In their first official international since the European Qualifier in Helsinki last summer, Ireland needed a Lynsey McVicker goal three minutes from time to snatch a 2-2 draw against Scotland in their opening match at Belfield yesterday.

It was a match they could have lost but should have won, as Scottish coach Mike Gilbert conceded. "But for their finishing they would have won by a few goals," he said. The inability to convert chances into goals - the enduring Irish problem - cost them what would have been a morale-boosting win in the build-up to August's European Nations' Cup finals. But after conceding two Samantha Judge goals in the space of nine, second-half minutes they were relieved to get the draw in the end. Claire McMahon gave Ireland the lead after 26 minutes, forcing home the ball after Scottish goalkeeper Tracy Robb had smothered a Mary Logue shot from a penalty corner, the first of the game.

It was just reward for Ireland who had the better of the first half, with Sarah Kelleher, winning her 100th senior cap, at the heart of most of her team's best attacking play. Arlene Thompson came close to extending the advantage with strikes from two second-half corners, and McMahon and Jenny Burke also went close to doubling the lead, but sloppy defending was punished in the 46th minute when Judge pounced to score from a loose ball.

The same player, finding herself unmarked in front of a helpless Tara Browne in the Irish goal, put Scotland 2-1 ahead in the 56th minute, converting Gillian Soutar's cross from the right.

Portadown's Jill Orbinson, one of three players to make their senior Irish debuts yesterday (along with Hermes' Caitriona Carey and Pamela Magill of Pegasus) created the equaliser in the 67th minute, taking advantage of a mix-up in the Scottish defence to set up McVicker, who slotted the ball in to an empty net.

"We had the better of the game, we should have won," said Irish coach Riet Kuper. "We will improve, though. You need to play at this kind of level to get better as a team and for your finishing to be sharper, so I'm not unhappy with the result."

"The little ones did well," she added, in reference to the three debutantes whose performances were the brightest aspect of a frustrating display.

Ireland: T Browne, K Humphreys, A Thompson, P Magill, C O'Kelly, M Logue, S Kelleher (capt), R Kohler, C McMahon, J Burke, J Orbinson. Subs: C Carey, L McVicker, K O'Brien, J Stewart.

Scotland: T Robb, S Fraser (capt), V Neil, A Denholm, H Walker, C Semple, S Gilmour, A Grant, G Soutar, S Judge, J Wilson. Subs: K Goldsack, S Mitchell, C Corcoran, L Burton, E Rochlin.

Umpires: A Harvey and G Kotlova.