IRELAND 7 BELGIUM 11

Belgium earned their first win of the LEN European Nations Trophy to earn an 11th-place finish at the expense of Ireland at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Ireland finished last following seven defeats in seven matches, but they performed admirably and pushed Belgium all the way in this encounter. However, their extra-man attack let them down, ultimately costing them victory.

Belgium captain Tom Van Oost scored five as he led his team to the win.

Ireland won four exclusions in the opening eight minutes but failed to convert on each occasion. Belgium took the lead through Michael De Boever after nearly three minutes and they doubled their advantage when Van Oost scored from five metres. Stefen Van Tieghem added to the total with a goal from the left wing.

Centre forward Thomas Delorge beat Kevin Thornton in the pit to open the second-period scoring. Graham Fogarty replied with an extra-man goal after De Boever had earned his second exclusion. Centre forward Jonathan Kirk scored a back hand and had a chance to pull his side to within one, but Pieter Van Snick denied him in a one-on-one.

Van Oost scored his second of the game from a penalty, which was conceded by Christopher Hodgkinson, who had earlier denied Delorge with a fabulous save. Ireland then had two man-up opportunities when Van Oost and Niels Vanderlinden were excluded, but again their extra-man attack failed.

Ireland scored consecutive goals at the start of the third through centre forward Ciaran Walshe and then Michael Kelleher, who shot into the bottom corner from six metres, to move within one of their opponents. But Belgium responded when Walshe conceded a penalty which Van Oost converted for his hat-trick. The skipper then scored his fourth after Patrick Lowery’s personal foul. Van Tieghem showed his dissent at a decision and was wrapped, but Belgium scored again through Ken De Wilde to go four goals up with eight minutes remaining.

Graham Fogarty was given his third personal foul but Belgium failed to convert from the resulting 6-on-5. Jonathan Donnelly pulled one back with an arrowed shot into the top corner. But Belgium stayed four ahead when Cedric Grammens scored. Ireland’s Alan Fogarty and Van Oost exchanged man-up goals, before Lowery put Ireland ahead for the quarter. But Delorge replied almost instantly.

Result: 7-11 (0-3; 2-2; 2-3; 3-3)

Ireland:  1 Christopher Hodgkinson (Capt), 2 Alan Fogarty (1 goal), 3 Eoin Nolan, 4 Kevin Thornton, 5 Graham Fogarty (1), 6 Patrick Lowery (1), 7 Darren McHugh, 8 Jonathan Donnelly (1), 9 Ciaran Walshe (1), 10 Jonathan Kirk (1), 11 Michael Kelleher (1), 12 Stephen Murphy, 13 Eoin Doyle

Belgium: 1 Pieter Van Snick, 2 Stefen Van Tieghem (1 goal), 3 Kevin Chavepeyer, 4 Thomas Delorge (2), 5 Niels Verhegge, 6 Ken De Wilde (1), 7 Samuel Gomez, 8 Michael De Boever (1), 9 Cedric Grammens (1), 10 Tom Van Oost (Capt, 5), 11 Sammy Claes, 12 Niels Vanderlinden, 13 Michael Callens