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Win over Wales sees Ireland qualify for next year's hockey world cup

Ireland have qualified for the 2022 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup. A 2-1 win over Wales in Pisa in...



Win over Wales sees Ireland qu...
Other Sports

Win over Wales sees Ireland qualify for next year's hockey world cup

Ireland have qualified for the 2022 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup.

A 2-1 win over Wales in Pisa in their European Qualifying final on Sunday saw Sean Dancer's side book their place at next year's tournament.

Anna O'Flanagan, Ireland's record female goalscorer, scored both goals for the Green Machine.

The Dublin native opened the scoring after just eight minutes before Izzie Howell equalised for Wales.

The must-win contest then looked like it was going to a shoot-out before O'Flanagan got another for Ireland 10 minutes from time.

The competition will take place in Spain and the Netherlands in July of next year when Ireland will be hoping to do one better than their incredible run in 2018 where they were beaten in the final.

Speaking after the win, goalscoring hero O'Flanagan said this team is far from a one-hit wonder.

"I think what's important for this team is that we're not just a one-hit wonder.

"We have always spoke about creating a legacy and really setting down a mark and in 2018 we did that but it was important for us to continue to do that.

"We continued in 2019 - qualifying for the Olympics and we went to the Olympics a year later.

"We played a good tournament there and now we've qualified again for another World Cup and it's important for this team that we keep growing and growing.

"It doesn't matter that we have players stepping down or new players stepping in - it doesn't stop, we keep qualifying for tournaments, we keep pushing the bar higher and higher.

"It's amazing for this group to keep achieving.

"Especially with the nature of the opponents, Wales really progressed well through the tournament, it was always going to be gritty and hard but we're just absolutely delighted to come out the other end."

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2022 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup Anna O'Flanagan Ireland