Ireland on brink of keeping elite status

HOCKEY NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP - Ireland 2 Azerbaijan1:IRELAND BOUNCED back from the lows of Tuesday's 4-1 defeat to Spain to record their first win of the EuroHockey Nations Championship, a vital win over Azerbaijan.

The hard-fought victory, combined with Scotland and Russia’s 1-1 draw yesterday in Amsterdam, moves Ireland to the brink of retaining their status at the elite level in the continent for 2011.

Alex Speers got the crucial goal six minutes from time; deflecting home Megan Frazer’s shot.

Up to that point, Azerbaijan had looked the more likely winners but Bridget Cleland again led a massive defensive effort to hold the opposition at bay.

Nikki Symmons’ 17th-minute drag-flick gave Ireland the lead as the side produced their most productive half of hockey in four games to date. However, Azerbaijan came back strong after the interval and scored through Zhun Mammadova in the 51st minute.

Mammadova, hailing originally from South Korea, was one of the stars for a controversial side who have made major waves in the Dutch media. Players have been naturalised from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine along with five Korean players who are reported to have married Azerbaijan men on the same day and subsequently hold consecutive passport numbers.

Ireland need a draw in their final relegation pool game tomorrow morning against Russia to keep one of the two remaining places in the A division of European hockey.

IRELAND:M Goode, R Flinn, E Cregan (capt), E Clarke, E Stewart, B Cleland, S McCay, N Symmons, E Smyth, L Jacob, M Harvey. Subs: C Sargent, C McKean, A Speers, L Colvin, M Frazer.

AZERBAIJAN:S Kheyirova, F Makayeva, L Chegurko, D Mirzaliyeva, K Aliyeva, M Aliyeva, L Druzhinnia, S-Y Rustamova, B-K Alizada, I Jafarova, Z Mammadova. Subs: E Muzaffarova, V Shahbazova, H-Z Abbasova, M Ahmadova.

EUROHOCKEY NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIPS– Relegation Pool results:Ireland 2 (N Symmons, A Speers) Azerbaijan 1 (Z Mammodova); Scotland 1 Russia 1 Relegation Pool table(points/goal difference): 1. Ireland 4pts (+1) 2. Russia 2pts (0) 3. Scotland 2pts (0) 4. Azerbaijan 1pt (-1) Tomorrow's match schedule(Irish times): (7.30am) Ireland vs Russia; (9.30am) Scotland vs Azerbaijan