HOCKEY: Ireland produce stirring comeback to claim 3-2 win over Spain

Ireland produced an impressive comeback – scoring three goals in the second half – to beat Spain 3-2.

The victory was all the more notable by the young side when one considers the squad was without McCay, Frazer, O’Flanagan and Evans, who have combined caps of 543.

Tost swept the ball into the goal from a simple cross in the seventh minute and the Irish looked under pressure at times when in possession. Segu made it 2-0 in the 18th minute when the initial penalty corner shot was saved but the rebound went in. Similar to the previous two tests, the Green Army created chances, Daly and Carroll with the pick of the bunch, but the clinical finishes eluded them.

The second half saw Ireland take to the pitch with a sense of composure and patience unseen in the opening half.

UCD team-mates Pinder and Duke linked up to create the first chance of the quarter as the final ball evaded Daly, its intended target, but this was a sign of things to come.

Carroll went on a darting solo run through the centre and won a penalty corner. Mullans’ initial strike was saved but Watkins was lurking at the post and dispatched the rebounded ball to make it 2-1.

Watkins, captaining the squad, produced a pin-point pass to find Carroll in the circle who scored on the reverse, a bullet of a shot at mid-height gave the keeper no chance.

The Green Army turned up the pressure on Spain and earned another penalty corner in the 56th minute which Zoe Wilson, earning her third cap, smashed into the goal from the top of the circle, scoring her first international goal.

The final match of the series is on Tuesday morning at 11:30am (GMT).

Squad: McFerran, O’Byrne, Tice, Wilson, Mullan, Watkins (Captain), Daly, Brown, Mulcahy, Carroll, McDonald, Smithwick (GK), Pinder, Lloyd, Beatty, G Frazer, Duke, Meeke,