MEN'S HOCKEY:IRELAND LOST their final game against Belgium yesterday in Valencia, Spain, in an evenly contested match. Both sides had several chances to score throughout the first half but the teams remained 0-0 at half-time.

In the second half Belgium came out stronger and opened the scoring in the 50th minute when Briels scrambled home a goal in front of keeper David Harte. Although Ireland ramped up the pressure in the final 10 minutes and earned themselves three penalty corners, they failed to convert any into goals.

While Ireland has raised the level of play over the last year or so, the bar has been raised with the team now going into a match against Spain, one of the best sides in the World.

Depending on what sort of team the Spanish turn out, Ireland should get a better measure of where they are and whether they are on course to win the Olympic qualification tournament in Belfield and secure a place in London 2012. Ireland meet Spain this morning at 11.00am.

In the Leinster Senior Cup semi-finals at Grange Road home side Three Rock Rovers and Monkstown drew 0-0 before Monsktown snatched a place in the final on penalties, winning 3-2. At one stage the sides went down to 10 men each as the cards were shown. But Monkstown scraped over the line in the sudden death shoot out where there was a “was it a goal or wasn’t it” situation. In the other semi-final Alan Sothern cracked in all five goals for Pembroke as they beat Corinthians 5-2 to secure a place in the final against Monkstown.