Brown earns 100th cap as Irish draw series

MENS HOCKEY: Ireland drew the series in France over the weekend when they went down 3-2 to the hosts in the third Test match. That scoreline left the teams level on a win each and a draw.

Ireland drew 1-1 with France in Paris in the first of the three- game series during which captain Paddy Brown played his 100th game since making his debut eight years ago against Scotland.

France took the lead in the 19th minute when Ireland failed to clear the danger. As the ball then broke Irish goalkeeper Mark Ruddle could only deflect the returned effort high into his own net for 1-0.

That goal characterised a half during which France missed a number of good chances. Then in the 43rd minute a foul on Irish forward Mark Irwin earned Ireland a penalty corner, which Glenanne midfielder Stephen Butler converted to level the match and claim his 54th International goal.

Butler continues to be the highest scoring international player in Irish hockey.

In the second Test match Ireland played strongly to lead the series with a 1-0 win in bitterly cold Paris.

The home side took control early in the game and could have gone ahead as an Irish defensive lapse allowed a clear-cut chance run France's way, but they squandeered the chance.

Ireland started the second half a lot sharper and took control on the fourth short corner. Again Butler was at hand to collect the rebound and crash the ball into the roof of the net.

A Mark Irwin cross in the 60th minute then took a deft deflection from Eugene Magee's stick only to come of the post with the keeper beaten.

Yesterday's game was probably the most disappointing of the three as Ireland took a 2-0 lead before conceding three goals to lose the game 3-2.

Ireland will take on France in Ireland next weekend in their final series of games before the World Cup qualifying event in China next month.

In Ulster Annadale's 3-2 win away to Cookstown hands the Belfast side the Ulster Senior league for the fourth successive season.