Ireland's workrate yields precious opening victory

Even yesterday's deluge couldn't dampen the mood in the Irish camp after they opened their World Cup Qualifying campaign with a precious 1-0 victory over India in Amiens yesterday. They have played better and lost, a point conceded by coach Riet Kuper after the game, but they've rarely produced as clinical a display, one in which their superior fitness and work rate was rewarded against a more technically gifted team.

Irish captain Rachael Kohler rounded off a stirring individual performance by scoring the game's only goal four minutes before half-time from an immaculately worked penalty corner. Arlene Boyles shaped up to fire on goal but Pamela Magill switched the ball left to Jill Orbinson, whose pass was swept home by Kohler on the left post.

Before then India had had the better of the game but rarely threatened to convert their greater possession into goals, with the Irish midfield and defence (in which Boyles and Daphne Sixsmith excelled) succeeding in denying them space and time on the ball. They had one meaningful attempt on target in the first half, when Neha Singh found herself free in the circle, but goalkeeper Tara Browne made the first of four fine saves to deny them.

As the first half wore on Ireland grew in confidence and began to impose themselves, on the game, with Orbinson becoming a more influential figure in midfield.

The closest India came to an equaliser was in the 50th minute when Browne made her best save of the match, going down low to her left to pad away Sunita Jyoti's shot.

By then Kohler had come close to doubling the lead when her thunderous shot from the left of the circle was saved while, in the 54th minute, Magill hit the post from a penalty corner rebound.

The Indian threat subsided as the second half closed, with the wind and torrential rain sapping them of much of their energy. Their coach A K Bansal complimented the Irish on their "strategy" and "physical condition". "They ran and ran, chased everything," he said.

"I'm happy because this game was very important for us," said Kuper. "I think England will win this group fairly easily so second place is between us, India, Ukraine and France - we have beaten one of our rivals so that's a perfect start."

The momentum must be maintained against Uruguay today if a top two finish in the pool and automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals is to be achieved.

"We should beat them and score some goals ... if not we should probably leave," as Kuper put it.

IRELAND: T Browne, L Caulfield, A Boyles, D Sixsmith, P Magill, J Orbinson, L Lee, R Kohler, C McMahon, J Burke, L McVicker. Subs used: C McKean, E Cregan, K Humphreys.