Ireland have missed out on a place in the semi-finals at the women's European Hockey Championships, following a one-all draw with Germany in their final pool game in Antwerp.
Sean Dancer's side needed a win to progress into the last-four and the draw was enough to send the fifth ranked Germans through.
Germany dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the eighth minute when Pia Maertens fired past Ayeisha McFerran.
Ireland drew level just a minute before half-time with Sarah Hawkshaw finishing from close range from Katie Mullan's pass.
— EuroHockey (@eurohockeyorg) August 21, 2019
McFerran, Ireland's World Cup penalty saving hero in London, once again showed her stopping skills in the second-half.
'Big moments need big players' McFerran saves Lorenz's penalty stroke to keep Ireland in with a chance #EHC2019
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/VR0CEuZoUS pic.twitter.com/HUWLrzz3q2
— EuroHockey (@eurohockeyorg) August 21, 2019
But Ireland were unable to find a winner in a frantic final quarter of the game and they now drop into the relegation section of the tournament.
“Obviously it’s very disappointing for us to lose a must win game, but for me that was a good scenario – a quarter final situation," Dancer said after the game.
"All credit to the girls, we got a draw, but unfortunately we needed a draw and weren’t quite good enough”.
Ireland: A McFerran, K Mullan, S McCay, E Tice, B Barr, C Watkins, L Colvin, S Hawkshaw, A O’Flanagan, Z Wilson, D Duke
Subs: R Upton, N Evans, G Pinder, N Daly, H Matthews, E Murphy, A Meeke
Germany: A Wortmann, N Lorenz, S Oruz, H Gablac, A Schroder, E Grave, J Muller-Wieland, J Sonntag, P Maertens, V Huse, H Granitzki,
Subs: K Horn, L Micheel, N Kubalski, S Zimmermann, F Hauke, C Pieper, R Grote
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