Irish earn the right to hold their heads high

HOCKEY WORLD CUP/Australia ... 2 Ireland ... 1: Yes, they lost again; yes, they remain pointless at the bottom of their pool and, yes, Irish hockey supporters have long since tired of hearing of heroic displays that ended in defeat.

But even the most vociferous and cynical of the team and its coach's detractors - and there are many at home - would have been hard pushed to deny that yesterday's display by Ireland against reigning world and Olympic champions Australia, at the Perth Hockey Stadium, didn't rank amongst the finest in recent memory.

Before the game a well-meaning International Hockey Federation official suggested that Ireland just go out and "enjoy themselves" against Australia, "have fun" and "savour the occasion". This, of course, translated in to: "the match will be a turkey shoot for the Ozzies, God love yiz, ye'll be hammered". Which, in truth, is what even the most blinkered of the Irish supporters in the ground anticipated.

After 10 minutes of the game? "Which team is Australia," asked one bemused observer, as the Irish, freed of any expectations or pressure, took the game to their hosts, with Lynsey McVicker twice having good scoring opportunities in the first five minutes.

By the 14th minute, however, the Australians had scored twice, from their first two meaningful attacks of the game, and the local support settled down for an avalanche of goals.

By full-time the same supporters, who had witnessed only an Irish goal in the last 55 minutes, were generous enough to treat Ireland to a standing ovation as they left the pitch. Nothing patronising about it, either, Ireland were simply immense.

Naturally, it proved impossible not to ask: why didn't you play like this against the US? But the answer was obvious enough: when this team is relaxed (in "friendly" build-up games or tournament ties it is expected to lose, emphatically) it is capable of producing rousing displays. When the chips are down, though, nerves overwhelm the players. It is, evidently, all in the mind.

Karen Smith opened the scoring after 10 minutes, forcing home the rebound from her team's first penalty corner of the game, before Australian captain Katrina Powell made it 2-0 four minutes later with a breath-taking reverse stick drive, following an exquisite one-two between Nikki Hudson and Smith.

Instead of folding under the evening sun, with temperatures still in the 80s, Ireland rallied. Laura Lee had her finest game to date in midfield and substitute Ciara O'Brien, yet again, made an impact on her arrival on the pitch.

It was O'Brien and Lee who, after 25 minutes, combined to set up Jenny Burke for the first goal Australia have conceded in the tournament, and Ireland's first goal from open play. O'Brien picked out Lee on the right and she burst into the circle, slipping past two defenders before feeding Burke who swept the ball past Nina Bonner.

Ireland pressed until half-time, forcing two short corners, but Australia's flustered defence held out until the break. The hosts were, predictably, transformed in the second period.

Irish Goalkeeper Angela Platt, though, made up for an edgy first half, when she could have done better for both goals, by producing a string of excellent saves to deny the Australians a third goal.

Peta Gallagher, who had a spell with Loreto two years ago, fired over the bar when she should have scored in the 41st minute, and Powell, too, squandered a chance moments later. Sweeper Louise Dobson saw her shot saved by Platt, who also cleared Gallagher's rebound before the Ballymoney goalkeeper also thwarted Angie Skirving from a corner.

In all Australia had eight second-half corners, four in three minutes, almost all resulting in shots on target, with Platt saving each one. Ireland, though, defended superbly, with Arlene Boyles twice clearing off her own line and Daphne Sixsmith and Katharine Maybin making a string of timely tackles.

It wasn't, though, one-way traffic. Indeed the full-time statistics showed that Ireland had 50 per cent of the game's possession, their best spell coming after they had weathered the storm midway through the half, winning a corner that Bonner saved from Boyles.

While they applied plenty of pressure an equaliser eluded them, but their efforts still earned them a lusty ovation at the final hooter.

"For the first time in this tournament we showed what we can do," said Riet Kuper, "I am pleased and proud, this was our best performance over the years."

"Judging by the crowd at the end you'd think we had won," said Burke, "but we gave a really good account of ourselves. We had nothing to lose today, we went in to the game relaxed and gave it a good shot. I know we shouldn't be pleased after losing a game, but that was Australia out there. We couldn't have given any more."

WORLD CUP (at Perth) - Pool B: Spain 3, South Africa 1; US 1, Japan 2; Ireland 1 (J Burke), Australia 2 (K Smith, K Powell); Holland 2, England 1. Today (local times) - Pool A: Scotland v New Zealand, 2.05; Korea v Ukraine, 4.05; Germany v Argentina, 6.05; Russia v China, 8.05.

IRELAND: A Platt, L Caulfield, A Boyles, D Sixsmith, K Maybin, L Lee, J Orbinson, R Kohler (capt), L McVicker, J Burke, C McMahon. Subs: T Browne, C O'Brien, K Humphreys, E Cregan, L O'Neill.

AUSTRALIA: N Bonner, L Dobson, K Smith, N Smith, P Gallagher, B Netzler, J Arrold, A Skirving, M Twitt, J Towers, K Powell (capt). Subs: S Harris, W Alcorn, C Bakurski, T Cole, N Hudson.

Umpires: M de Klerk and L Mi Ok.