Ireland 1 South Africa 2:IRELAND FINISHED their Electric Ireland Champions Challenge campaign in sixth place as Pietee Coetzee, the world record goalscorer, netted a glorious 59th-minute drag-flick to secure a 2-1 South African victory in yesterday's classification tie at Belfield.
It was a tough end to a largely positive tournament as Gene Muller’s side won three times against higher world ranked opposition and finished up one place on their pre-tournament ranking.
But Muller was irked that his side won as many matches as the overall champions, bemoaning the tournament structure that allowed basement sides from the group stages a second chance in the newly-introduced quarter-final stage. Speaking about the introduction of the extra game, he said: “The tournament format is bizarre and I can’t see it lasting. If every coach I’ve spoke to is against it, why must the FIH continue to try and sell it as a good idea. It’s a bad idea but because it is their idea, they have got overly connected to it.”
His side fell behind in yesterday’s game to Sulette Damons strike. Nikki Symmons levelled matters with 21 minutes to go, credited with the goal after Cliodhna Sargent’s piledriver had deflected her way. Her shot was slightly off target but the covering Marsha Marescia could only redirect into her own goal. It came during Ireland’s best period but South Africa reasserted their authority as time went on and won the vital corner from which Coetzee duly converted.
Overall, though, Muller drew plenty of positives from the week. “I’ve mixed feelings about it. Finishing sixth is disappointing but to have played in the fashion we have in this tournament, I have to take that,” he said “You’re always chasing the performance and it was really good today. We didn’t lose many individual battles, matched them tactically and in certain areas I thought we outplayed South Africa.”
IRELAND: E Gray, M Harvey, C Sargent, E Smyth, E Clarke, A Speers, S McCay, J McDonnell, J O’Halloran, S McCarthy, N Symmons. Subs: L Jacob, A Connery, A O’Flynn, C Watkins, L Colvin.
SOUTH AFRICA: M Rix, M Marescia, S Russell, L-M Deetleefs, P Coetzee, N Terblanche, L Marais, K Taylor, K Hubach, T Bright, S Damons. Subs: I Davids, M Keet, D Chamberlain, L-A George, C Evan
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