Men's Hockey: Ireland had a nervy draw with China yesterday at Grange Road to take the overall honours in the two-match series.
Following a 2-1 victory at Serpentine on Saturday, Timmy Cockram found the target within the first three minutes, controlling the bouncing ball and rattling the back board from close range.
The Chinese, preparing to host the Olympic tournament in 2008, have a star in the making in striker Song Yi.
He posted the goal of the game on Saturday with impressive close-quarter skill and he showed on 25 minutes that he could score from distance too with a shot that must have left scorch mark on Charlie Henderson's left hand post.
However, Dave Passmore's side were soon back ahead, Mark Gleghorne diving full length to meet Mark Irwin's cross from the right and leave Tao Zhinan stranded in the Chinese goal.
One up at half-time, coach Passmore decided to grant captain Paddy Brown a break leaving a relatively inexperienced back four to man the defence, including the very promising teenager Conor Harte.
The results were mixed, with Iain Lewers dismayed to concede a penalty corner on 51 minutes, from which the visitors conjured their equaliser.
The initial low shot from Song was blocked but the ball fell kindly for Hu Liang who gleefully fired it high into Henderson's unprotected net.
The Irish, against impressively fit opposition, did well to weather the subsequent storm and finish with a flourish, Stephen Butler signing off in his 101st international with a glorious effort that flew narrowly wide of the top left corner.
IRELAND: C Henderson, P Brown, R Gormley, C Harte, I Lewers, S Butler, M Black, J Jermyn, M Gleghorne, M Irwin, T Cockram. Subs: M Watt, E Magee, S Nicholson, A Barbour, G McCabe.
CHINA: Z Tao, Y Qiao, P Ye, W Li, Y Song, X Meng, L Hu, J Meng, Y Na, H Hu. Subs: J Yang, Z Jiang, Y De, Y Yu.
Umpires: C Porter, D Stewart.
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