Ireland contrive to draw

Ireland 3, Belgium 3

It was bitterly disappointing for John Clarke and his team not to get the win they deserved but by allowing Belgium an equaliser two minutes from the end, they consigned themselves to the new B Championships in two years time.

The coach said later it was a "disgrace" the Irish had not made the top eight, but to take his comment at its literal value would be quite wrong, as he explained.

"When you have so many opportunities to win a game, it is debatable whether you can describe it as unlucky," Clarke said. "I think we proved we were the better team virtually throughout the game and contrived to throw it away. I think Belgium were very fortunate to get a draw.

"To have a team capable of challenging within the top eight languishing in ninth to twelfth is a disgrace. I think we've proved we can play hockey and I sometimes wonder do the players really understand how able they are. But they need to concentrate and they need to deliver on the day and while we were the better team on the day, I don't think the players delivered as much as they were capable of delivering but maybe that's down to me."

The Irish were champing at the bit and on 25 minutes they broke down the left with Gordon Elliot collecting a clearance and found Graham Shaw who drilled it into the circle where Andy Barbour got the subtlest of touches to score.

But Belgium hit back immediately with Vandeweghe scoring from close in, following in a speculative long ball.

But Ireland rebounded immediately and it was Sherriff who drilled it home after some wonderful Chris Jackson work down the right and a pin-point delivery to the Irish marksman.

Up to half time things were going to plan, but it began to unravel when, first Gordon Elliot and then Erroll Litton were yellow carded and benched for ten minutes. With a two man advantage the Belgians swarmed forward and just on ten minutes in Jean-Philippe Brule finished a short corner move to equalise.

The Irish held out for another eight minutes before being restored to full strength and almost immediately Stephen Butler effected a most subtle finish to a short corner and they were back in the driving seat.

But with three minutes left Mark Irwin was yellow-carded and in his absence, the Belgians spun the ball wide right, crashed it into the circle and Xavier Reckinger lived up to his name by wrecking Ireland's hopes with an unstoppable shot.

Clarke was unwilling to criticise his players too much however, and while he obviously felt they could do better, he was only too willing to share the blame.

"Without delving into fantasy, we could have had three more goals today, but we are where we are now and I think at the end of the day the players are prepared by the coach to play. If they have the ability, it is my responsibility to get that ability out of them.

"I don't believe they played to their full potential. It was not bad, but I think they are capable of playing a great deal better. No disrespect to Belgium, but we should have beaten them.

"They are in the top eight and we should be there with them. I take some responsibility and that's the way it is."

IRELAND: Bateman, Brown, Black, Smyth, Lutton, Irwin, Raphael, Jackson, Sherriff, Shaw, Buttimer.

Rolling Subs: Elliot, Butler, Hobbs, Barbour.

BELGIUM: Degreve, Renaer, Letier, L Vandeweghe, Brule, Luycx, Willems, Coudron, C Vandeweghe, Toussaint, Dijkshoorn.

Rolling subs: Reckinger, Vandenbalck, Goldberg, Houssein.