Ireland defeated by Germany in Pro League

Ireland’s Michael Robson in Pro League action against Germany

Ireland fell to a 3-0 defeat by Germany in their penultimate Hockey Pro League game in London.

The Germans had inflicted a 7-0 hammering on Mark Tumilty’s side on Sunday but, after a couple of days of rest, Ireland proved more resilient and where unlucky not to keep the game closer than it turned out.

After a scoreless first half, third-quarter goals from Timm Herzbruch and Gonzalo Peillat eventually broke the deadlock and Germany added a third in the last minute through Thies Prinz.

Ireland complete their inaugural Pro League campaign on Thursday against Great Britain before Tumilty will consider his squad selection for the Paris Olympics.

"I thought the performance was significantly better than the weekend performances against both GB and Germany,” said Tumilty.

“I thought in the first half we played some of our best hockey as a group.

“We probably left a few chances out there and that's something we need to work on during the next six-eight weeks as we head towards Paris.”

Ireland got to grips with the high German press in the first half and began to play around it, creating chances for Matthew Nelson and Ben Walker but neither were taken.

Defensively Ireland made Germany work much harder for their opportunities and when they came goalkeeper Davy Harte made the saves he needed to.

In the third quarter Germany began to turn up the pressure.

From a penalty corner the initial shot hit Kyle Marshall on the arm as he guarded the post.

A penalty stroke was awarded and Herzbruch converted.

There was nothing anyone could do to stop the effort from Peillat from another corner that made it 2-0.

To their credit Ireland never gave up in the final quarter and forced four penalty corners in all during the game but the lack on conversion is something that will need to change if they are to create shocks at the Olympics.

The Germans added a little gloss to the score line in the final minute when they broke up field and Prinz scored after Harte had made a first save.

Tumilty added, “We don't get many chances against teams of this calibre. In the first half we created enough chances to score a couple of goals. But that's probably been the difference between the top sides, they are more clinical.

“We have to recover, reset and prepare to face Great Britain. We always look forward to playing against Great Britain, they are always excellent games and it's a good challenge for ourselves."