THE IRISH MEN’S hockey team have fallen to a 4-2 defeat to Spain in their third FIH Pro League pool match in Bhubaneswar, India.
It’s another disappointing defeat for Mark Tumilty’s side after a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands on their debut, and a 5-0 reversal at the hands of Australia.
Jamie Carr produced a string of impressive saves early on, but Spain — one place above Ireland in eighth — hit the front in the 12th minute through Enrique Gonzalez. Marc Miralles doubled their lead seven minutes later from a penalty corner.
Ireland struck back to make it 2-1 by half time: Matthew Nelson finished off a nice team move with 25 minutes on the clock.
Spain, who beat Ireland in the semi-finals of the recent Olympic qualifier tournament in Valencia, restored their two-goal advantage on the restart when Miralles teed up Marc Reyne for their third.
In the 52nd minute, Lee Cole converted a penalty corner and the scoreline was 3-2. But just as Ireland went in search of the leveller as the clock ran down, Spain put the game beyond reach. Gonzalez grabbed the all-important cushion goal with two minutes to go.
“We’ve adapted from game one to game two and again to game three,” Ireland head coach Tumilty said afterwards.
“We played in a slightly different style today. We hope that the things we have learned from this first round of games will stand to us in the games ahead of us next week and especially tomorrow against India.
“India are going to be a massive challenge. We have been creating chances, we just need to be more clinical in front of goal. The lads acquitted themselves well against Spain and got very close to equalising at 3-2.
“Conceding that fourth goal when we did was a killer blow.”
India were beaten 6-4 by Australia afterwards.
IRELAND: Jamie Carr (GK), Shane O’Donoghue, Lee Cole, Jonathan Lynch, Luke Witherow, Peter McKibbin, Peter Brown, Michael Robson (C), Matthew Nelson, Jeremy Duncan, Ben Johnson.
Subs: Charlie Rowe (4 mins), Kevin O’Dea (8 mins), Ben Walker (4 mins), Sam Hyland (10 mins), Conor Empey (4 mins), Nicholas Page (4 mins).
