HOCKEY/World Cup: It's beginning to feel like Groundhog Day for Ireland in Perth. The needle has most definitely got stuck at this tournament - yet again they played reasonably well, should have taken something from the game, self-destructed in the final stages, and remain pointless in Pool B after six games. Mary Hannigan reports from Perth

That, pretty much, encapsulates the story of Ireland's World Cup to date. By now, you'd want to possess the meanest of ruthless streaks not to have sympathy for the players. For the fourth time in six games they lost by a single goal, scored by Japanese captain Keiko Miura four minutes from time, just when it looked as if Riet Kuper's team had finally done enough to take a point.

Again, sloppy play gifted their opponents a goal, with the inability to clear their lines with a simple, and desperately required "hoof" upfield proving fatal. Instead Ireland attempted to pass their way out of the trouble at the edge of their own circle, lost possession, conceded their seventh penalty corner of the game, which led to the eighth, from which Miura buried the winner.

The Irish players fell to their knees, and could barely summon the will to rise again for the final moments of the game. It was cruel, in the extreme.

Japan, remember, had drawn with England on Saturday, having already drawn with Spain and South Africa and beaten the United States - so much for the theory that they would be one of the tournament's also-rans.

Against a dramatically changed Irish line-up, featuring six positional switches and three changes in personnel (Eimear Cregan, Ciara O'Brien and Catherine Murray came in for Lynsey McVicker, Laura Lee and Claire McMahon), Japan maintained their fine form in the first half. If it wasn't for Tara Browne, who denied the Japanese attack on six occasions they would have led, comfortably enough, by the break.

With the Perth cricket Test ending on Sunday a few stragglers from England's Barmy Army turned up at the Irish game, bizarrely enough arming themselves with a tricolour and singing in support of Ireland throughout the match. "There's only one Shay Given," they crooned, after Browne saved one of several Miura corner strikes.

Jill Orbinson, moved from the centre to the left of midfield, revelled in her new role and played her best game of the tournament, supported on the left wing by Cregan who, increasingly, has the look of a player who is enjoying life at this level of hockey. She has, in truth, been one of Ireland's few successes in Perth. It was Cregan who offered her team's only serious threat in the first half, bursting through into the circle minutes before the break, but was denied a shot on goal by Rie Terazono, who ran from her line to clear the danger.

In the 47th minute Cregan set up Ireland's best chance of the game, putting McVicker in the clear in front of goal only for the winger to mis-hit her shot. Eight minutes from time Miura hit a short corner inches wide to the left before Ireland presented the sweeper with two more late corner opportunities - it was from Japan's last of the game they scored the winner.

Ireland were awarded their third corner two minutes from time but hopes of a dramatic equaliser were scuttled when Arlene Boyles's shot was deflected wide of the right post.

"We're not getting drummed by every team, we are so close, it's all about learning, even though the knocks we're getting here are hard to take," said Browne after the game. "We just have to lift ourselves for South Africa on Wednesday and try again, and if you know this team you'll know there'll be no lack of effort. We'll keep fighting on."

IRELAND: T Browne; L Caulfield, A Boyles, D Sixsmith, K Maybin, C O'Brien, R Kohler (capt), J Orbinson, J Burke, C Murray, E Cregan. Subs: A Platt, C McMahon, L McVicker, L Lee, K Humphreys.

WORLD CUP (at Perth) - Pool B: USA 0 England 1; Ireland 0 Japan 1; Spain 1 Holland 1; Australia 5 South Africa 0. Today - Pool A: New Zealand v Ukraine, 9.05; Germany v China, 11.05; Argentina v Korea, 2.05; Scotland v Russia, 4.05.

POOL B

P W D L F A Pts

Holland 6 5 1 0 17 3 16

Australia 6 5 0 1 16 5 15

Spain 6 3 2 1 11 6 11

Japan 6 2 3 1 6 6 9

England 6 2 2 2 9 9 8

USA 6 2 0 4 7 12 6

S Africa 6 0 2 4 4 17 2

Ireland 6 0 0 6 4 16 0

Ireland ... 0

Japan ... 1