Men's Hockey European Trophy final/ Ireland 4 Czech Republic 2: Ireland are not a tournament team, Irish coach Dave Passmore told them shortly after he was appointed nine months ago. What he has done in the intervening time and particularly over the past week appears to have knocked that theory on the head - for good, let us hope.

Of all eight nations competing in Rome last week Ireland was the one that improved as this European Championship Trophy unfolded over an intensive seven days.

Any fears of the Irish side fading in traditional mode as the temperature increased were shown to be unfounded by a team that arrived in the Lazio region as tournament favourites and left with that reputation enhanced and crucially with the trophy.

Midfielder Stephen Butler also collected the Player of the Championship award and with eight goals was just one short of being the highest scorer of the week, Italy's Gianluca Cirilli preventing him from pocketing that bauble with a hat-trick earlier in the day in one of the lower classification matches.

The 4-2 win over a lively and talented Czech Republic side in the weekend's final also corroborated the evidence Ireland were competing at a level below their ability. Though the predictability of it should not detract from one of the best Irish hockey performances in years.

As tournament champions Ireland have now secured a number of attractive commissions at a higher level.

They had already qualified for the elite European Championships in two years' time by virtue of getting to the final.

By virtue of soundly beating the Czechs, they also travel to China next March for a crack at a World Cup place.

And prior to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 there could be an Olympic-qualifying event staged in Dublin.

The success in Italy has ensured the next three years have been charted out - the venue for the Olympic-qualification event will become known next week.

So, in 2006 Ireland's men's and women's teams will compete in World Cup qualifying events and will then play in the elite European Championship division, a pleasantly arrived-at headache for the financial wing of the Irish Hockey Association.

Of course it might have been different had Ireland not responded well to going a goal down in Saturday's final, which began in a thunderstorm.

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning ensured the first 20 minutes were played in extreme conditions as lightning lit up the Rome sky.

But the first goal arrived after just 15 minutes and after a short corner had broken down, a quick free-out for the Czech side propelled them into a sweeping move down the right. By the time Ireland scrambled to turn attack into defence, unmarked left wing Stepan Bernatek had slapped the ball past goalkeeper Wesley Bateman for one-nil.

Three minutes later that had been righted from an Irish corner. As the defence prepared themselves for a Butler effort, the ball was slipped to Mark Gleghorne and while the goalkeeper put a glove on the ball it carried over the line for Gleghorne's second goal of the tournament.

Seven minutes later it was Andy Barbour's turn to end an excellent week when he fed off a corner rebound after goalkeeper Filip Neusser had stopped twice. It was a deserved lead as Ireland played their best phase of the tournament.

Then when Justin Sherriff was upended by Neusser on a dribble into the circle on the half hour Butler converted the first of his two penalties to make it 3-1.

At half-time Ireland were firmly in control, though they could have had more goals, and when the Czechs lifted the tempo in the second half Ireland were forced back into their own half.

A converted corner from Tomas Prochazka for 3-2 frayed a few nerves but captain Paddy Brown's Irish defence was again sound and there was no panic.

On 63 minutes another heavy tackle in the circle as Ireland broke gave Butler his second opportunity from the spot. His trademark low and hard finish put the Irish 4-2 ahead and made the match safe.

"They didn't panic and kept their discipline," said Passmore after the match.

"I thought we could have had more goals at half-time but I was very pleased about how the team played throughout the week. I think we got better as the tournament went on."

Domestically the players are now required to take a couple of weeks break before preparation for the World Cup qualifier begins.

IRELAND: W Bateman; K Burns, D Smyth, P Brown (capt), J Black, A Barbour, S Butler, M Black, G Shaw, J Sherriff, M Irwin. Rolling subs: I Lewers, M Gleghorne, M Raphael, D Hobbs.