England score second win

England registered their second victory in Pool A in the men's Junior World Cup hockey tournament, beating Ireland 1-0 in the concluding match of the day's programme at the Tasmania Hockey Centre, in Hobart, on Wednesday.

Martin Jones scored the lone goal of the match in 65th minute, with a superb reverse stick shot from the left of the circle.

The victory took England to the top of the pool with six points and assured them a place in the second round of the tournament.

They meet Australia on Friday in a match which could decide which team tops the pool. After a draw with Ireland on Tuesday, Australia will have to win the match to take the top place.

Australia too good for Chile

Australia came back from the surprise draw against Ireland on Tuesday to thrash Chile 7-1 and register their first victory of the tournament.

The defending champions wasted no time in getting down to business and stormed the rival goal from the start. They struck thrice within a spell of 15 minutes. Craig Victory, who respresents the senior squad too, got two of those goals in the 7th and 11th minutes and Steven Bullion one.

Bullion was again on target in the 22nd minute immediately after Nathan Eglington had made the score 4-0.

Five goals up at the breather, Australia relaxed their hold on the match in the second half but still managed to score twice through Phillip Marshall and Robert Hammond.

Chile forced six penalty-corners and managed a goal from one of them through Pablo Kuhlenthal, in the 53rd minute.

All of Australia's goals were field goals which resulted from quick counter attacks.

Germany edge past Argentina 2-1

Germany began their campaign in the tournament with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Argentina in the first match of Pool D.

Both teams matched each other in midfield but it was the Gemans who emerged better inside the striking circle.

Mattias Witthaus was responsible for Germany's goals, which came when the team was reduced to ten men after Florian Keller was sent off for failing to play to the whistle. First, the fleet-footed forward was green carded for flinging his shin pads to the ground -- an offence which also earned him temporary suspension -- and then, in 15th minute, he was shown the yellow card for completing his scoring shot after being pulled up for a foul by the umpire.

But despite being reduced to ten men, Germany were able to score twice. Witthaus put them ahead, following a quick one-two, and finding a narrow gap between Argentine goalkeeper Joaquin Berthold's pads in the 24th minute. Ten minutes later came the second goal, which was again the result of some sloppy play by the Argentine goalkeeper, who rushed out to clear the ball but was caught off-balance as Withaus sidestepped him and scored.

Argentina were more forceful in the second half but were just unable to get their penalty-corner drills correct as Tibor Weibenborn proved too quick to cut off Diego Avila's drag flicks from the top of the circle.

But they were rewarded for their efforts in the 50th minute when Juan Garreta scored from a penalty-corner after narrowly failing to find the mark a little earlier from a good individual run.

Defensive lapses proved costly for Malaysia

Malaysia lost their cool and a match they should have won as they went down to New Zealand 2-3 in Group D.

They led 2-1 at one stage but defensive lapses and suspension to two of their players in the last 10 minutes allowed the Kiwis to get back into the match and take full points.

Phillip Burrows put New Zealand into the lead in the 11th minute from a penalty-corner but two quick goals from Jiva Mohan in the 15th and 18th minutes put the Malaysians high in the saddle.

Mohan's first goal was the result of a clever penalty-corner variation. Tajol Rosli's shot was stopped by Jiwa Mohan for Chua Boon Huat. Chua sold a dummy and pushed the ball back to Jiwa, who swept home for the equaliser.

Malaysia made it 2-1 from a field goal as Mohan connected home a pass from Mohamed Fairuz Ramli.

But a lapse in the Malaysian defence allowed the Kiwis to draw level in he 25th minute through Blair Hopping. The Malaysian defenders needlessly delayed in clearing the ball inside the penalty area and Hopping pounced on a lose ball to score.

Malaysia had two chances to regain the lead but failed to make the best of penalty-corners in the 46th and 55th minutes.

New Zealand got the match-winner much against the run of play the 53rd minute through Burrows when the Malaysians had two of their players sent off. Malaysia had to play with only nine men when Chua Boon Huat and Jiwa Mohan were given the yellow card by the umpire following an almost free-for-all incident with their opponents.

Holland draw with Korea 2-2

The Netherlands were held to a 2-2 draw by Korea in the first match of Pool B.

Marc Neumeier put the Dutch ahead, scoring off a rebound off Jeroen Koops's penalty-corner flick in the 28th minute, but had to wait till the 48th minute to increase the lead, when Mathijs van Weerd made it 2-0 from passing bout down the middle.

The Netherlands then surprisingly appeared content with the two-goal cushion and adopted a defensive approach. It allowed the Koreans space to manoeuvre and open the defence.

A counter attack saw Jong Bok Cha deflect the ball home from close to reduce the margin to 1-2 in the 62nd minute.

With seconds ticking away, Korea forced two penalty-corners and scored from the second. Klass Veering did well to stop the drag flick but it rebounded to Korea captain Jong Ho Seo, who scooped to the top of the net in a flash.

South Africa beat France 3-2

South Africa were also narrow winners in their opening match of the tournament, beating France 3-2 in a Pool B match.

South Africa opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Ryan Ravenscroft from a penalty-corner. But France replied quickly, also from a penalty-corner -- their third -- through Charles Verrier in the 22nd minute.

France scored again through a penalty-corner in the 58th minute through Gerome Branquart before South Africa could score, much against the run of play, through Reece Basson in the 63rd minute.

Ian Healy clinched the issue for South Africa almost at the call of time when he deflected into goal John McInroy's long corner.

Complete Coverage: 7th Junior Men's World Cup 2001