Hook Hockey

Cockram double hands Ireland second GB draw

Men’s Senior International Training game
Ireland 2 (Timmy Cockram 2) Great Britain (Barry Middleton, Simon Mantell)
Ireland’s men notched a second successive draw against Great Britain in Bisham Abbey but were this time grateful to notching a final hooter corner goal where, a day earlier, they missed out.

That would have earned them a winner on game one but this time Timmy Cockram’s second of the game garnered a tie against a side using many of England’s world ranked number four selection.

GB opened the scoring in the second minute when Barry Middleton tapped in at the back post from a by-line ball but Ireland managed to level seven minutes later with a Cockram drag flick. The game was evenly contested throughout the remainder of the first half and was fairly reflected in the 1-1 score at half time.

In the 41st minute, Britain took the lead again from another corner, this time dragged home by Simon Mantell. Ireland piled on the pressure and were awarded a number of short corners but failed to take their opportunities until after the final hooter.

David Fitzgerald stepped in between the posts for David Harte for this tie while Ronan Gormley and Eugene Magee were both rested while Geoff McCabe came back in to midfield, too.

Ireland: David Fitzgerald, John Jackson, Paul Gleghorne, Conor Harte, Stuart Loughrey, Andy McConnell, David Ames, Geoff McCabe, Michael Watt, Mitch Darling, Timmy Cockram
Subs: Johnny Bell, Chris Cargo, Ian Sloan, Peter Caruth, Gareth Watkins, Shane O’Donoghue