Germany show Ireland hockey team no mercy as Mark Tumilty weighs up Olympic calls

Less than 24 hours after losing 5-1 to Great Britain, Marco Miltkau and Malte Hellwig both bagged a brace of goals for a clinical Germany outfit in a 7-0 win.

Playing three of the world’s top teams in a row – Belgium, GB and Germany are all favourites for the Paris Olympics – would have been unthinkable before Ireland stepped up to the FIH Pro League this season.

The Green Machine now have two matches left midweek before coach Mark Tumilty sets about choosing his 16-strong squad for next month’s Games. Currently bottom, relegation now looks on the cards in their debut season in the global league.

“The Pro League has been significant for us,” said Tumilty. “We learned a lot in India and the physical demands and conditions of the other nations and we’ve tried to make progress in that area. We made progress in Belgium but we haven’t carried that through in the first two games here and we hope to finish our last two games in a better manner.”

A goalless opening quarter saw Ireland twice hold out in the closing stages, including goalkeeper Jamie Carr saving a fizzing Timm Herzbruch shot off his helmet.

​Carr, who replaced David Harte, was then in the thick of the action early in the second quarter, a period Ireland had dominated but for, in Tumilty’s words, two “daft errors”.

​Having first blocked a crash ball into the D with his boot, Carr was left unaware of where the ball had deflected to and Elian Mazkour was quick enough to slot home from close range.

​A minute later Shane O’Donoghue had to produce a full stretch stick dive on the line to keep out Germany’s second. But Germany doubled the lead with a turnover move two minutes from the first-half hooter as Hellwig flicked easily past Carr.

​Ireland were at fault for another turnover 30 seconds later. In a flash, the Germans had the ball in the circle and Miltkau angled brilliantly into the net with Carr advancing.

​German circle skills garnered their third goal in four minutes of play, when Miltkau swept home his second after fine baseline play.

​A fifth arrived from a German high press as Ireland attempted to clear their lines from the baseline. As O’Donoghue slapped across goal, Herzbruch timed his slide to perfection and let his stick work guide the ball past Carr.

​Two goals in two minutes late on from Hellwig and Thies Prinz left Ireland further deflated. Ireland had one chance on the counter with seconds left but the hooter sounded to sum up their morning.

​The Irish will play Germany and GB on Wednesday and Thursday and Tumilty admitted that Olympic selection was still on offer for several players.

​He said: “There are still a few places up grabs and there are always injuries which makes selection quite difficult [Luke Madeley suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday]. There are still opportunities for players to put their hand up for selection.”