Czech coach ‘knows us inside out’, warns Deirdre Duke

Grundie started work with the Czechs as head coach this summer having worked with the Green Army from 2018 up until last October. The understated Ulsterman was a key assistant to Graham Shaw and Sean Dancer in the World Cup silver medal and Olympic qualification.

And Duke says few other coaches in the world game are better placed to plot their downfall with a vast volume of inside knowledge.

“He knows us inside out so that’s something we have to contend with for our penalty corners and personnel,” Duke said of the match-up.

“He brought so much to our programme and is an incredibly intelligent guy; he just sees the game in a different way which we learned a lot from. The Czech girls are lucky to have him.

“He hasn’t been there too long so hopefully he hasn’t had much time to implement exactly what he wants just yet!” she added with a grin.

Indeed, Grundie is working with a revamped squad – ranked 23rd compared to Ireland’s 13 – with six teenagers and nine who played in the European Juniors this summer.

Ireland have never lost to the Czechs but they did push the Irish to the brink of Euro relegation in 2017 before a late Róisín Upton goal set them on their way to safety by the skin of their teeth.

Following Thursday’s 3-0 win over Poland and the Czechs draw with Turkey, another Irish win would put them on the brink of qualification for next summer’s showpiece in Germany. Duke netted the first goal against the Poles and is enjoying her first tournament in her hometown at a venue only ever experienced before as a training pitch.

“The Campus looks very different than usual in the depths of winter. We have done a lot of hard yards out here so it’s great to get a good crowd out.”

Women’s EuroHockey

Championship qualifiers

Poland v Turkey, 10.45

Ireland v Czech Republic, 1.0