Ireland edge Scotland 12-9 to book 13th-place semi-final

IKF European Korfball Championship 2026 | Places 13–16 | Cross-final
22 October 2026 | Prostějov, Czechia | Full time

Ireland secured a hard-fought 12-9 victory over Scotland in their cross-final for positions 13 to 16 at the IKF European Korfball Championship 2026, earning the right to contest 13th place on the final day of the tournament.

In a tightly contested 40-minute encounter, the Irish side showed greater composure in the closing stages. Captain Alf Timney led the way with four goals, while Stephen McDonagh added three and Elizabeth Tighe and Sam Ward each contributed two. For Scotland, Cody Sargent was the standout with three goals, supported by doubles from Matthew McHugh and James Percival.

The match remained competitive throughout, with both teams trading goals from medium and near range. Ireland’s ability to convert key chances, including several penalties, proved decisive in a low-scoring but intense battle. Scotland fought hard until the end, but a late Irish surge sealed the result.

Looking ahead to the final day

With this win, Ireland advance to the match for 13th place, while Scotland will contest 15th. Neither side can now reach the automatic qualification places for the IKF World Korfball Championship 2027, which are reserved for the top ten finishers (with the Netherlands already qualified as hosts). For both teams, tomorrow’s matches therefore represent a final opportunity to finish as high as possible and end the championship on a positive note.

Ireland, under coach Gemma Tighe, will look to build on this result and aim for 13th place — their best available ranking after a challenging tournament that included heavy defeats in the group stages. A victory tomorrow would provide a morale-boosting finish and valuable experience for the squad.

Scotland, coached by Patrick Merton, face a difficult task in the 15th-place match. Despite the defeat, the Scots showed resilience and will be determined to avoid the bottom two positions and extract something positive from their campaign. Their attacking contributions, particularly from Sargent, offer a foundation to build on in their final outing.

Both teams will be focused on delivering a strong performance on the last day, knowing that while World Championship qualification is out of reach, pride, ranking, and the chance to finish the EKC 2026 with momentum remain firmly in play.

Full statistics, line-ups and play-by-play available on worldkorfball.sport.