On the second day of play at the Setanta Trophy in Dublin, Ireland, the two men's matches all ended in a draw. Pakistan and Great Britain finished at 3-3, while Canada and Ireland put the same score on the score board. In the women's tournament, Germany defeated Ireland 1-0, while Great Britain was stronger than South Africa (3-0)
Women: Ireland - Germany 0-1 (0-1)
Ireland's women's team took on the World Number 3's Germany tonight in the second match in their Setanta Sports Trophy campaign. The night was extra special for the team's youngest member, Shirley McCay who earned her 50th cap.
Ireland put on a better performance tonight creating more opportunities and upping their tempo on their previous evening's performance. They started well immediately threatening the German's defense but when they gave away the first penalty corner of the match they were punished by the ever clinical Germans, number 18 Anke Kuhn stepped up and slotted away her drag flick for a one nil lead.
Ireland continued to penetrate the German circle and despite winning three penalty corners in the first half they couldn't find an equalizer before the break.
The second half continued in a similar vein with some end to end action with both keepers being called into action to keep attackers at bay. Ireland managed again to earn another three corners but their set play finish was not working for them tonight and the match closed out one nil to the visitors.
Women: South Africa - Great Britain 0-3 (0-2)
Great Britain had a comfortable 3-0 win against South Africa in the second game of the Setanta Trophy with Slough striker Alex Danson netting a brace of goals.
GB got off to a great start in the 5th minute when Mel Clewlow drilled a straight strike into the goal at their first of six penalty corners. GB played with confidence and had the majority of possession constantly dispossessing South African defenders.
Disappointingly, GB were unable to take advantage of this pressure and were guilty of a lack of care in the final pass.
GB could not stretch the lead with penalty corners in the 19th, 21st and 24th minutes. They did however from open play in the 28th minute when the ever lively Alex Danson pounced on a cross from Jo Ellis (Bowdon Hightown) to deflect the ball into the goal.
GB came out in the second half looking for an early third goal to kill off the game. A penalty corner in the 43rd minute and two retakes resulted in Sarah Thomas finding a South African on the lane. Chloe Rogers stepped up to take the stroke and hit the post. South Africa, rejuvenated from this miss, had their best spell of pressure of the game but were unable to trouble Beth Storry in goal. In the 55th minute, GB scored their third and best goal of the game after some good inter-passing between Panter and Thomas down the right. Thomas's pass into the circle was swept into the goal by Danson through the keepers legs.
South Africa had a golden chance to pull a goal back in the 62nd minute when Farah Fredericks found herself free in front of goal with only Storry to beat, but hooked her shot wide. GB had two further penalty corners and attacked into the circle, but were unable to produce a greater winning margin.
Men: Pakistan - Great Britain 3-3 (0-3)
Richard Mantell, Richard Alexander and Ashley Jackson all scored in Great Britain's thrilling 3-3 draw with Pakistan at the Setanta Trophy earlier today in what was the ultimate game of two halves.
Playing against the side who they will open their 2008 Olympic Games campaign on 11 August, Great Britain took the lead through a 10th minute penalty corner from the older of the Mantell brothers. Their lead was doubled 10 minutes later after Richard Alexander deflected the ball into the net from a broken down penalty corner which was played back into the circle. Three minutes later, Great Britain were 3-0 up when Ashley Jackson netted another set piece to make it a hat-trick of penalty corners for the Brits, all of which went unanswered at the break.
Pakistan began their comeback on the 43rd minute through left winger Haider Abbas when he scored from open play and they pulled a further goal back when Muhammad Saqlain made no mistake from the penalty spot after a stroke was awarded when the ball hit Glenn Kirkham's body on the line. As British legs tired, Pakistan made the most of their pressure and equalised through an open play goal from Muhammad Zubair in the 59th minute.
Men: Ireland - Canada 3-3 (2-1)
Ireland's men continued playing with the exciting flair they had displayed against Pakistan the previous evening when they took on Canada tonight in their second game of the Setanta Sports Trophy.
Only two minutes in Ireland conceded a penalty corner which resulted in a penalty stroke but an on form Harte saved the shot low to the right to keep a clean sheet. Twelve minutes later an Irish cross in from the left was met by a diving Eugene Magee to slot home his countries first goal of the night. Only two minutes later a shot from Shaw was met by Alan Southern to double Ireland's lead to two nil. The game continued with great pace and skill as both sides moved the ball from end to end, but Canada got one back just four minutes before half time when a free in resulted in a goal mouth scramble which Mark Pearson converted for his side.
Ireland were not long waiting to extend their lead when Mitch Darling showed some of his goal scoring magic when he deflected a free in which he roofed into the net for a 3-1 lead. But, only sixty seconds later Ireland were punished in a similar fashion to the first goal when a free in again resulted in a melee around the circle for Ravi Kahlon to bring his side back within a goal at 3-2.
The equalizer came in the 49th minute when captain Short got on the end of a free in to draw his side level at three all. Both sides began to show their frustration and in the 51st minute Ireland's Alan Southern was sent to the bin for ten minutes but within 60 seconds the sides were once again on a level playing field when one of Canada's midfielders joined him on the side line for an illegal tackle.
Both sides had opportunities to score and with only a minute left on the clock keeper Harte was called into action for a superb penalty corner save to keep his side level at three all.
