The qualification tournament is being played at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff and features eight teams looking for the final European spot at the 2023 World Cup.

The national team need to win their first two games to land a place at the 2023 showpiece event to be played in India.

Ireland will be looking to reach a second successive World Cup and their fourth overall after appearing at their first in 28 years in 2018.

They come into the competition as the second-highest ranked side, one place behind France in 14th.

Their opponents, Russia, are yet to qualify for the World Cup, with this qualification tournament acting as a golden ticket for the second-lowest ranked team out of the eight competing.

If Ireland beat Russia, they will face either Wales or Italy on Saturday, October 23 for a place at the World Cup.

Mark Tumilty’s side qualified for the eight-team tournament after finishing third at the 2021 Men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Poland back in August.

Since then, Olympian Conor Harte has returned to the side while Luke Madeley, Jamie Carr and Lee Cole are also available having missed out on playing time at the Euros when they were deemed close contacts in the lead-up to the event.

11 of the team that saw game time in Poland have been called up for the qualifiers at the end of the month.

Russia earned their spot after qualifying for the 2021 Men’s EuroHockey Championship, at which they finished last after conceding 33 goals in six games.

Ireland will head into the qualifiers after sharing a series on short notice with Malaysia in Lisnagarvey at the start of October.

Team News

Ireland men’s squad for World Cup qualifiers (club/caps)
Jamie Carr (GK, KHC Leuven, 34)
Mark Ingram (GK, Pembroke, 27)
Tom Cross (Annadale, 22)
Luke Madeley (KHC Leuven, 23)
Lee Cole (Monkstown, 90)
Conor Harte (KHC Dragons, 254)
Peter McKibbin (Lisnagarvey, 8)
Kyle Marshall (Old Georgians, 7)
Shane O’Donoghue (Glenanne, 197)
Sean Murray (captain, KHC Leuven, 85)
Neal Glassey (Crefelder HTC, 67)
Daragh Walsh (KHC Leuven, 58)
Michael Robson (Annadale, 120)
Johnny McKee (Banbridge, 49)
Conor Empey (SCHC, 2)
Sam Hyland (YMCA, 2)
Ben Walker (Braxgata, 42)
Jeremy Duncan (Monkstown, 63)

Travelling reserves
Matthew Nelson (Lisnagarvey, 69)
Kevin O’Dea (UCD, 7)

Where To Watch

The match will begin at 4 pm and will be shown live on EuroHockeyTV.

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With no actual final set to take place due to championship commitments, and with Kerry dismantling Tyrone in the first semi-final earlier on in the day, both teams were given the honour.

The juggernaut that is Dublin looked out of sorts for a short period of the opening half, falling behind by two points before warming into the game and taking control.

The first half saw the two teams look nervous, a few misplaced passes gave off a cagey and stuttering start, with Donegal ahead by two, with points from Michael Langan and Niall O’Donnell.

Dublin immediately responded with a point from Con O’Callaghan to get back into the game and calm any nerves they may have had. By the 15 minute-mark, Cormac Costello restored the game to level the game at 0-04 each.

The Dubs smelled blood shortly after, with Niall Scully attempting an audacious goal chance after Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton was caught lacking but the shot went wide.

A turnover for Dublin ultimately led to Paddy Small coolly rounding Patton and calmly placing the ball down the middle of the goal with ease.

The end of the first half saw Dublin lead 1-08 to 0-07.

The start of the second half saw the Dubs notch a further three points in three minutes from Ciaran Kilkenny, Sean McMahon, and midfield general Brian Fenton, before Paddy McBrearty got a hat-trick of points for Donegal to get them back in the game.

With Dublin’s lead at 1-16 to 0-11 points with the game soon to end, Brendan McCole squandered a goal chance just before Eoghan McGettigan scoring a goal.

The final scoreline was complementary to Donegal, starting off well before Dublin inevitably took control and made an example out of the Ulster giants.

Donegal

Shaun Patton; Eoin McHugh, Stephen McMenamin, Brendan McCole (0-01); Ryan McHugh, Odhrán McFadden Ferry, Ethan O’Donnell; Caolan McGonagle (0-02), Hugh McFadden; Ciaran Thompson, Odhrán Mac Niallais (0-01), Niall O’Donnell (0-01); Patrick McBrearty (0-06, 0-01m, 0-02fs), Michael Langan (0-02), Oisin Gallen.

Dublin

Evan Comerford; Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne, Sean McMahon (0-01); Eoin Murchan, Brian Howard (0-01), James McCarthy; Brian Fenton (0-01), Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne; Colm Basquel, Ciaran Kilkenny (0-02), Niall Scully; Paddy Small (1-03, 0-01m), Con O’Callaghan (0-03), Cormac Costello (0-06,0-05fs, 0-01’45’).

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