EuroHockey Division II: Ireland face Scotland semi-final after 6-2 win over Portugal in final pool game
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Ben Walker and Shane O'Donoghue were both on target in Ireland's comprehensive win over Portugal
Ireland's men will face Scotland in the semi-finals of the EuroHockey Division 2 championship in Dublin on Friday.
The Irish completed the pool stages unbeaten after a 6-2 win over Portugal on Wednesday.
Conor Empey scored twice while Ben Walker, Lee Cole, Jeremy Duncan and Shane O'Donoghue got the other goals.
Ireland only put daylight between themselves and a resilient Portuguese side in the final quarter. Ukraine will face Italy in the other last-four tie.
The winners of that game will claim one of the two places available through this tournament for the Paris Olympic Qualifiers in January.
Likewise, Ireland will do the same, but should they lose to Scotland they would get a second chance by winning the 3rd/4th place play-off.
As Great Britain participate in the Olympics (rather than England, Scotland or Wales), should Scotland make the final then that would allow the third placed team to qualify.
With semi-final qualification and top spot secured in the pool bar a massive double-digit defeat, Ireland looked ragged in the first half.
They did take the lead in the first quarter with some lovely play in the circle from Luke Witherow and Johnny McKee that set up Walker for the first-time finish.
Ireland forge ahead after Portugal level
After Lee Cole scored early in the second quarter from a penalty corner it seemed like the rout may be on but credit to Portugal who scored the first goal past Ireland in the tournament when David Franco converted a penalty corner, beating goalkeeper Davy Harte.
Ireland then fell foul of the umpires with Kyle Marshall given a green card followed closely by a 10-minute yellow card for Sam Hyland leaving Ireland shorthanded for the rest of the first half and Portugal buoyed by their numerical advantage.
If being only one goal ahead over the 40th ranked side in the world was surprising it was positively shocking when three minutes into the third quarter Portugal equalised. From another penalty corner Rodrigo Robelo dragged his shot past Lisnagarvey goalkeeper James Milliken who replaced Harte at the interval.
Ireland needed a spark and McKee provided it with some good play along the baseline and although his pass wasn't intended for Duncan, it came off a Portuguese stick and landed at the Monkstown forward's feet and he tapped it into the open net to regain the lead heading into the final quarter.
Ireland finally found their stride in the final 15 minutes.
O'Donoghue added a fourth goal with another well-struck shot from a corner and within a minute Empey had turned in the fifth with McKee once again instigating the attack.
With the final play of the game Empey scored from yet another corner to add a little gloss to the score line.