Friday, July 4 – Valencia: Last week, our Ireland O35 Men, O40 Men, and O40 Women continued the fine form of our Masters teams in Europe as they competed in the 2025 Masters European Championships in Valencia.
The IRL O40s Men added further brought home silverware, adding to the Gold, Silver & Bronze medal secured by the O45 Women, O45 Men and O50 Women respectively a few weeks ago.
Following a defeat to England in their opening game, the IRL O45s went on to secure three straight wins in their remaining games of the pool stages. A 2-1 win over Spain thanks to a goal apiece for Chris Lemon and Gareth McKeown and some resolute defending in the final quarter set the side on their way, backing up the win a day later with a 1-0 win over Scotland. The side solidified second in the standing’s ad a place in the Semi-Final with a win over France in a seven-goal thriller, Lemon getting the opening goal and McKeown grabbing a hattrick.
The IRL O40 Men faced Scotland in the Semi-Finals in another close encounter. A penalty corner from Stuart McWilliams inside the first minute was an ideal start, but Scotland equalised in the second quarter, which Ireland’s McKeown cancelled out to give his side a lead they defended to secure their place in the final.
A rematch against a very strong England side decided the destination of the gold and silver medals, with England the favourites going into the game having averaged almost 9 goals per game. They continued their form in the competition to overcome Ireland in the final, with the IRL O40 Men proudly taking home the silver medal, with Gareth McKeown finishing among the top scorers with an impressive tally of six goals.
The IRL O40 Women had a perfect start to their Masters European Championships, winning all four of their preliminary games to secure their place in the Semi-Finals. A 7-0 win over Alliance, followed by back-to-back 3-0 wins over Scotland and Italy, and then a 1-0 win over Wales saw the side storm through with an impressive 14 goals scored and none conceded. Stacey Catterson was leading the team’s scoring with four goals to date, with Yvonne Rogers, Ruth McDonagh and several others also among the goals.
After a two-day wait the IRL O40 Women faced Wales yet again in the Semi-Final. The fierce 36-degree heat provided tough conditions for both sides as they threw everything they had at each other. Early penalty corners for Ireland gave them a chance to take the lead, but Wales defended well. Wales eventually took the lead in the second quarter, followed by goals in the third and fourth to edge a very competitive tie.
Less than 24hrs later, the team faced Czechia in the Bronze medal match, with the heat continuing to beat down. Two goals in the first half saw Czechia lead the game, but a goal in the final quarter from Stacey Catterson, her fifth of the competition, gave Ireland a lifeline. It wasn’t to be, however, as a third goal for Czechia restored the two-goal cushion and saw them take the bronze.
The IRL O35 Men, drawn in a group with the Netherlands, Germany and Spain put in a strong performance in the group stage. After a 2-0 defeat in their first game to eventual winners Germany, the team recovered well to beat the Dutch in a close encounter. A brace from Mark English was eventually cancelled out as the Dutch drew level in the third quarter, but a Alec Moffett goal in the final quarter was enough to secure the points. A draw against Spain in another close battle was enough to see Ireland progress to the Quarter Finals.
A tense encounter with Scotland stood between the IRL O35 Men and a Semi-Final. After a scoreless 45 minutes the game came to life in the final quarter, with Ireland’s Alistair Smith breaking the deadlock. Three quickfire goals from Scotland in the final five minutes, however, swung the game in their favour.
In heir final two games, the team returned to winning ways, beating Alliance 19-0 before finishing the competition on a high with a 3-2 win over Italy to secure fifth spot. Railway Union’s Mark English among the tournament’s top scorers, scoring eight goals in all games to finish second in the standings.
