

The whole episode, already unusual in the extreme, descended into complete farce this afternoon before Ireland’s fifth and sixth place decider against Scotland.

As the two teams, both having qualified for Perth, arrived for the tie they were greeted by the sight of Lithuania warming up on the pitch. Obviously keen to make their point, the Lithuanians felt they should have been facing the Scots and their protest forced the match to be delayed by over an hour.

Then, while Lithuania were being persuaded to leave the field of play, news filtered through that Russia were threatening to pull out of their final against England in protest at yesterday’s decision. That match is due to start at 5 p.m. Irish time.

Ireland eventually won their match 2-1 to finish fifth overall. Scotland took the lead in the first half but Ireland drew level after the break through Jill Aubinson. The game was forced into injury time where a wonderful golden goal from Lynsey McVicker sealed the victory for Ireland.

It remains to be seen if the Lithuanians will lodge any official appeal although it is thought the only course of action available would be via the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

Meanwhile, a bemused Irish team laid the blame for the debacle firmly at the door of the officials and expressed their disappointment in the sequence of events.

Joan McCloy, president of the Irish Ladies' Hockey Union, congratulated her team but extended her sympathies to the Lithuanians who had been knocked out in a manner "cruel beyond belief."