SHANE O’DONOGHUE CONVERTED a last-gasp penalty stroke to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Scotland in the European Hockey Championships in Antwerp today.
Both sides entered the tie on the back of heavy opening day defeats against front-runners the Netherlands and Germany, who face one another later this evening, and so were desperate to put points on the board.
Ireland took the lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, O’Donoghue on hand to finish at the back post after pressure forced a turnover deep in Scottish territory.
The Blue Sticks would restore parity before the half-time break, however, as Kenny Bain nicked in to divert a cross into the net. Bain grabbed a second early in the second half, pouncing on an excellent stop from Mark Ingram off a penalty corner and emphatically converting the rebound.
The tie looked as though it was put beyond Ireland when a third goal flashed by Ingram in the fourth quarter. But Tim Cross reduced the deficit to the minimum with five minutes remaining. Ingram was pulled to unleash an extra man in Ireland’s attack as they chased an equaliser.
O’Donoghue duly grabbed that vital sixth goal of the match after Ireland forced a penalty stroke with help from a video referral.
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