Irish held by Japan

ONE SUSPECTS that coach Terry Gregg aged, oh, about 20 years in the course of Ireland's final Five Nations match against Japan in Vancouver yesterday. At the very least he would have experienced more emotions than most coaches go through in a full hockey season.

After 26 minutes his team was 2-0 down ... gloom. With just three minutes to go they were 4-2 "up ... ecstasy. When the final hooter sounded they had drawn 4-4 . . . bewilderment. Such is life at the helm of the Irish women's hockey team, never a dull moment.

Two goals from Emi Oguri, in the 20th and 26th minutes, put Japan in control of the match before Sarah Kelleher, with a penalty stroke, pulled one back for the Irish three minutes before the break. Lynsey McVicker (from a short corner) and Jenny Burke (from play) put Ireland 3-2 up early in the second half before Kelleher scored her fourth penalty stroke of the tournament 10 minutes from time.

And so a morale boosting victory, over one of Ireland's World Cup Pool A rivals in Zimbabwe in August, seemed assured. But that's when Gregg's ageing process began to accelerate. In the 67th minute Akemi Kato halved the Irish lead before Oguri completed her hattrick, and Ireland's misery, in the final minute with a goal from a short corner.

Gregg will at least have been consoled by the fact that his team scored four goals in a match against relatively strong opponents but will feel that surgery is required on a defence that conceded 11 goals in their four matches in Vancouver.

Ireland finished joint fourth with Japan, on one point, behind winners England, who won all four of their matches, and joint second placed Canada and the USA who drew 1-1 yesterday.