Spanish prove too difficult

It looks as if Ireland will have to qualify for the Olympics the hard way. Ireland's 2-0 defeat by Spain in Milton Keynes yesterday ended their hopes of finishing second in their pool and automatically qualifying for Sydney, and consigning them to the hazardous play-off route that they now must travel to secure the final spot available.

The USA's 2-1 victory over India earlier in the day relegated Ireland to fourth place in their pool and left them with the unenviable task of having to beat China (third in Pool B) tomorrow if they are to reach Saturday's fifth-sixth place play-off.

While there was plenty of fighting talk the mood in the Irish camp after yesterday's defeat suggested that even they recognised their best hope of qualification has gone and that their Olympic dream is now hanging by the slenderest of threads.

There was no hard luck story to curse. The statistics from the game told its story - Spain won 10 corners, Ireland won none; Spain had 10 shots on goal, Ireland had one, in the 69th minute by which time their opponents, who only needed a draw, were 2-0 up and assured of their trip to Sydney.

Once again goalkeeper Tara Browne, who is having a superb tournament, kept her team in the game, pushing Maider Telleria's corner strike on to the crossbar in the eighth minute and later denying Sonia Barrio twice.

They kept the Spanish scoreless until four minutes into the second half when Erdoitza Goikoetxea's shot from a corner deflected off Daphne Sixsmith into Nuria Camon's path and she slotted home. At that point the Irish attempted to throw caution to the wind, pushing Arlene Boyles up from sweeper into midfield, but even then they struggled to get out of their own half.

The game ended as a contest 12 minutes from time when Goikoetxea met Telleria's cross from the left and forced it past Browne. Karen O'Brien had a chance to score but shot high and wide.

"That's our first chance gone," said coach Riet Kuper, "but really, the way the game went, we didn't have a chance today. Spain were very disciplined, tactically very clever and it just proved too tough."

"Of course we're disappointed," said captain Mary Logue. "But this was a qualification chance we never really expected coming here. We always thought we would be playing for that fifth spot, which is what we will do now."