Hockey: The Irish women's hockey team earned a superb 0-0 draw with Korea tonight, at the World Cup Qualifier in Rome.
The draw is a great result for the Irish as the Koreans are seven places ahead of Ireland in the World rankings, and are fancied to win this tournament.
"The group is wide open now; it was a great performance by the whole team", a delighted Irish coach Reit Kuper said after the game.
"It is the first time we have ever got a result against Korea. It's a brilliant result for us and we can just go for it now, there's everything to play for."
Korea and USA are now top of Ireland's pool on four points each, New Zealand have three points and Ireland two, after two matches.
Italy and Azerbaijan play their second game later tonight, and both have yet to register a point at this stage.
Ireland had a good first half and played with their characteristic determination. Nikki Symmons and Limerick's Eimear Cregan both had good chances in the opening five minutes.
Ballymoney's Angela Platt pulled off a world class save for Ireland on fourteen minutes from a Korean penalty corner, reaching up high to bat away a thunderous shot with her right hand.
The Koreans were awarded another penalty corner a minute later and again Platt pulled off another fine save, this time with her feet.
Cregan won Ireland's first penalty corner on twenty-five minutes surviving two heavy tackles en route but the subsequent shot went too high and wide.
Ireland's last chance of the half came on thirty-three minutes when Jenny McDonough darted down the right wing, created space for herself to get a ball into Eimear Cregan but her shot was blocked down.
Seven minutes into the second half the Koreans were awarded a penalty corner when the ball hit an Irish foot inside the circle. The subsequent shot hit the foot of Ireland's Jill Orbinson on the goal line resulting in a penalty stroke for the Koreans, which Jung Hee Kim flicked wide of the left post.
On fifty minutes Angela Platt saved from a well hit Korean shot and had to contend with three Korean penalty corners in quick succession; the first two shot wide, but Ballymoney's Platt saved the third with her stick.
Platt was again the hero for the Irish with ten minutes to go diving to her right to push away a Korean shot hit low and fast. Ireland's tremendous defence held firm for the remainder of the half having weathered the continuous Korean pressure to come away with an outstanding and very important result.
Ireland's next pool match is against New Zealand on Saturday at 7.30pm Irish time.
There are two pools of six teams in the qualifier. Following the round robin stage the top two teams in each pool automatically qualify for the World Cup in September. The remaining teams battle it out for the final qualifying spot.