Reckless Ireland to miss out on elite spot

Hockey European Championships: "It's déjà vu," sighed John Clarke, "we've been here so many times before." Mary Hannigan reports from Barcelona

True, but the concession of an equaliser to Belgium with less than two minutes to go in their final pool match yesterday will rank "down" there with Ireland's most frustrating days in international hockey.

A costly draw it was too. If, as anticipated, the European Hockey Federation decides to ratify a proposal that the next European Championships be reduced to an eight-team A division Ireland, who can now finish no higher than ninth at this tournament, will find themselves playing in the B division next time around.

"To have a team capable of challenging within the top eight but to be languishing in ninth-12th is a disgrace," said the Irish coach. "I think we've proved we can play hockey, but I sometimes wonder if the players really understand how able they are.

"We proved we were the better team virtually throughout the game, but contrived to throw it away."

Little wonder Clarke seemed so weary after the game. Three times he saw his team, which needed a win to go through to the fifth-eighth play-offs, take the lead, three times he saw them lose it.

Andy Barbour opened the scoring in the 27th minute, getting a touch on Graham Shaw's shot from the left, but Charles Vandeweghe levelled a minute later. Justin Sherriff restored Ireland's lead three minutes before the break, firing home into an empty net after an exquisite interchange between Barbour and Chris Jackson left the Belgian goalkeeper stranded.

The key period, though, came early in the second half when Gordon Elliott and Erroll Lutton's yellow cards overlapped - both players were "sin-binned" for 10 minutes - reducing Ireland to nine men for five and a half minutes. It was during this spell Belgium made it 2-2, just when Ireland were getting a grip of the game and looking well capable of stretching their 2-1 lead.

But even after conceding that second equaliser Ireland took the lead again, when Stephen Butler converted a corner in the 58th minute, and appeared to have finally seen off the challenge of a powerful but limited Belgian side.

Mark Irwin, though, picked up Ireland's third yellow card of the game in the 68th minute and seconds later the team's failure to regroup - and concentrate - was punished by Xavier Reckinger, who forced home Jerome Toussaint's cross from the right.

"Our reaction to the final yellow card, in terms of our organisation on the pitch, wasn't good enough and they got in," said Clarke. "Concentration was broken, but they should be good enough for that not to happen. Déjà vu," he said again, and with that the Irish coach made his exit. As his team has done from the elite of European hockey.

IRELAND (v Belgium): W Bateman, P Brown, D Smyth, E Lutton, J Black, M Raphael, C Jackson, N Buttimer, M Irwin, G Shaw, J Sherriff. Subs used: G Elliott, D Hobbs, A Barbour, S Butler.