Ireland go down to their third defeat

WOMEN'S HOCKEY:IRELAND WENT down to their third defeat of the weekend by Scotland at Banbridge yesterday, the visitors adding to Friday and Saturday's 3-1 and 1-0 wins by completing the series with a 2-1 victory, Rebecca Merchant getting the deciding goal 11 minutes from time.

While Gene Muller might have been disappointed with the results he was buoyed by the displays of some of the younger members of his squad who, he said, "are really starting to look comfortable at international level".

Keith Joss, the Scottish coach, brought an experienced squad, with no new caps included, to Banbridge, the only absentee of note Dutch-based Catriona Forrest, and that experience showed in the series, a well organised defence, in particular, proving difficult for Ireland to break down.

After Friday's defeat, when Jenny McDonough gave Ireland an early lead only for Scotland to come back and score three, Saturday's game was a much tighter affair, the game's only goal coming midway through the second half when Scottish captain Linda Clement was adjudged to have been impeded in the circle, Emma Rochlin converting the resulting penalty stroke.

Yesterday's meeting, delayed for half an hour due to sleet, was equally competitive, Scotland having the better of the opening with Ireland failing to penetrate the Scottish circle until the 25th minute of the game.

Scotland's Louise Munn, a minute before the break, opening the scoring, but Cathy McKean levelled for Ireland in the 57th minute, deflecting home Emma Stewart's short corner strike. Two minutes later, though, Merchant's shot from a corner rebound was deflected past Emma Gray in the Irish goal off Cliodhna Sargent's stick.

Meanwhile in Cork, Connacht, aiming to win their first interprovincial title at under-18 level, lost out by a single goal to Ulster, with both teams finishing on nine points.

Having already beaten Ulster (3-0) and South-East (3-2) on Saturday Connacht's hopes were hit by a 3-1 defeat by defending champions Leinster yesterday morning. They completed their campaign with a 3-0 win over hosts Munster, but Ulster got the two-goal victory they needed over Leinster in their final game to regain the title they lost last year.

IRELAND(Saturday): E Gray, E Clarke, E Stewart, B McKeever, S McCay, J McDonough, N Small, A Speers, H Moffett, L Barr, L Jacob. Subs: L Colvin, M Harvey, C McKean, L Healy.

IRELAND(Yesterday): L Healy, E Clarke, E Stewart, B McKeever, S McCay, C McKean, A Speers, N Symmons, K Elkin, H Moffett, L Barr. Subs: C Sargent, L Jacob, N Small, M Frazer, E Gray.