Euros: Calm before storm for Irish
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| Irish Hockey |
September 10, 2003 
The Belfast Telegraph
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By Graham Hamilton
THE gates to the hockey village, in the shadow of Barcelona´s Olympic Stadium, were closed yesterday as the European Nations Cup took its official rest day after eight days of competition.
And it gave the Irish contingent - numbering around 300 when you take in both the men´s and women´s parties, Irish Hockey Association officials and a sizeable fan base - a chance to explore this beautiful Catalan capital.
Some were spotted watching street entertainers down the famed Las Ramblas walking precint; some more on the open-deck tourist buses; some around the marinas on the waterfront; and even some at the biggest football ground in Europe - Nou Camp, home of the Barcelona football team.
The worries and anxieties of the hockey competition were put in the background for 24 hours ... but it was back to Montjuic today for the men´s team as they faced Switzerland this afternoon in a bid to reach the ninth/tenth play-off.
Cookstown´s Andy Barbour, who six months ago wasn´t in the frame for a place in the squad but came through strongly at just the right time, scored his first international goal in the 3-3 draw with Belgium on Monday, and is hoping to feature again.
Andy has been one of the stars, along with Chris Jackson and Justin Sherriff, and was given a big lift when the fans were chanting his name each time he was introduced to the fray.
The Irish women, though, were resting today again and don´t resume until tomorrow morning when they take on Celtic neighbours France for the right to play in the fifth/sixth play-off.
Goalkeeper Angela Platt is poised to regain her place between the sticks - not surprising, really, as she has been one of the Irish heroines as they confounded their critics by reaching this stage of the competition.
The Ballymoney custodian sat out Monday´s 3-0 defeat against pool winners England as coach Reit Kuper and her Ulster-based assistant Graeme Francey rested their ´gem´ahead of the final two games in this two-week series.
Angela - whose father Jim was the former N Ireland football goalkeeper - pulled off some fine saves in the wins over Wales and Italy and also in the 1-1 draw with Ukraine.
Ballymoney colleague Lynsey McVicker and fellow Ulster player Jill Orbinson have been two more of the stars as coach Kuper keeps a reasonably unchanged side throughout the tournament, with the younger players - including newest cap Suzanne Beaney (Belfast Harlequins) - all getting valuable pitch-time as rolling substitutes.
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