Men’s EuroHockey Championship II (Lousada, Portugal) – day five round-up
Wales and Ireland swept into the final of the men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Lousada, both ensuring they will play in the top division in 2027 as a result.
As such, Italy and Scotland will playoff on Saturday for bronze with the winner also earned a World Cup qualifier spot.
Pool C is wide open after Czechia’s late draw with Switzerland and Croatia’s win over Portugal.
Semi-finals
Wales 5 Italy 0
Wales added to an amazing day for their country as they swept past Italy to reach the men’s Championship II final, taking promotion back to the top division for 2027 into the bargain.
It took 25 minutes to break through, Ben Francis popping up at the left post when Jacob Draper’s free-in was guided into his path.
And they ran riot in the second half; Gareth Griffiths struck from mid-circle for 2-0 and Nic Morgan scrambled in from a corner melee. Jack Pritchard and Fred Newbold both finished into an unguarded net in the last few minutes to add extra gloss to the win.
Ireland 3 Scotland 1
Ireland will be back in the top division for the first time since 2019 as Louis Rowe’s pair of goals gave them a strong semi-final win. They led throughout as Lee Cole’s penalty corner in the third minute had Scotland on the back foot from the start.
The big move then came in the third quarter, Rowe capitalising when his initial drag was charged down but fell within range of his momentum, allowing him sling in another shot.
And his second followed soon after when he turned in Adam McAllister’s rising shot at the left post. Robert Field got one back for Scotland in the last quarter but back-to-back yellow cards limited their chances of making further inroads.
As such, Italy and Scotland will playoff on Saturday for bronze with the winner also earned a World Cup qualifier spot.
Pool C
Portugal 1 Croatia 3
Croatia bounced back from a tough end to the group stages to beat Portugal 3-1. Josip Krleža’s drag-flick began the scoring in the fourth minute, quickly countered by David Franco from another low shot from a corner.
But Croatia restored the lead in the 20th minute from Krleža once more and Lucas Bachmann rubber-stamped the points with 11 minutes to go, this time from a penalty stroke.
Czechia 2 Switzerland 2
For a second time this week, Czechia struck in the closing seconds to earn a draw, leaving it all to play for in Pool C. Loris Grandchamp’s drag-flick put the Swiss 1-0 up at half-time and he repeated the trick with four minutes left in Q3.
Czechia stormed back within 18 seconds, a brilliant move down the left baseline ending with a Jakub Klaban finish. And the Czechs kept going to the final whistle where Adam Uhliř completed a corner switch on the right.
The results leave Croatia top of Pool C on goal difference ahead of the Czechs ahead of their meeting on Saturday morning. Switzerland will play Portugal.
| Rank | Team | Pl | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | Czechia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | Portugal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Saturday schedule
| Time | Teams | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | CZE – CRO | Pool C |
| 11:15 | SUI – POR | Pool C |
| 13:45 | Loser 15 – Loser 16 | 3rd/4th Place |
| 16:00 | Winner 15 – Winner 16 | Final |
