MEN'S HOCKEY:IRELAND MADE the vital move from their defeat and draw sequence against the Dutch and Britain to a 5-4 win over Belgium on Wednesday in Alicante with Ian Sloan netting twice and goals from Michael Watt, Timmy Cockram and Chris Cargo. But in yesterday's match against the 11th ranked team in the world Ireland were defeated 3-0 in the third match of their training stint in Spain.
Ireland must win the Olympic Qualifying event in Belfield next month, March 10th-18th, to earn a place in the London Games. Korea, ranked six in the world, will be one of the main obstacles.
Belgium opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a reverse-stick shot to the top left corner of Davy Fitzgerald’s goal and held on to that lead until half-time. They went 2-0 when Tom Boon scored from a penalty corner drag flick in the 39th minute. The corner specialist Boon made it 3-0 two minutes later with a penalty stroke.
The sides face each other again on Sunday before Ireland take on fifth-ranked Spanish on Monday.
Domestically, the Leinster Senior Cup semi-finals take place on Sunday when Pembroke face Corinthians and Monkstown play Three Rock Rovers with both at Grange Road, Pembroke.
IRELAND (v Belgium): D Fitzgerald (GK); J Jackson; P Gleghorne; C Harte; S Loughery; I Sloan; J Lynch ; B McCandless; M Darling; T Cockram; P Maguire Rolling. Subs: R Sykes; J Bell; A McConnell; S O’Donoghue; P Blakeney.
FIXTURES: Sunday – Mills Cup semi-finals: Pembroke Wanderers v Corinthians 1.0, Grange Road; Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers 3.0, Grange Road.
