Ireland book spot at 2024 Summer Olympics after beating Korea
Ireland have booked their spot at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris after defeating Korea 4-3 in a dramatic third/fourth place play-off.
Matthew Nelson handed Ireland a 14th minute lead following a penalty corner before Ben Johnson doubled their advantage in the second quarter by reacting fastest to score after Sean Murray’s initial shot had been saved.
Korea responded moments later through Sunghyun Kim, but Ireland restored their two-goal gap with John McKee striking home with captain Murray once again playing an important role.
On the stroke of half-time, Korea scored from a penalty corner routine with Junwoo Jeong giving his side hope heading into the break.
Shane O'Donoghue fired home to give Mark Tumilty’s side some breathing space and despite Jang Jonghyun ensuring it would be a nervy finish for Ireland, they held on to book a spot in Paris later this year.
“We’ve done it,” said Tumilty. “I had a lot of belief in this group. I did think though it might come down to this final game before the tournament.
"The guys have delivered and we are on our way to the games. Very pleased for the players, we had to rebuild the squad after Vancouver and this a reward for all the work they put in and all the sacrifices they have made to get there.
“We have a very busy period, between now and the summer, in the run up to the games. We have the FIH Pro League, a trip to India and the games themselves in Paris.
"The Pro League will be 16 games against the top-eight nations in the world and that in itself will be excellent preparation for the Olympic tournament in July-August.”