HOCKEY / European Championships: One of those matches that passes you by, your mouth gaping, writes Johnny Watterson in Barcelona.
Ten goals, four of them from Ireland. There is no longer any mileage in proud defeats but after a performance with plenty of verve and skill, Ireland will take comfort from four scores that will surely come into play at a later stage in the competition.
Ireland were never tipped to beat one of the tournament favourites but their hatful of goals in the evening match should salve the disappointment of defeat at the hands of a technically better - and full-time - side.
For coach John Clarke and his squad, who all played, the match began badly, ending with Spain's first goal and injury to goalkeeper and Irish captain Nigel Henderson after barely two minutes.
The strike was a finely executed set-piece, which originated at left back and ended with Eduard Tubau powering into the circle and flicking past the advancing Henderson. Three touches, one goal.
It was a savage blow to the Irish, compounded by the fact that Henderson remained motionless on the Astroturf for more than four minutes before being stretchered off and replaced by Wesley Batemen.
Ireland swiftly hit back when Justin Sherriff skilfully grounded an overhead ball from Errol Lutton, controlled it and whacked it on the bounce, reverse-stick-style, to equalise on 15 minutes. It was a timely score for Ireland's most prolific scorer who, over the past year, has struggled to provide evidence on the pitch of his obvious ability.
Ireland's subsequent undoing was their inability to hold Spain level for more than 10 minutes in the hope of injecting frustration. But full of inventiveness and pace, The Spaniards struck back from their second corner following some magical stick work from Tubau. Santi Freixa's subsequent flick glanced off Bateman's pads on its way into goal.
Then in a six-minute burst Spain extinguished any hopes of a second Irish reply. Again, they looked to their pacy and interchanging forwards, with Josep Sanchez weaving his way along the back line. The angle seemed too narrow, but he stepped out and flashed a snap reverse stick for 3-1.
For 4-1, Xavier Ribas drag-flicked their third short corner into the roof just before half-time.
Against their full-time opponents, whose tactical and technical acumen flourished, Ireland offered vigour, plenty of skill and defiance. Spirits lifted when Sherriff delivered a power flick on their fourth corner for 4-2.
Not yet finished Spain again stepped up, Pablo Amat feeding off a cross for 5-2 and the mercurial Tubau dribbling through a pack and touching it around Batemen for 6-2 on the hour.
It might have finished that way had Ireland laid down. But confident going forward, Stephen Butler, Ireland's Belgian-based full-timer, flicked Ireland to 6-3 before Mark Irwin showed fine timing in touching a drilled ball from the left past goalkeeper Bernardino Herrera for 6-4.
The finish, when it looked like Ireland had been iced, should benefit them tomorrow when they face Russia with more pressure and greater expectations.
IRELAND: N Henderson; K Burns, D Smith, E Lutton, J Black, M Raphael, C Jackson, N Buttimer, G Shaw, J Sherriff, M Irwin. Rolling subs: W Bateman, S Butler, D Hobbs, A Barbour, J Jermyn.
SPAIN: B Herrera; S Freixa, F Fabregas, J Escarre, A Fabregas, P Amat, E Tubau, A Alegre, J Sanchez, X Ribas, R Garza. Rolling sub: N Alborch. Umpires: E Naglev, H Ehlers.
