EuroHockey Championships 2019: Ireland men's semi-final hopes ended by Germany

Ireland men's hopes of reaching the semi-finals at the EuroHockey Championship in Antwerp were ended in a 5-0 defeat by Germany.

The Irish needed a surprise win to reach the last four but Germany took control with first-quarter goals from Niklas Wellen and Tom Grambusch.

Ireland forced four penalty corners but Shane O'Donoghue's efforts were saved.

Malte Hellwig, Florian Fuchs and Lukas Windfeder added late goals from Germany after Ireland had pulled their goalie.

Germany went into the game as strong favourites having hammered Scotland 9-0 earlier in Pool B with Ireland struggling to draw 3-3 with the Scots on Sunday.

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The Germans are seventh in the world rankings - four places ahead of Ireland.

Ireland goalkeepers Mark Ingram and Jamie Carr made a series of superb saves although the Irish did produce a few decent attacking moments when trailing 2-0.

Germany keeper Victor Aly saved O'Donoghue's first penalty corner in the second minute but the Germans took the lead two minutes later as Wellen produced a superb angled finish.

Within four minutes, Grambusch doubled Germany's lead from a penalty corner after a driven ball from long range had clipped Stuart Loughrey's foot.

Ingram twice denied Fuchs to keep Ireland in the contest before Aly stopped O'Donoghue's second penalty corner at the start of the second quarter.

As Germany continued to create the better chances, Ingram's replacement Carr made three great saves, including tipping over a piledriver of a penalty corner from Grambusch just before the end of the third quarter.

Aly produced another fine save to deny John Jackson after another O'Donoghue penalty corner had been blocked before Hellwig tapped in Germany's third with six minutes left after Ireland had gambled by withdrawing their keeper.

Fuchs added another empty net goal with just over a minute left and the Irish had to face a further penalty corner without a keeper in the closing seconds which Windfeder hammered to the net.

Ireland's defeat means they go on to the four-team relegation group as Germany progress to the semi-finals along with the Netherlands.