Men's Hockey/Ireland 10 Czech Republic 0:Ireland's men ended their European tournament in emphatic style and have done everything in their power to avoid relegation.
Now they must sit and wait for the outcome of England v France.
All England need is a point against France, but a defeat for the
home side will result in relegation and ensure Ireland's survival
in the Championship.
Ireland got the best possible start to the game with an early
goal from Mark Gleghorne who drag flicked the ball straight into
the top left hand corner on the fourth minute. John Jermyn followed
suit in the 19th minute with a successful penalty corner routine
when he placed his flick past the diving Filip Neussar to double
the Irish lead.
The Irish proved there really were on form today when Karl Burns intercepted an aerial ball to win Ireland a free hit which was played quickly down the right, for Magee to receive a cross into the circle and tuck the ball into the bottom left of the Czech goal.
A minute before half time Jermyn, unmarked in the circle, drove the ball across the face of the goal for Phelie Maguire to slide passed the keeper for Ireland's fourth goal.
The Irish started the second half as eagerly as the first and wasted no time in putting more scores on the board, only six minutes in, Butler picked up the ball in the Czech half to pass to Jermyn who ambled unhindered into the Czech circle and bury his shot into the top left hand corner, for his second goal of the game and Ireland's fifth.
Jermyn didn't waste anytime getting his hat trick which came in the 56th minute of play, the floodgates were well and truly open at this stage with the Irish attack showing no signs of relenting.
Mark Gleghorne caused the Czech defence some problems on the left hand side when he drove along the backline to slip the ball back to Andy Barbour, who dove to deflect the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
Butler created Ireland's eight goal when he passed unselfishly to Shaw in the circle who's reverse stick strike hit the back of the net to set Ireland on the way to double figures.
Ireland continued to pile on the pressure to convert another penalty corner through a Gleghorne drag flick for their ninth and in the dying moments of the game Ireland made it to double figures when Barbour finished off a Gleghorne pass to put the ball passed a luckless Filip Neussar in the Czech goal.
It now also looks likely that Ireland's Olympic qualifiers will be in New Zealand, with Egypt, New Zealand and Great Britain.