HOCKEY:It's another busy weekend for the Ireland squad, whose training camp at Belfield includes a series of matches against Italy, who, with the Netherlands and England, are in Ireland's European Championship pool in Manchester in August.
Ireland drew the first of their four games against the Italians at Belfield last night, Carolina Scandroli levelling in the first half for the visitors after Amy Stewart had given the hosts the lead.
Coach Gene Muller has, though, played down the significance of the games. "We will be using the matches as a means of trying out a variety of new tactics in our play which, if successful, will help us to develop further. We will also be working on our penalty-
corner routine and improving our conversion rate at these vital set-pieces," he said, adding every member of the squad would get a run-out over the weekend.
Meanwhile in Madrid, Old Alexandra's European Cup Winners Cup campaign began with a 3-1 defeat yesterday at the hands of the leading German side Rot-Weiss Cologne. Their opponents today are Canterbury.
Internationals (at Belfield): Last night: Ireland 1 (A Stewart), Italy 1 (C Scandroli). Today: Ireland v Italy, 4pm. Tomorrow: Ireland v Italy, 4pm. Sunday: Ireland v Italy, 10.30.
European Cup Winners Cup (at Madrid): Pool A: Amsterdam, Viktoria Smolevichi (Belarus), Club de Campo de Madrid, Libertas san Saba (Italy). Pool B: Rot-Weiss Cologne, Canterbury, Glasgow Western, Old Alexandra. Pool B: Old Alexandra 1 Rot-Weiss 3; Canterbury 5 Glasgow 0. Today: Canterbury v Old Alexandra, 11am. Tomorrow: Glasgow Western v Old Alexandra, 9am.
Ireland squad: H Bowe, R Mulligan, E Stewart, A Stewart (all Armagh), B McKeever (Ballymoney), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins), C Parkhill (Bowdon Hightown), E Harte, C O'Brien (both Chelmsford), E Cregan, J O'Halloran (both Cork Harlequins), A Connery (UCC), N Symmons (Eintracht Braunschweig), L Caulfield, F Connery (both Hermes), L Healy, C McKean (both Loreto), J Orbinson, A Speers (both Pegasus), M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers), E Clarke, K Elkin, S McCay (all Randalstown), R Flinn (UCD).
