Fired-up Ireland aiming for top-six finish

After an intensive eight month build-up that saw them play over 20 international matches, Ireland finally open their European Nations' Cup campaign against the Ukraine in Cologne today.

Their results in the early part of that build-up hardly augured well for their target of a top-six finish in the 12-team tournament, one that would guarantee them automatic qualification for the next finals, but their displays over the past two months suggest they should, at least, improve on their eighth place finish in Holland four years ago.

"It all seemed to suddenly click in to place," said goalkeeper Tara Browne of the team's recent form, "just as we were beginning to wonder if we'd ever realise our potential. The way we're playing now we feel we can give anyone a game, especially with the number of goals we've been scoring."

From a famine to a feast - that's been the story of Ireland's scoring record since the start of the year. Even Riet Kuper, the eternally optimistic Irish coach, seemed to be nearing despair after the team's inability to convert chances into goals left them bottom of June's four-nations' tournament in Vancouver (behind the US, Canada and Japan). Since then? Played eight, scored 26 (including seven from Pegasus winger Claire McMahon), helping the team to six wins, all against fellow European finalists - Scotland, the Czech Republic (twice), Belgium and France (twice). The only defeat in the last eight games came at the hands of reigning European champions, the Netherlands.

But, having been drawn in a pool that includes the second, third and fourth placed nations (Spain, Germany and England) from the last European finals, along with the Ukraine and the Czech Republic, Kuper won't expect the goals to come quite so freely in Cologne. She does, though, believe that the team can, realistically, take points off all their pool opponents bar Germany, IF they play to their potential.

"Germany are at a different level to the rest of us in the pool but I think the players are confident enough and are playing well enough now to know that they can at least match the other four teams," said Kuper.

"But it is vital for us that we get a good start against the Ukraine to make sure we finish in the top four in the pool and get a place in the play-offs for a top-six finish overall - that remains our target and if we achieve it we will be very happy."

Browne, too, is confident of a successful campaign: "Worst case? Top six. Best case? You never know."