HOCKEY/World Cup: Five games played, five defeats - little wonder that the Irish camp's insistence that morale is still high and self-belief still unshaken is beginning to sound a little flat at this World Cup. Saturday's 2-1 loss to Spain was yet another missed opportunity for the team to get off the mark in this tournament, yet again defeat snatched from the jaws of, well, at least a draw. From Mary Hannigan in Perth

As is their wont, they couldn't have given any more, even the Spanish coach, Jack Holtmann, marvelled at Ireland's "spirit" in the final stages of the game, complimenting their ability to "fight forever" and "never, ever give up".

That strength, however admirable, puts no points on the board unless chances are ceased, and on Saturday Ireland failed to grasp the opportunity, which was there for the taking, to beat Spain, just as they did in Madrid in the build-up to this tournament in October.

The sobering fact is that, going into week two of the tournament, Ireland are the only team in the competition yet to register a point.

"I feel so sorry for the players," said Ireland coach Riet Kuper after the Spanish game. "They have put so much into their games and played really, really well at times, but, still, they have nothing to show for it."

There are now just two remaining opportunities to avoid finishing pointless at the bottom of Pool B, against Japan today and South Africa on Wednesday, and in both games they will need to perform significantly better if they are to avoid another defeat.

True, Saturday's game was marred by comical umpiring - both coaches agreed that only one of the four yellow cards dished out (two of them picked up by Jenny Burke and Eimear Cregan), the one received by Spanish captain Feito Mar, was deserved - but Spain were as badly effected by the officiating as Ireland.

Spain converted one of their four first-half penalty corners (Ireland won none in the same period) in the 14th minute, Luci Lopez scoring from the rebound off the recalled Tara Browne's save from the initial strike.

Arlene Boyles, scoring her third goal of the tournament, converted her team's first corner of the game a minute after the break but Spain snatched the winner nine minutes from time.

Silvia Munoz got a touch on Lopez's shot on goal after she was picked out in the circle from a free on the left.

Cregan spent seven minutes in the sin-bin, leaving the pitch to the musical accompaniment of Who's sorry now, after failing to withdraw five yards from a Spanish free-hit, one of several ludicrous decisions made by the umpires in the course of the game.

The misfortune for Ireland was that the Limerick forward was just beginning to cause havoc in the Spanish defence, her loss, five minutes before Spain's winner, a fatal blow to hopes of taking something from the game.

Bizarrely enough, Ireland's heaviest defeat of the tournament - Friday's 6-0 defeat by Holland - briefly offered hope of the team yielding their first points when the tournament director looked into the use by seven Dutch players of ear-pieces, which allowed them communicate with their bench, during the Irish game.

There was, though, nothing illegal about the use of this "technology", simply because it is not specifically outlawed in the FIH (International Hockey Federation rules), but the technical director ruled that it was not within the "spirit of the game" and banned Holland from using ear-pieces in the remainder of the competition.

The Dutch appealed the decision, but lost - but it was decided that they should not be deprived of the three points they picked up from Ireland.

Relief all around - if Ireland had been awarded "victory", after a 6-0 defeat, it would have taken the definition of "farcical" into previously uncharted territories.

Not that the controversy seemed to bother the Dutch - they beat hosts Australia 3-1 in their pool meeting yesterday.

WORLD CUP (at Perth) - Saturday: Pool A: Ukraine 3, Russia 3; China 0, Argentina 2. Pool B: USA 3, South Africa 0; Ireland 1 (A Boyles), Spain 2 (L Lopez, S Munoz); Japan 1, England 1.

Yesterday: Pool A: Germany 3, New Zealand 1; Argentina 5, Scotland 0; Korea 5, Russia 0; China 4, Ukraine 1. Pool B: Australia 1, Holland 3.

Today: Pool B: USA v England, 2.05; Ireland v Japan, 4.05; Spain v Holland, 6.05; Australia v South Africa, 8 .05.