Ireland 2-1 England
Ireland's men kicked off their Four Nations tournament in Spain with a dogged 2-1 defeat of England.
Daragh Walsh and Mitch Darling goals proved enough to sink the English in a tit-for-tat encounter.
There was nothing to split the two in the opening exchanges and the first quarter saw few real chances at either end.
The game came to life a bit more in the second quarter when David Harte was called into action for the first time so smother a pacey English attack.
Moments later the Green Machine won their first penalty corner but Shane O’Donoghue’s drag flick effort went just wide of George Pinner’s goal.
Lee Cole picked up a green card in the 26th minute but the English couldn’t capitalise on their man advantage. Ireland won a penalty stroke in the dying moments of the first half but O’Donoghue’s shot whistled wide.
The deadlock was broken thanks to a powerful reverse strike from Walsh inside the opening three minutes of the second half.
Both teams went down to 10 men with Stuart Loughrey and David Goodfield picking up green cards, but that didn’t stop Mitch Darling from doubling Ireland’s lead with a lovely goal set up by Eugene Magee.
Three penalty corners in quick succession saw England claw a goal back as Luke Taylor found the back of the net. But the men in red couldn’t find an equaliser as an experienced Ireland side held off the world number seven-ranked outfit to claim a morale-boosting victory.
Ireland face Spain tomorrow before taking on the Netherlands on Thursday afternoon.
Ireland: D Harte (Captain), J Bell, C Cargo, M Nelson, E Magee, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, M Darling, C Harte, L Cole, S Loughrey
Subs: L Madeley, A Sothern, K Shimmins, D Fitzgerald, D Walsh, J Duncan
