Ireland lose key match to England

Hockey: In losing 1-0 to England through a finely struck goal by Martin Jones four minutes from the end, Ireland's hopes of a top-eight finish in the 16-nation Junior World Cup were virtually extinguished in Hobart, Tasmania, yesterday. Only if Australia lost to England and Ireland scored heavily against Chile on Friday would there still be a berth in the elite second phase of the tournament.

Ireland had the better of the first half in which the short-corner count was 5-1 but England stepped up a gear in the second period to take the spoils.

IRELAND (v England) - M Ruddle; K Burns, D Eakins (capt), A Giles, M Harte, D Hobbs, J Hobbs, J Jermyn, P McConnell, P Smith, S Symington. Subs: I Allen, S Irvine, A Kershaw, J Quigley.

Golf: Two years on from standing on the verge of British Open championship glory, Jean van de Velde finds himself fighting for his future in the Cannes Open, which starts today. The Frenchman has failed to secure a card for next season on the US Tour and is in danger of missing out in Europe as well with just four tournaments left. He lies 138th on the Order of Merit with only the top 115 guaranteed playing rights for 2002.

France's Thomas Levet, the winner the last time the event was staged in 1998, is the highest ranked player on the money list (13th) competing this week, with the likes of Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart, England's Warren Bennett and Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez among the favourites.

Equestrian Sport: Ireland's bid to add European gold to the crown won by the show jumpers in June has been beset with misfortune in the build-up to the three-day event championships, but the quartet that is gearing up for the challenge at Pau in France this week is now tuned and ready for the off, writes Grania Willis.

A fight-back to fitness by Patricia Donegan, injured in a fall in July, has finally come good and the West Cork rider is now ready to give her all with Joe Savage's brilliantly talented horse Don't Step Back. Chef d'equipe Helen Cantillon O'Keeffe has put Donegan in as number four. Ann Hatton, a senior team debutante, has been put in as pathfinder with Monatrea Bert and will be followed in the order by Sasha Harrison with All Love du Fenaud. Carol Gee, another team first-timer, goes in as number three with Sportsfield Iceman.