Fulton steps down as Irish head coach
HOCKEY
HOCKEY Ireland yesterday announced that Craig Fulton, head coach of Ireland men’s team, is stepping down from the role.
Fulton has been at the helm since 2014 and will now take up the role of assistant coach to the Belgian men’s national team.
His tenure has seen Ireland win a European bronze medal, qualify for the Olympics Games and, most recently, qualify for the upcoming World Cup.
Fulton said: “It has been an absolute honour and a pleasure to have been head coach of the Irish men’s team since 2014.
“Great teams are made up of great individuals and I am very proud to say that this has been the case with the players that I have been fortunate enough to coach.”
NAOMI Carroll’s goal gave Ireland’s women a winning start in Glasgow in their three-match series with Scotland.
The livewire Cork Harlequins forward finished off a neatly worked penalty corner move to secure the only score of the game in the final quarter.
The Irish are in Scotland preparing for their World Cup campaign in London which starts in July.
Graham Shaw’s side face their hosts once more tomorrow at 3.0.
CRICKET
JOHN ANDERSON stroked a superb 123 not out to steer Leinster Lightning to a five-wicket victory over the Northern Knights that maintained the champions five-year unbeaten record in a fiercely fought Hanley Energy Championship match at North Down.
The three-day InterPro game in Comber, near Belfast, seemed to be heading for a draw before the home side declared their second innings on 272-5 and threw down a challenge to Lightning to score 268 from 61 overs to win their first game of the season.
Openers Anderson and Jack Tector gave the chase a solid foundation with an opening stand of 129 in 32 overs but when Tector was dismissed for 70 the visitors stuttered as Andy Balbirnie and Simi Singh both fell cheaply.
While the experience of Anderson continued to keep the target in sight, wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker provided the perfect foil with 42 from 41 balls, including two sixes, and a straightdriven four by George Dockrell took Lightning to victory with two overs to spare.