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Valencia, June 28
A defiant India managed to hold back Ireland and register a 2-1 win in the second match of the six-nation hockey tournament on Tuesday.
After a below-par show in the opening game against Olympics champs Germany, India put on a better show against Ireland to get their first points.
As in the 4-0 loss to Germany, India fell behind early, but managed to fight back with goals from forward Talwinder Singh and skipper Sardar Singh in the 22nd and 32nd minutes, respectively. Ireland began the proceedings on a promising note, midfielder Kyle Good opening the scoring in the fourth minute.
India looked rusty but did not allow any more scoring opportunities. India bounced back well in the second quarter, creating chances before getting the equaliser in the 22nd minute. Talwinder tapped in a rebound after a penalty corner attempt.
Sardar deflected in a brilliant pass from VR Raghunath to give India the lead. India missed a couple of chances in the next few minutes. The final quarter witnessed a tough contest with the Irish giving India a tough fight. India tried their best to extend the lead but failed. — IANS
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