Women's Hockey European Championships: Ireland 1 Azerbaijan 2The Irish women signed off with a loss at the European hockey championships in Manchester.
Still, good work done earlier in the week ensured Gene Muller's girls will be back at Europe's top table once more in two years' time as they finished sixth in the rankings, one place shy of their ranking in Dublin two years ago.
The coach declared himself satisfied with the outcome of their labours at Bellevue - which included wins over Italy and Ukraine - and predicted confidently, "This team is going to get better and better."
They will certainly need to improve if they are to challenge for an Olympic berth in the new year, almost certainly in Russia and probably with Spain among the six contesting a single place.
The South African still had every reason to be optimistic, pointing out that seven of the panel he brought to Manchester were untried at this exalted level and happy they had all benefited hugely from the experience.
In Saturday's match, it was one of the old guard who knocked in their goal, captain Linda Caulfield belting home a penalty corner unchallenged while her colleagues created more diversions than the M50 roadworks.
The skipper's well-struck opener came on 21 minutes but the lead was stolen away on the stroke of half-time, again at a corner. Nazira Hidayatova jumped for joy as her mishit effort bounced past Louisa Healy.
Azerbaijan, one of Europe's fast improving outfits, arrived in England with five newly patriated Koreans in their line-up.
But it was one of their home-growns who flicked in the equaliser on 46 minutes from the penalty spot, Inoyathon Jafarova the scorer after Jill Orbinson stopped a goalbound shot with a leg.
With Eimear Cregan rallying the forwards, and coming deep occasionally to collect the ball, the Irish had a number of chances to salvage the draw that would have edged them ahead of their opponents in the final standings.
The best was a cross from the right by Alex Speers that the inrushing Jenny McDonough failed to pull out of the air and into the untenanted goal.
They also forced three second-half corners, to no avail, though Nikki Summons managed one shot on target.
The gold medals were collected by Germany, who knocked the four-in-a-row champions the Netherlands off their perch. The finalists will be joined at the Olympics by England, who will compete in Beijing as Britain.
IRELAND:L Healy, E Harte, R Flinn, L Caulfield, E Cregan, S McCay, J McDonough, C O'Brien, J Orbinson, N Symmons, C Parkhill. Subs: E Clarke, E Stewart, B McKeever, C McKean, A Speers.
AZERBAIJAN:V Shahbazova, E Muzaffarova, Z Zeynalova, F Makayeva, D Mirzaliyeva, A Nuriyeva, L Nuriyeva, N Sidorova, Z Mammodova, I Jafarova, Z Suleymanova. Subs: N Hidayatova, G Mikayilova, M Aliyeva, K Aliyeva.
Umpires:S Bartelma (Netherlands), F Block (England).
Fifth-eighth-place play-offs:Ukraine 0, Italy 1; Ireland 1, Azerbaijan 2; Final standings: 5, Azerbaijan 9 pts; 6, Ireland 6; 7, Italy 3 (relegated); 8, Ukraine 0 (relegated);
Bronze-medal match:England 3, Spain 2; Final: Netherlands 0, Germany 2 (Top three teams qualify for Olympic Games).
