Italy, hosts to Ireland in the European under-21 hockey championship in Padua next August, showed considerable zest in last night's international at that grade at Belfield. They forced the home side to stretch themselves fully before a winning goal was registered five minutes from the end. The swift-breaking Italians twice zipped into the lead, with Loris Perelli and Dino Serra scoring from acute angles in the 18th and 40th minutes, but Justin Sherriff deservedly shot Ireland back into the reckoning before the interval following a thrust by Jason Black.

Then sufficient pressure in the second half yielded short corners from which Sherriff twice switched the ball left for Chris Jackson to deliver the finishing touches, atoning for a penalty stroke miss earlier in the game. A fine performance by Greg Bailey in the Irish goal also contributed much to the victory.