IRELAND'S men's hockey team edged closer to their first ever Olympic qualification, after securing fifth place with a 4-1 victory over Malaysia at the World League in Antwerp.
A dominant performance from the Irish leaves them well-placed to book a trip to the 2016 Games in Rio, however, confirmation will only be awarded in October.
It would take a series of unlikely results in the confederation tournaments to rid Ireland of an Olympic spot.
Craig Fulton's side put pressure on the Malaysians in the opening quarter, with Kyle Good and Peter Caruth finding the net early on.
Malaysia responded with a strike from Muhammad Shamsul in the second quarter which deflected off goalkeeper David Harte.
With a couple of missed chances from Faizal Saari, Ireland were able to hold onto a confident two-nil lead into the third quarter.
Mitch Darling’s close range effort secured the Irish a third goal, before the Malaysians got onto the scoresheet as Faiz Jali got on the end of his side’s sixth penalty corner of the game.
Despite the roles reversing and Ireland catering to a dominant Malaysian side in the final quarter, Darling sealed victory with a fantastic final shot.
Speaking post-match, Cork keeper Harte, who was later named goalkeeper of the tournament, said: "The way that we had to defend again in serious big games like this showed fantastic effort from all 18.
"It's been a rollercoaster, we've had incredible highs and lows, but to finish on a high like this is amazing.”
