Ireland v Great Britain series: Olympic champions fight back to beat hosts 2-1 in Belfast opener

Olympic champions Great Britain fought back to beat Ireland 2-1 in game one of the three-match series in Belfast.

Roisin Upton's seventh-minute penalty stroke put the hosts ahead after Great Britain keeper Maddie Hinch had brought down the lively Anna O'Flanagan.

The Irish remained ahead at the break but the outstanding Lily Owsley levelled early in the second half.

As GB took control, Sarah Robertson hit the winner early in the final quarter after a superb Giselle Ansley pass.

The visitors had little difficulty in managing the game in the closing minutes at a windy Queen's University despite losing Laura Unsworth for two minutes following her green card.

Series part of Olympic build-up

With both squads using their series as a crucial part of their preparations for the EuroHockey Championships and Olympic Games, Ireland made a lively start with Naomi Carroll putting the ball in the British net early on, only for the umpire to rule out the effort.

The first of a series of Owsley runs deep into Irish territory then led to a GB penalty corner but Unsworth failed to get full purchase on the shot, with Grace O'Flanagan making a comfortable save.

The Irish keeper's cousin Anna O'Flanagan immediately earned Ireland's penalty stroke at the other end as she was upended by Hinch and Upton hammered the resultant shot to the roof of the net.

But after their somewhat sluggish start, the Olympic champions began to take control with Hannah McLaughlin and Michelle Carey having to make last-ditch interventions to halt further Owsley bursts.

As they remained in arrears at half-time, Ansley missed a penalty stroke after the game had restarted amid a downpour as her effort shaved the outside of the post but within a couple of minutes the visitors were deservedly on terms as Owsley finished from close range.

A rare Irish attack saw a penalty-corner chance late in the third quarter but Upton's effort was blocked and it was no big surprise when the British dominance yielded Robertson's winner after Ansley's long pass from inside her own half early in the final quarter.

Anna O'Flanagan produced a typically dynamic display for the hosts in Belfast

A game of two halves - Mullan

Ireland captain Katie Mullan felt the contest had been a "game of two halves" as the hosts lost impetus following their fast start.

"I think we controlled and moved the ball really well in the first half and we were disappointed with our second-half performance," said the Coleraine woman, who added that the Irish will be determined to produce an improvement in Sunday's second encounter.

"It's always a really close battle against GB. Split seconds where you switch off and they punish you and that's exactly what happened in the second half."

Great Britain's Ansley was delighted to be back in action for her country after being ruled out since the Olympic qualifiers in 2019 following Achilles surgery.

"I've been back in training with the girls since January so I've had time to get back involved," said Ansley.

"The first half showed we were a bit off it but we picked it up in the second half."

Ansley played down her contribution to Great Britain's final-quarter winner.

"That was all down to Sarah (Robertson). She finished it nicely. I just spotted her in the distance and thought I'd go for it."

After Sunday's second match in the series, the sides will meet again on Tuesday at the Queen's University venue.