Highlights, India vs Ireland, Women's hockey World Cup 2018 quarter-final: Ireland defeat India in shoot-out, book semi-final berth

After a goalless 4 quarters

It went to the shoot-out

And the Irish held their nerves well

Winning 3-1

It’s also McFerran’s day with some wonderful goalkeeping

It is Ireland’s day

Amazing what they have achieved

3-1 victory for Ireland in the shoot-out

And Ireland have won

They are in the semi-final

One feels for India but the shoot-out should have been better. Yet India played gallantly

Ireland 2-0

Reena scores.

It’s 1-2

McFerran saves

Navjot can’t score

It’s 1-0

Upton scores.

It’s 1-0 in the shootout

Monica shoots out

Still goalless

Savita saves Anna’s shot

There is a referral

Looks clean

It’s clean

Savita saves the first

McFerran saves 

No goals after the first two

Ireland to go first

Savita walking to the goal

Like all shoot-outs this would be crazy

And the GK’s come into the picture

McFerran from Ireland and Savita from India

And that’s the end of the match

It will be a shoot-out

Less than a minute

Can India run the clock down?

Less than 2 mins left

Ireland will make a massive push now

Surprising card that. Udita seemed five yards back.

India trying to hold.

Ireland pushing hard.

Udita gets a green card

India down to ten in the last 3 minutes

Will this prove expensive?

Final 5 minutes 

Tense

Will there be a goal?

Vandana wanted a referral

And India has lost the referral

Video Umpire said no foul on Vandana

Six minutes left.

Siami had the ball and the pass but Navneet couldn’t trap

Suddenly the tempo is up

India trying to find a goal

Have better possession

Vandana had a chance but couldn’t release

On the other side Flanagan had an opening also

And Rani’s hit is saved by the Irish GK

Great opportunity goes up in smoke

PC for India after a referral

It’s India’s 1st PC

Scrappy affair now

It will take a special piece of skill to separate the teams

Turn-overs going to Ireland

Even with the ball, India don’t have players upfront

In that situation India need hits into the circle for a minute or so to test the Irish

It’s getting easy for the Irish defence

Almost a roll of the dice now in the 4th Q

No goals yet

Teams will pack their midfield and drop players back

Tense 15 mins left

And that’s the end of the 3rd Q

It’s still goalless

Three minutes left in the 3rd Q

India giving away too many turn-overs

India just doesn’t have any bodies upfront

It’s intense hockey but the pace is down

And Ireland does the aerial

But India defend

Ball back in the midfield

Six mins left in the 3rd Q

India doing a lot of running

Possession with Ireland

India will have to think of something

This is becoming predictable

India not infusing more energy

Maybe, a few aerials balls will scatter the Irish

Errors coming from the Indians now

Ireland sticking to the process

Building up

And always in the middle of action is Anna Flanagan

30 minutes left for a result

It will be tense

Teams back on the pitch for the 3rd Q

Which side will blink first is the question?

No PCs till now

None of the teams willing to risk an extra player in the midfield or the forward line

It’s been largely tactical

Ireland have tried through Flanagan

While India have used Goyal and Rani

But very tight structures in the defence

And that’s the end of the 2nd Q

It’s 0-0 between India and Ireland

India seem a little tense

Unable to use their skill to break through

Too much play on the right flank for India

Rotation missing in the Indian side

Good play by Goyal and Rani but the final touch is wide off the Irish goal

India trying to keep possession

Three mins left in the 2nd Q

Six minutes left in the 2nd Q.

Ireland looking much better in this quarter

India still to test the Irish GK

The Indians have to increase the tempo

Great save from Savita.

Flanagan almost on the ball

India need to be careful of the Irish playmaker

Goyal gets a green card

1st card of the match for India

India finding it difficult to break through the Irish midfield

They appear a bit slow on the build-up

Goyal had a good run

But the Irish defend well

It’s still goalless

2nd Quarter begins

India need to bring together that half-line

That’s the end of the 1st Q

No PCs for both the teams

Ireland and India both have circle entries

Goalkeepers haven’t been threatened yet

Under 3 mins left in the 1st Q. Almost even till now. No risks taken by either team. India need to be sharper on the cross upfront

Lovely bit of skill by Navdeep Kaur. Results in a break by Ireland and then again India on the counter. Both searching for a gap in the mid zone.

Solid defensive structure by both teams. One error will yeild the opening goal. Grace has already cleared twice for India.

India playing wide with Sunita Lakra. Few turn-overs have gone against India now. They need to calm down.

Ireland are keeping lots of space and are stretching the play. Flanagan is in the act and Ireland have already ended up in the Indian circle twice.

Ireland straight into the attack. They are keeping their midfield tight and rotating the ball well.

And in a few moments action begins in the India vs Ireland QF

Expect Ireland to come out firing.

And that’s Game On

And we begin with the Irish National Anthem

Followed by the Indian National Anthem

Minutes away from the BIG QF

Both the teams are in the tunnel. And there they come out. Rani Rampal is leading the Indian team.

Well, a win for India will be big for the sport

Till now it’s the men’s team that has always got the spotlight

But today it’s the women fighting it out for a place in history

Ambitious India pitted against the ever improving Irish

Ireland have a fit squad and use pace very well in their build-up

India on the other hand slowly build-up playing deep and use the cross well

As a defensive unit, India are right up there

One of these team’s will reach the semi-final

If India do, it will be for the first time since 1974

Also one doesn’t usually see the world’s 10th ranked and 16th ranked fight for a place in the semis

Ireland qualified for the QF directly finishing top of Pool B. Quite a stunning result

While India beat Italy 3-0 in the cross-over to reach the QF

Both the teams pleasantly surprised at playing the QF but in today’s hockey, rankings have no place and why not have the order displaced a bit? Change is always better

Welcome to the Lee Valley Hockey Centre, London

Excitement is at its peak as India take on Ireland in the HWC 2018 QF

Big match this for Rani Rampal and her team

India bank on bolstered midfield, sharp forwards to see off Ireland in quarters, writes Sundeep Misra

Read his preview here .

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup quarter-final clash between India and Ireland.