McCay could reverse retirement decision after fantastic run
SHIRLEY McCay is having second thoughts about quitting international hockey in the wake of Ireland’s magnificent World Cup achievement in London.
The 30-year-old defender had a superb campaign and was one of the few stand-out players in yesterday’s 6-0 loss to the Netherlands in the gold medal playoff.
Earlier in the tournament, she picked up the player-of-thematch award in the win over India (below) which booked Ireland a place in the quarter-finals.
National coach Graham Shaw would dearly love the Pegasus player to stay on now that Ireland’s stock and world ranking are set to rise on the back of the silver medals claimed against the odds.
More than a year ago, when Ireland were on the verge of qualification for their first World Cup since 2002, McCay announced that the trip to London would be her international swansong.
Now though, she’s not so sure, as the enormity of Ireland’s achievement begins to sink in.
Modest as ever, McCay preferred to talk about the collective rather than her own role in the achievement.
She said: “This is not all about me, it’s about the team and, to be honest, I never thought this would happen so I need to go away and reflect and see.
“Now is not the time to be making any hasty decisions but I will go away, take some time out before deciding. But I haven’t made my mind up. All I can say is that I will give it some thought and getting the silver medals had maybe changed my perspective on things.”
McCay has undergone more heartache than any other member of the current Ireland squad but she seems to sense that maybe this is the dawn of a new era for Irish hockey.
She has been the victim of three failed Olympic qualifying attempts during her long career which yesterday saw her win her 273rd cap.
McCay is Ireland’s most capped sportswoman and it seems she may well reconsider and perhaps go on to break the 300 barrier, something no other hockey player, male or female, had achieved in Ireland.
“I am looking forward to getting home, taking a break and enjoying reading the reports on social media about what we have done here,” she added. “I decided to come off Twitter for the duration of the tournament becauseitcanbea distraction but it was down to individual choice and it wasn’t forced upon us. “Although it was naturally disappointing to lose the final by such a margin, the Dutch aren’t the world number one for no reason.
“They were streets ahead of anyone else, including ourselves, but we have done brilliantly and it was no disgrace to lose to them.
“The disappointment didn’t last long though and it was a proud moment for me to receive a silver medal after so many lows in the past.
“Wearemoreusedtothelows than the highs but we are living in a bit of a bubble at the moment and it’s really hard to describe.
“Maybe when we go home, we’ll reflect on what we’ve done for the sport and for people in Ireland as well.”
FROM JOHN FLACK IN LONDON
THE Ireland women’s hockey team were still smiling despite sufferingachastening6-0 defeat by the Netherlands in yesterday’s World Cup final in sun-splashed London in front of a capacity 10,500 crowd.
The initial disappointment at the final hooter quickly subsided as they proudly stood on the rostrumafterreceivingasetof silver medals.
It’s an achievement that was beyond their wildest dreams going into the tournament as the second lowest ranked team and, ultimately, the lowest ranked nation ever to contest a World Cup final.
Ireland went into the final as rank outsiders against the seven-times champions and World No.1 nation, who hadn’t lost a game since their penalty shoot-out defeat to Great Britain in the 2016 Olympic decider and had scored an incredible 26 times in their three pool games last week.
Few teams would have been able to live with the Dutch, who were a joy to watch yesterday — unless, of course, you happen to be Irish!
They led 4-0 at half-time and the fact the scoreline hadn’t reached double figures by the end was testament to some superb defending and another fine goalkeeping display by Ulster’s Ayeisha McFerran.
Ireland were dealt a major blow even before the start when star player Megan Frazer was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old, one of six Ulster women in the squad, who had played only a handful of games in the past two years after knee surgery, picked up the knock during Saturday’s epic semi-final win over Spain.
She was clearly still in pain as she hobbled off the team bus a couple of hours before what would have been the biggest game of her life.
Frazer had been improving with every game at the World Cup and seemed to be getting close to the talismanic player she was before she suffered a badcruciateinjurywhentraining with German club Mannheimer in October 2016.
UCD striker Emily Beatty, who had been on stand-by as one of two non-travelling reserves received a late call-up and started on the bench.
As has been the norm at this tournament, the Irish girls looked calm and relaxed as they stood for the anthem, wearing broad grins as they stood shoulder to shoulder.
However, after a bright start by the underdogs, the defending champions broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when, after a great stop by McFerran, the ball broke for Lidewij Welten, who hammered the ball past the goalkeeper-of-the-tournament in clinical style.
It was all Netherlands for the remainder of the first quarter as they forced two penalty corners, the first of which flashed wide.
Ireland were glad to go into thefirstbreakonlyonegoal downaftersurvivingalmost