Ireland’s women and Spain’s men preserved their respective status in the top division of the EuroHockey Championships following feisty battles in Pool C.

It meant their opponents, Italy and Wales respectively, will go into next summer’s qualifiers but can take a huge amount of pride for their closing performances.

Ireland and Italy drew 1-1 to give the former a fifth place finish while Italy were eighth but produced their strongest performance in the competition since 2007 in terms of results.

The Italians went in front from a corner move in the 35th minute with Sofia Laurito tipping home from a powerful slap from the top of the circle.

Naomi Carroll equalised in the 48th minute when she dived onto a powerful ball across from Caitlin Sherin.  The result left Ireland on five points in Pool C and in fifth place overall, one point ahead of Spain. 

Scotland were seventh and Italy – despite picking up two draws – finished in eighth place. Those two sides will contest next summer’s EuroHockey qualifier tournaments while the top six are confirmed in the top division for 2025.

On the men’s side, Spain eventually prevailed 4-3 against the Welsh courtesy of a late Pau Cunill drag-flick. Wales took the lead in the second half via a Gareth Furlong rocket but three replies in the third quarter from Jose Basterra, Cunill and Joaquin Menini put Spain 3-1 up.

But a Dale Hutchinson cracker and another Furlong drag made it 3-3 in the 58th minute. There was one last sting in the tail when Cunill scored another corner for the winning moment.

It means Spain move to six points, level with France on points but ahead on goal difference. It means they are safe no matter what happens between the French and Austria.

The Austrians, meanwhile, need a four-goal victory to overtake France when they meet on the final morning of action in Mönchengladbach.