HOCKEY/Women's European Championships: Ireland - 3 Italy - 0Ireland began the battle to retain their elite status in Manchester with a secure win over Italy at Bellevue yesterday.

Defeated in their earlier games against England and the Netherlands, Ireland responded in positive style against a side that had already shipped 13 goals in their fixtures with the twin superpowers in Pool A.

Ireland added three more to their cup of woe, though the Italians made a feisty start to the match with Francesca Faustini and Maria Victorian Corso brisk and bright in attack.

However, their bright start soon turned ugly after 10 minutes when Ireland reached the end line and the ball was pulled back for Cathy McKean to tip it out of the air and into the open goal.

The leaders were in no rush to assert further authority, though Nikki Symmons forced a cracker of a save from Roberta Lilliu shortly after the initial breakthrough.

After the break, they began to show flashes of a more expansive style and the reward came at a corner, their fifth, when Jenny McDonough converted.

Their opponents began to run into discipline problems as the match progressed and were short-staffed with Matilde Canavosio in the sin-bin when Symmons struck the final blow, four minutes from full time.

The Loreto midfielder, who played last season in the German bundesliga, arrived at full tilt to collect a pass from Linda Caulfield and belt the ball with enough force to carry it through the goalie's attempted save.

Irish coach Gene Muller accepted afterwards his side had begun in nervy manner and he was relieved with the result.

"We have a bit of a buffer now and we will be more relaxed going in against Ukraine," he observed as they put their first points on the board to finish third in their pool.

The Ukrainians sank pointless to the bottom of Pool B when they lost 3-0 to Azerbaijan, who will now meet Italy tomorrow.

Muller's relief owed much to the success of his risk-now-thrive-later selection policy which handed many young Irish players their tickets to Manchester.

The form of the Randalstown duo, Shirley McCay and Emma Clarke, in midfield for example certainly suggested that the South African has a good eye for spotting talent.

IRELAND: M Goode, L Caulfield, E Cregan, E Clarke, E Stewart, B McKeever, J McDonough, C McKean, C O'Brien, J Orbinson, N Symmons. Subs: R Flinn, S McCay, J O'Halloran, C Parkhill.

Umpires: F Block (England), T Kaltypan (Ukraine).