Ireland moved a big step closer to their best-ever hockey World Cup finish after a 7-4 win over Malaysia in the crossover Pool H stage in Wavre, Belgium, just a day after being knocked out of quarter-final contention by Spain. The result puts Mark Tumilty's side firmly on course to secure ninth or tenth place, which would surpass their previous best finish of 12th, achieved at the 1978 and 1990 tournaments.

Jonny Lynch scored a first-half hat-trick, with Matthew Nelson, Johnny McKee and Ben Walker also on target as Ireland led 4-1 at the break and 6-3 after three quarters, despite a spirited Malaysian fightback. With South Africa also beating France, Ireland sit three points clear of the South Africans with a superior goal difference, and now face France on Sunday in a match that carries extra significance for world ranking positions ahead of next year's EuroHockey Championships in London, where seeding will hinge on rankings taken at the end of this World Cup.