Men's hockey:Ireland produced a lethargic opening performance against Malaysia yesterday in their first warm-up game ahead of the World League round two.
Just a day after arriving in a scorching Kuala Lumpur, they fell 4-2 against the side they beat to Champions Challenge I bronze in November.
Chua Boon Huat gave Malaysia an early lead and though Eugene Magee responded from a penalty corner in the ninth minute, Mohamad Sukri Abdul Mutalib responded in kind just before the break while Norhizzat Sumantri and Azlan Misron extended the margin to 4-1 with 19 minutes remaining. UCD starlet Shane O’Donoghue pulled one back late in the game.
The game saw Banbridge teenager Peter Brown gain his first senior cap when he came on from the bench.
Domestically, Pembroke’s Leinster title coronation was put on hold as Peter Blakeney’s hat trick handed Three Rock Rovers a 3-2 win in Serpentine Avenue.
The upshot is that Pembroke need a victory in their final league game against Avoca on February 24th. IRELAND: D Harte, J Jackson, R Gormley, C Harte, B McCandless, C Cargo, E Magee, G McCabe, M Watt, S ODonoghue, M Darling. Subs: P Gleghorne, S Loughery, P Maguire, P Brown, D Carson, A Sothern.
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