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Having drawn against China and lost against Australia, England were under immense pressure when they took on Ireland in the last Pool B match of the 2018 Hockey World Cup. A defeat would have ended their World Cup dreams at the group stage itself.
Shedding their conservatism, England played free-flowing and attacking hockey to defeat Ireland by a comprehensive 4-2 margin at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. David Condon set the platform with a field goal in the 15th minute.
After a goalless second quarter, Ireland returned to level terms through Chris Cargo's strike in the 35th minute. A spree of goals ensued as Liam Ansell propelled England into the lead before Shane O'Donoghue converted a penalty corner into an equaliser. But James Gall's shot handed the advantage back to the seventh-ranked team.
Upon overcoming some tense moments, England sealed the game through tenacious defending in the final 15 minutes.
Mark Gleghorne's drag-flick cemented their supremacy in the dying moments of the game. The 2-4 defeat meant that Ireland was knocked out of the tournament.
Here are three standout players from England's clinical triumph against Ireland.
#3 Shane O'Donoghue (Ireland)
In such a crucial encounter, Ireland were relying on talisman Shane O'Donoghue and his proven track record under pressure.
The 26-year old was largely inconspicuous during the first two quarters. However, at a time when the Green Machine badly needed him to step up, he produced a lethal drag-flick to level the scores in the third quarter.
Having tirelessly attacked the inner circle, Ireland were handed a lifeline when Liam Sanford's hasty clearance edged a fellow defender's boot.
The stage was set for O'Donoghue to capitalise on the rare opportunity. Such was the ferocity of his drag-flick that even the deflection cannoned past George Pinner into the back of the net.
However, the man himself will be extremely disappointed at his team's early exit from the tournament.
#2 David Condon (England)
Following a riveting start to the game, England's free-flowing approach reaped rich rewards right at the end of the first quarter.
In a way, it was quite fitting that David Condon scored the goal to take them into the lead. The 27-year old forward had been at the forefront of their deft passing in the early stages of the match.
In the 15th minute, Will Calnan embarked on a stellar run along the baseline after weaving past the Ireland defenders. His pass ricocheted off a miss trap and came into the vicinity of the prowling Condon.
Despite quite a few Irish defenders blocking his line of goal, the East Grinstead striker unfurled a strong finish to beat reputed goal-keeper David Harte.
Condon's sparkling goal helped England establish their ascendancy over Ireland in the opening quarter.
#1 Liam Ansell (England)
With his confident body language and significant pace, Liam Ansell was central to England's comprehensive performance against Ireland.
The 25-year old covered a lot of distance and often left the Irish defenders gasping for breath by running them ragged.
Ansell received the first major scoring opportunity in the match. Although he fluffed the chance by shooting wide, he did not deter and kept piercing the inner circle. His dexterity helped England win a penalty corner in the opening quarter.
During the third quarter, his penchant for keeping the opposition defenders on their toes paid ample dividends.
Seconds after Ireland equalised, he produced a rocket back-handed strike from a tight angle at a considerable distance from goal.
The accurate shot not just evaded David Harte's clutches but almost rendered him helpless. For his steady work rate right throughout the game, Ansell was rewarded with the Player of the Match award.
Head to Sportskeeda to check out the Hockey World Cup schedule for the upcoming matches
